RELEASED 2026.03REASSESSED 2026.08.08

Shark

Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal

Name: Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal
Brand: Shark

UV stain detection is a novel capability, not a cosmetic feature. Navigation is published rather than inferred: NeuroNav AI pairs a spinning LiDAR with RGB and 3D sensors and an UltraRange Camera. The trade-off: you are buying Level III navigation with one Level IV feature (adaptive cleaning based on invisible soil).

Autonomy Ladder

Why Level III.

One five-rung scale, every category, from acting only on command to working unsupervised anywhere.

VGeneralized AutonomyAny task, any setting. No consumer robot has reached it.
IVEnvironmental AutonomyHandles new obstacles and re-plans in real time; rare in consumer products.
To reach Level IVSustained operation across sessions, including layouts and conditions it has not met before.
IIIConditional AutonomyThis robot

Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal finishes whole jobs in a space it already knows, and still needs a person at the edges.

Navigation and control
NeuroNav AI: 360-degree spinning LiDAR with RGB and 3D sensors plus an UltraRange Camera; LiDAR and 3D sensors handle obstacle avoidance; multi-floor mapping; self-docking.
Why this level
- A 360-degree spinning LiDAR with RGB and 3D sensors maps multi-floor layouts, handles obstacle avoidance, and returns to the base autonomously, meeting Level III (Conditional Autonomy).
- UV stain detection with adaptive cleaning intensity and a verification pass is a specialized task-completion feature, not a cross-environment generalization.
- Navigation itself is not adaptive to novel obstacles (Level IV would require that).
Autonomy dimension 66 / 100 · 4 sources reviewed
IIAssisted AutonomyRuns preset routines; stalls at anything new.
IManual AutomationOne action on command; no independent operation.

How we assign a level →

Robovations Score

How this number was reached

58of 100

CapableAt or above 20% of the 355 robots we scoreand 17% of the 193 scored robot vacuums

DeficientLimitedCapableStrongExemplary

Measured on 8 of the 9 inputs14% not counted

Our assessment did not establish an independent source for software stability on this machine, so that input is left out of the score rather than guessed at, and the rest re-weighted to fill the space. A gap in what we have been able to verify is not evidence against the robot. Where it reaches 30% of the rubric we publish no number at all.

What moved itpoints gained or lost against a typical robot

Carried by

Routine maintenance87+2.3
Coverage and navigation88+1.8

Held back by

Field failure rate29−6.6
Task completion55−2.7
Support longevity58−0.5

Capability40% of the score65What it does without you.

Task completion16% of the score55

Evidence

Vacuum Wars measured 3.4 g of water left behind on the lowest setting and 5.3 g on medium against averages of 0.95 g and 1.1 g, giving a combined mopping score of 0.55 against a 22.5 average, with floors sometimes taking over 30 minutes to dry. Trusted Reviews found the vacuuming half does finish, collecting all the flour from hard floor and leaving carpet "as good as I've seen from robots that cost a lot more", but the app drops the vacuum-and-mop option entirely once you pick a single room or spot.

Coverage and navigation10% of the score88

Evidence

NeuroNav AI pairs a 360 degree spinning LiDAR with RGB and 3D sensors and an UltraRange Camera, with multi-floor mapping and self-docking, and the UV detection works on the first pass in a home the robot has never mapped, with no stain map to build. That is response to an unseen setting rather than precision inside a taught boundary, which is uncommon here. Held below the upper anchors because the record itself says navigation is not adaptive to novel obstacles, and because no independent source has confirmed coverage across repeated runs.

Edge-case recovery10% of the score52

Evidence

Trusted Reviews put obstacles down to block off part of a room and the robot "complained that it couldn't find its location, so it just went back to base", refusing to clean until the tester removed the makeshift boundary, which is detect, report accurately and wait for a human. Vacuum Wars measured 20 of 24 objects avoided, the highest it has recorded for a Shark, so the events that trigger that halt should be less frequent than the behavior alone suggests.

Operating envelope4% of the score80

Evidence

180 minutes of runtime across multi-floor maps with a 20 mm mop lift, aimed at sealed hard floors and pets. Four documented narrowings, and the record is unusually frank about two of them: Shark publishes no pascal figure at all for this model, the mop lift height and pressure curve are undetailed with an acknowledged partial carpet swipe risk on transitions, the mechanism has not been independently tested on thick pile, and UV detection only reaches soils that fluoresce, so anything that does not is outside the headline capability.

Dependability40% of the score40Whether it keeps doing it.

Field failure rate16% of the score29

Evidence

An evidence verdict, not a judgment on the hardware. The machine shipped in March 2026, five months ago, and the entire evidence base on this record is a single link to Shark's robot vacuum category page, marked pending. There is no press review, no owner report, no teardown and no dated log. The record's own cons say early failure data is unavailable and that UV sensor lifespan and consumable pricing remain undocumented until broader owner reports arrive. With only vendor-controlled evidence about what the machine does or fails at, an outcome input takes 25.

