RELEASED 2022REASSESSED 2026.08.08Compare

Trifo

Trifo Lucy Ultra

Name: Trifo Lucy Ultra
Brand: Trifo

Object recognition lifts navigation beyond prior Lucy versions, but the core autonomy posture (map-guided, obstacle-avoidant cleaning) stays conditional. You gain semantic framing for obstacles; the coverage pattern and operational scope remain Level III standard.

ReplacesTrifo LucyThe previous generation of this line.

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 AutonomyCopes with everyday clutter and frees itself, shown by independent testing.
To reach Level IVIndependent testing shows it avoids ordinary obstacles before contact, copes without the space being cleared, and frees itself when stuck.
IIIConditional AutonomyThis robot

Trifo Lucy Ultra finishes whole jobs in a space it already knows, and still needs a person at the edges.

Navigation and control

Laser mapping with Time-of-Flight obstacle sensors; onboard 1080p camera with night vision for monitoring and recording
Why this level
- Independent testing documents laser mapping paired with Time-of-Flight obstacle sensing, sufficient for unattended runs across a mapped floor.
- Operates without teleoperator fallback within known floor plans.
- Does not generalize to novel environments or multi-home mapping handoff without manual intervention.
- Classified at Level III, Conditional Autonomy.
Autonomy dimension 63 / 100 · 3 sources reviewed
IIAssisted AutonomyRuns preset routines; stalls at anything new.
IManual AutomationOne action on command; no independent operation.

How we assign a level →

Behind the classification

Sources we reviewed.

Provisional3 sources reviewed

Enough has been reviewed to classify, but gaps remain across source types.

Sources reviewed

Press & video reviews2 sourcesOngoing

Independent hands-on reviews of the Lucy Ultra and the wider Lucy line covering mapping, mopping, camera behavior and street pricing.

Longitudinal signal2 sourcesReviewed

Robovations dated log for this robot: 3 tracked entries spanning ~9 months.

Specification sources1 sourceReviewed

Pages the published specifications were read from.

web.archive.orgweb.archive.org

Monitoring record2 sourcesReviewed

Sources behind the tracker entries following this robot.

Also monitored, nothing listed yet

Manufacturer documentationPending

Trifo product page for the Lucy Ultra: 1080p camera with night vision, 2-in-1 dustbin and water tank, vacuum and mop operation.

How we evaluate evidence →

Human Readiness

Ready Now.

One question: what does buying this robot today walk you into? The state is computed from the record, and recomputed daily.

Ready NowThis robot

Trifo Lucy Ultra is on sale, assessed, and nothing on its record argues for waiting.
How this was derived
- Shipping past the first-90-day ownership window with a published assessment, no documented issues on record, and no announced successor.
Notes on the record
- The Lucy Ultra is available through Trifo and major US retailers at roughly $400, with UK listings around GBP 300 to 350.
- Setup follows standard dock placement and app pairing; mapping runs on-device.
- Maintenance is hands-on rather than automated: empty and rinse the 252 ml bin, refill the 366 ml tank for mopping, clean the filter monthly and rotate the brushes quarterly.
On the record
- Shipping since January 2022 · 57 months on the market
- Retail listings on file: Amazon
- No current new-stock listing confirmed
- No successor announced
- 3 sources reviewed
What would move it
A documented problem, an announced successor, or a withdrawn listing moves it out; the rating recomputes daily.
New to MarketOn sale under 90 days; the ownership record is still forming.
WaitA successor is announced and has not shipped; re-read the decision when it arrives.
Known IssuesDocumented problems stand on the record; read the case before buying.

How we assess readiness →

Robovations Score

How this number was reached

54of 100

LimitedAt or above 13% of the 441 robots we scoreand 10% of the 222 scored robot vacuums

DeficientLimitedCapableStrongExemplary

Measured on 8 of the 9 inputs16% not counted

Our assessment did not establish an independent source for task completion 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 a whole pillar has nothing measured, we publish no number at all.

What moved itpoints gained or lost against a typical robot

Carried by

Software stability82+2.4

Held back by

Routine maintenance36−3.7
Field failure rate48−3.5
Support longevity40−2.2

Capability40% of the score55What it does without you.