Software stabilitynot countedno source verified82

Evidence

Held below the ordinary consumer case and deliberately well above the floor. This is an app-connected robot from an active mainstream vendor with a live cloud service, so it is nothing like a machine with no update channel. But no firmware source, changelog or support policy appears on the record, and five months is too short a window for a regression pattern to surface even if one existed. There is no update behavior to read in either direction yet.

Support longevity10% of the score58

Evidence

Scored as commitments. Available through Amazon and Shark direct at 1,299 dollars since March 2026, with app and voice control through established platforms, and one genuinely good structural fact: the UV emitter is solid-state rather than a gas bulb, so the headline mechanism has no lamp to replace on a schedule. Held at 52 because the same mechanism has no published service life and Shark lists no UV module as a serviceable part, the record states no repair pathway is documented for base wash faults, and no consumable price is published anywhere on a 1,299 dollar machine.

Ownership burden20% of the score79What it asks of you.

Routine maintenance12% of the score87

Evidence

The base handles pad washing at 185 F, heat drying at 175 F and bin emptying after every run with no manual rinsing, which removes the category's defining chore. What remains is heavier than its NeverTouch Pro sibling: the clean tank is refilled and the dirty tank emptied weekly rather than monthly, with a monthly filter replacement or deep clean and brush check, pads every three to six months, and periodic inspection of the base contacts for corrosion or standing water.

Consumables8% of the score66

Evidence

Two consumable streams are removed by design rather than missing: the bay is bagless so there are no bags, and the UV emitter is solid-state so the headline feature has no bulb or module to reorder. Against that sits a documented gap rather than a cost. The record states plainly that consumable pricing remains undocumented, and no price appears for the filter, the brushroll or the mop pads, so an owner of a 1,299 dollar machine cannot budget a single recurring line from what has been published.

middle half of the databaseits medianthis robot

Reported, not scoredneither measures how well the robot works

Five-year cost$1,800

Upper third for robot vacuums. 1,299.99 dollars at MSRP with no street discount five months after launch, plus an estimated 100 dollars a year for filters, brushroll and mop pads. That annual figure is an estimate and not a quote, because the record states consumable pricing for this model remains undocumented. There are no dust bags, because the debris bay is bagless, and no UV consumable, because the emitter is solid-state with no lamp to replace. No subscription.

Data postureCloud-linked

Account required. Maps and telemetry leave the home; core function survives an outage.

What leaves the homeNot documented

Read the full methodology →

FIT CHECK

Will the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal work in your home?

Describe your home using the controls. Each choice reads the spec sheet for you, flagging where the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal is built for your space and where it isn’t.

Home size

Primary floors

Mopping needs

You want to…

A classification of fit for the conditions you set, not a recommendation. Verdicts describe engineering design intent, not test results.

SPECIFICATION

The full spec sheet.

Priced above the category median, with every figure charted against the category below.

Dimensional drawing

Key specificationsManufacturer-published

Footprint: 14.3 × 18.2 in · 17.5 in tall✓
Weight: 4.4 lbs✓
Wi-Fi: 2.4 GHz only

Where it lands · ranked across 200 robot vacuumsThis robotMedianTypical range

Runtime180min

60 min360 min

Near median

Price$1,299.99

$120$2,599

Above median

Charge time240min

90 min420 min

Near median

Weight4.4lbs

3.3 lbs36.4 lbs

Bottom of range

Position shows where the figure sits across the tracked category, not a quality judgment.

Official referencesManufacturer site

OWNERSHIP

Living with it.

New flagship with single-source documentation; dock-based mop wash system is a reliability wildcard.

Shipping March 2026 with provisional evidence limited to manufacturer claims. Dual ultrasonic tank reliability, UV sensor lifespan, and dock mechanical durability not yet tested across owner cohorts. Shark's previous flagship (E25 Pro) showed stable performance after year one, but the mop-wash dock is novel in their product line.

Owner effort~2 hrshands-on per month

Consumables$85replaceable parts / yr

Reliability trendUnprovenowner-reported arc

What goes wrong · 4 documented · 0 self-recover

Common

Mop pad matting or debris buildupReduced suction efficiency; wet pickup trails on hard floors.

Owner fixManual rinse weekly; replacement pads every 3-4 months (~$20-30 per pair).

Occasional

Dock ultrasonic tank motor failureDock cannot wash mop pads; robot defaults to vacuum-only.

Owner fixManufacturer dock repair or replacement; workaround is manual pad washing.

Occasional

UV sensor dirt accumulationFalse negatives in stain detection; robot skips actual messes.

Owner fixManual lens cleaning during dock maintenance; replace bulb annually.

Occasional

Water tank leakage at dock connectionPooling water around dock; potential electrical hazard.

Owner fixCheck connection seals weekly; reseat cartridges if worn.

Step-by-step fixesHas Weak Suction or Isn’t Picking Up?Spreading Dirt or Leaving TrailsWon’t Return to Its Dock or Charge?All robot vacuum guides

Upkeep routine

Each useEvery cycle

The base washes the mop pad with 185F water, heat-dries it at 175F, and empties the robot's bin into a bagless bay. No manual pad rinsing is required.

Weekly52×/yr

Refill the base's clean water tank and empty the dirty tank; cadence tracks how much mopping is scheduled.

Monthly12×/yr

Replace or deep-clean the main filter; check brush bristles for pet hair wrap.

Seasonal4×/yr

Replace mop pads.

As neededno fixed schedule

Empty the base's bagless debris bay; inspect base electrical contacts for corrosion or standing water.

Cost over time · past the sticker

PurchaseRunning cost

Year 1

$1,384

Year 3

$1,554

Year 5

$1,724

$1,299 to buy, then about $85 a year for the replaceable parts below. Over three years that is roughly $255 past the sticker price. Excludes electricity and any repairs.

What you replace

FilterMonthly
Mop padEvery 3-6 months

Replacement cadence from the maintenance schedule; prices shown where the source documents them.

Safety notes

CautionElectrical hazard at dock water system: Dock has powered ultrasonic motors and water tanks in close proximity. Avoid contact with wet internals.

NoteMop pad lift height on carpeted transitions: Retracting mop may contact carpet fringes on hard-floor-to-carpet transitions; monitor for snags.

RECORD

How the assessment has moved.

Every announcement, release and reassessment behind the current classification.

Coming soon

Just launched

Active updates

Settled

Discontinued

Mar 2026 · AnnouncementUnveiled at CES 2026 with UV stain detection
Mar 2026 · ReleaseLaunches commercially at $1,299 in March 2026
May 2026 · NewsPowerDetect UV Reveal owner reports surface UV learning limits and dock reliability questions
Jul 2026 · AssessmentRobovations Score recorded at 58 of 100
Jul 2026 · AssessmentRobovations Score revised 58 → 56
Aug 2026 · AssessmentRobovations Score rescored under v4.2: 56 → 69
Aug 2026 · AssessmentRobovations Score revised 69 → 58

Common questions

What people actually ask.

6 answered

OperationDoes the UV Reveal mop work on carpet, or only hard floors?

The mop pad retracts fully on carpet detection, but manufacturer specs do not detail the lift height or pressure curve. Early user reports suggest performance is similar to retractable-mop competitors (partial carpet swipe risk on transitions). Carpet-only homes would benefit from a non-mopping model.

OperationHow often do I need to clean or replace the UV light module?

Shark lists no UV bulb, UV module, or UV consumable as a serviceable part. The emitter is a solid-state UV source rather than a gas bulb, so there is no lamp to replace on a schedule. The recurring consumables on this machine are the filter, the brushroll, and the mop pads.

OperationHow does UV Stain Detect find a stain the robot has not seen before?

A UV emitter and an RGB camera make residue fluoresce as the robot passes over it, so detection happens on the first pass over any floor, including in a home it has never mapped. The robot signals what it found with colored light cues, scrubs the spot, then runs a verification pass before moving on. There is no stain map to build, and nothing to carry between homes.

OperationWhat happens if the dock's ultrasonic tanks fail or the water gets dirty?

The base carries separate clean and dirty water tanks: the owner refills the clean tank and empties the dirty one, and the base handles washing and heat-drying the pad between runs. Shark does not detail a repair pathway for base wash faults in its public documentation.

CompatibilityIs the PowerDetect UV Reveal compatible with smart home ecosystems (Alexa, Google Home)?

SharkNinja lists control through the SharkClean app or by voice with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Mapping, scheduling, and spot-clean targeting are handled in the app.

ComparisonHow does suction power compare to Shark's non-UV flagship models?

Shark does not publish a Pa suction figure for this model. PowerDetect is not a navigation name either: it is Shark’s dirt, debris-level, floor-type, and edge detection technology, which raises suction when it registers heavier soil. Navigation is handled separately by NeuroNav AI.

Availability

Where it's sold

We may earn commission from qualifying purchases. This does not influence classification.

Amazon Checked Aug 9, 2026 $799In stock

Cite / Embed

Reference the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal classification.

Embed the Autonomy Ladder™ mark or copy the citation. The mark is served from this record rather than saved as a file, so it always shows the level we currently hold. If we reassess, it updates on your page by itself.

<a href="https://robovations.com/robots/shark-powerdetect-uv-reveal/?ref=badge" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://robovations.com/badge/r/shark-powerdetect-uv-reveal/seal-light" width="268" height="124" loading="lazy" alt="Autonomy Ladder classification for Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal, assessed by Robovations." /></a>

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Citation

Robovations. "Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal: Autonomy Level III (Conditional Autonomy)." Autonomy Ladder™, assessed August 2026. https://robovations.com/robots/shark-powerdetect-uv-reveal/

Where to next

Three ways to keep going.

For evaluators

Compare with a peer.

See the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal and Matic Robot Vacuum side by side: autonomy level, Robovations Score, readiness, and price. Classification, not a verdict.

See the full comparison

Or compare with Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo, Roborock Qrevo MaxV, Dreame L40 Ultra.

For browsers

See every Level III.

Every robot we’ve classified at conditional autonomy. Sorted by readiness, score, and price. Filter by category, manufacturer, or release date.

Browse the database

Updated weekly with new entries and reclassifications.

Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal

Will the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal work in your home?

The full spec sheet.

Living with it.

How the assessment has moved.

What people actually ask.