Task completionnot countedno source verified40

Evidence

It carries mopping hardware, so mopping is part of its job, and nothing here is self-serviced. There is no auto-empty base at all, and the 252 ml dustbin is small, emptied and rinsed by hand after most runs. The 366 ml water tank is refilled for each mopping pass and the record states it sets how much floor one pass covers. No automatic mop lift is documented, so the water tray comes off before running on carpet. Single-floor mapping only, and it cannot change levels.

Coverage and navigation10% of the score58

Evidence

Make Tech Easier's hands-on review reports it took over 10 minutes to map a medium sized living room and that it would not carry on into the attached kitchen through an open doorway, so the reviewer had to move the vacuum into the kitchen manually via the app before it would map there; the maps it does build are saved and used for scheduling and zones.

Edge-case recovery10% of the score50

Evidence

Independent testing describes laser mapping paired with Time-of-Flight obstacle sensors as sufficient for unattended runs, so there is genuine pre-contact perception and the category trap's hard ceiling does not apply. Cliff detection halts at stairs. The record documents no recovery behavior at all, and the 1080p camera is a monitoring stream rather than a recovery mechanism, though it does give the owner a way to see why the robot stopped.

Operating envelope4% of the score60

Evidence

4,000 Pa on hard floors and low pile, with owner reports documenting suction loss and inadequate agitation on plush flooring, and no automatic mop lift documented so carpet means removing the water tray first. Single-floor mapping, and the 366 ml tank bounds a mopping pass. One genuine widening: dual-band Wi-Fi, so it is the only machine across these 31 records that works on a 5 GHz-only network.

Dependability40% of the score58Whether it keeps doing it.

Field failure rate16% of the score48

Evidence

Four and a half years since 2022, and the evidence is independent in kind but very thin: two hands-on reviews from small outlets, Make Tech Easier and Mighty Gadget, both linked, plus Trifo's own product page. There is no owner_reports source of any kind, no failure_modes section and no reliability_over_time section. Trifo is a small vendor with a limited coverage footprint, so a silent record here reflects the absence of anyone assembling one rather than an established clean sheet.

Software stability14% of the score82

Evidence

Below the ordinary silent-record anchor. There is no firmware_notes source in the record at all and no changelog is cited anywhere, so nothing establishes that updates ship, only that the robot has Wi-Fi and an app. The record also notes Trifo publishes no data retention or access policy that could be located, which speaks to the vendor's general opacity. It stops short of the 25 anchor because that state requires opacity plus owners reporting problems, and no owner reports exist here in either direction.

Support longevity10% of the score40

Evidence

Scored as commitments and there are few to read. One linked Trifo product page, no published warranty term, no repair channel, no parts catalog beyond named costs for a filter at $12 to $18 and a side brush at $15 to $20, and no data or software policy the record could locate. Trifo is a small vendor and the machine is four and a half years old, so the concern about a parts channel narrowing applies directly, with no third-party aftermarket to fall back on.

Ownership burden20% of the score46What it asks of you.

Routine maintenance12% of the score36

Evidence

A heavy routine for a vacuum. After most runs: empty and rinse the 252 ml dustbin, rinse the mop pad, and empty the 366 ml tank. Weekly: tap the filter clean and wipe the camera lens. Every three to six months the primary filter; quarterly the side brush; seasonally the dock contacts. There is no dock automation of any kind and the smallest bin here, so the after-run task arrives more often than the record's own cadence suggests.

Consumables8% of the score61

Evidence

A filter at $12 to $18 every three to six months and a side brush at $15 to $20 quarterly, plus mop pads, coming to roughly $110 a year against a $360 to $400 machine, about 28 percent of purchase price annually. There is no bag because there is no base. The quarterly side brush is a short cadence, and every part runs through one small vendor with no third-party aftermarket, so the cost is less of a concern than the sourcing.

middle half of the databaseits medianthis robot

Reported, not scoredneither measures how well the robot works

Five-year cost$950

Cheap to buy, proportionally expensive to run. About $400 at US retail plus roughly $110 a year in filters, side brushes and mop pads, so consumables exceed the purchase price within four years. No subscription for core operation, including the live camera stream. Parts come from a single small vendor with no third-party aftermarket, which is a sourcing risk rather than a price one.

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 Trifo Lucy Ultra work in your home?

Describe your home using the controls. Each choice reads the spec sheet for you, flagging where the Trifo Lucy Ultra is built for your space and where it isn’t.

Home size

Primary floors

Mopping needs

Upkeep you accept

See every robot vacuum suited to these conditions

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

OWNERSHIP

Living with it.

TIRVS 3.0 detection improves obstacle-avoidance false-positives; dock and brush durability track category standard.

Stableowner-reported arc

The record so far

Manufacturer released Lucy Ultra January 2024; ~18 months in market. Owner forums report stable navigation updates and rare dock mechanical failures. No major firmware regression or recall documented.

What goes wrong4 documented · 0 self-recover

Common

Suction loss, longer run times.

Owner fixTap filter clean weekly; replace every 3-6 months (~$12-18).

Occasional

Dust bag cloggingReduced suction, motor strain.

Owner fixEmpty bag every 4-6 runs; replace monthly or as needed.

Occasional

Uneven edge cleaning, missed corners.

Owner fixInspect and rotate quarterly; replace every 6-8 months (~$15-20).

Rare

Dock connection intermittencyFailed return or charge cycle.

Owner fixRealign dock contacts; check for debris on metal strips.

Upkeep routine

Weekly52×/yr

Tap the clean; wipe the camera lens with a dry cloth.

Seasonal4×/yr

Replace or clean the primary (~$12-18); inspect the .

Rotate or replace the (~$15-20); verify dock contact cleanliness.

Check charging contacts and dock alignment after heavy use periods.

As neededno fixed schedule

Empty and rinse the 252 ml dustbin; rinse the mop pad and empty any water left in the 366 ml tank.

Cost over timeabout $300 past the sticker over three years

PurchaseRunning cost

Year 1

$499

Year 3

$699

Year 5

$899

$399 to buy, then about $100 a year for the replaceable parts below. Over three years that is roughly $300 past the sticker price. Excludes electricity and any repairs.

What you replace

Every 3-6 months$12–18
Quarterly$15–20

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

Step-by-step fixes

Won’t Return to Its Dock or Charge?Brush Not Spinning?Has Weak Suction or Isn’t Picking Up?All robot vacuum guides

Safety notes1 caution · 1 note

CautionCliff detection on stairs.Robot halts at stairs and does not descend; safe for multi-level homes with manual dock placement.
Pinch point at dock intake.Children and pets should avoid the dock air intake during operation.

SPECIFICATION

The full spec sheet.

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

Dimensional drawing

Key specificationsManufacturer-published

FootprintThe width, depth and height of the robot itself, without its dock.: 14.2 in dia · 3.3 in tall•
WeightThe robot alone, without its dock, as the maker states it.: 7.5 lbs
Wi-FiThe bands the robot can join; many models need a 2.4 GHz network to set up.: 2.4 + 5 GHz
Onboard dustbinThe bin inside the robot; an auto-empty dock moves its contents into a bag.: 252 mL
Water tankThe clean-water tank that feeds the mop, on the robot or in the dock.: 366 mL
DockWhat the base does besides charging: empty the bin, wash and dry pads, refill water.: Charge-only dock, no self-emptying

Where it lands · ranked across 255 robot vacuumsThis robotMedianTypical range

SuctionAir pressure the fan produces at the intake, in pascals, measured the maker's own way.4,000Pamode not stated

1,000 Pa42,000 Pa

Bottom of range

RuntimeThe maker's stated running time on one charge, at a standard setting.120min

60 min360 min

Near median

PriceThe maker's list price, not a price found in a shop.$399

$160$2,600

Below median

Charge timeTime from empty to full on the dock, as the maker states it.180min

90 min420 min

Near median

WeightThe robot alone, without its dock, as the maker states it.7.5lbs

3.6 lbs25 lbs

Near median

Position shows where the figure sits across the tracked category, not a quality judgment. Suction in Pascals has no standard test method, and the published figure is a peak-mode claim, so it is comparable only within a brand and generation.

RECORD

How the assessment has moved.

Every announcement, release and reassessment behind the current classification.

Coming soon

Just launched

Active updates

Settled

Discontinued

Aug 2026 · AssessmentRecord status: Verified → Provisional
Aug 2026 · AssessmentRobovations Score rescored under v4.2: 66 → 54
Jul 2026 · AssessmentRobovations Score recorded at 66 of 100
Sep 2024 · UpdateApp Update Expands Zone Control and Map Editing
Mar 2024 · ReleaseLaunches at Retail with TIRVS 3.0 at $499
Jan 2024 · AnnouncementWith TIRVS 3.0 Unveiled at CES 2024

Common questions

What people actually ask.

7 answered

OperationDoes the Lucy Ultra mop?

Yes. Trifo lists it as a vacuum and mop, with a 2-in-1 tray holding a 252 ml dustbin and a 366 ml water tank. A microfiber pad is dragged behind the robot while it vacuums. Independent testing reported no streaking. No automatic mop lift is documented for this model.

OperationWhat does the Lucy Ultra's camera do, and where does the video go?

The robot carries a 1080p camera with night vision and motion detection, and streams live video for home and pet monitoring through the Trifo app. Review testing found no cloud storage of stills or video. Trifo publishes no data retention or access policy we could locate.

OperationHow does the Lucy Ultra navigate?

Independent testing of the Ultra describes laser mapping paired with Time-of-Flight sensors for obstacle handling. Trifo brands its vision work TIRVS, the Trifo Intelligent Robotics Vision System, but no public source ties a specific version of it to this model.

OperationDoes the Lucy Ultra use disposable dust bags?

No. There is no auto-empty base and no bag. The robot carries a 2-in-1 tray holding a 252 ml dustbin and a 366 ml water tank, and the bin is emptied and rinsed by hand. Recurring consumables are the filter and the brushes.

CompatibilityDoes the Lucy Ultra work with 5 GHz WiFi?

Yes. Supports dual-band WiFi (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz). Networks with only 5 GHz or only 2.4 GHz both work; performance is stable on either band per owner reports.

OperationCan the Lucy Ultra map multiple homes or floors?

Single-floor mapping only. Multi-floor homes require manual dock relocation and a new map, then reset. Does not support saved multi-home profiles; mapping is floor-specific.

OperationWhat happens if the Lucy Ultra encounters stairs?

Cliff-detection halts at stairs; the robot will not descend. On multi-level homes, position the dock on the primary cleaning floor and manually dock on other floors.

Availability

Where it's sold

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

We are no longer finding a current new-stock listing for this robot. Remaining offers may be used, refurbished, or third-party — confirm the condition and price on the retailer’s page before buying.

Amazon See current listings

Cite & Embed

Reference the Trifo Lucy Ultra classification.

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Citation

Robovations. "Trifo Lucy Ultra: Autonomy Level III (Conditional Autonomy)." Autonomy Ladder™, assessed August 2026. https://robovations.com/robots/trifo-lucy-ultra/

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A classification, not an endorsement. It may not appear beside language implying Robovations recommends, rates, or approves the product.

Where to next

Three ways to keep going.

For evaluators

Compare with a peer.

See the Trifo Lucy Ultra and SwitchBot K11+ side by side: autonomy level, Robovations Score, readiness, and price. Classification, not a verdict.

See the full comparison

Or compare with Roborock Q7 M5+, iRobot Roomba 105 Combo, Dreame L10 Pro.

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.

Trifo Lucy Ultra

Will the Trifo Lucy Ultra work in your home?

Living with it.

The full spec sheet.

How the assessment has moved.

What people actually ask.

Other robot vacuums we have classified.

Dyson R1 Nurovi Dry

Roborock Saros 20 Flow Complete

Dreame X50 Master

SwitchBot K11+

Where it's sold

Reference the Trifo Lucy Ultra classification.

Three ways to keep going.

Get the next reassessment.

Compare with a peer.

See every Level III.