Vacuum Cleaners Become 'Interior'... LG Electronics Unveils New Robot Vacuum at IFA

[Financial News] LG Electronics announced on the 28th that it will showcase new robot vacuum cleaners at IFA 2025, Europe's largest home appliance exhibition, opening on September 5 in Berlin, Germany. 
The new robot vacuums are two types: the built-in 'Hidden Station' and the freestanding 'Objet Station'. The Hidden Station can be installed in the 'dead space (empty spaces difficult to utilize such as behind doors, corners, etc.)' of the kitchen skirting board. When not in use, the robot vacuum fits neatly into the station and is not visible. An automatic opening and closing door is applied so that the robot vacuum can enter and exit on its own when it starts or finishes cleaning, maintaining a tidy appearance. 
To achieve this, LG Electronics applied an air pump that discharges with air pressure instead of a method of rotating wings to drain wastewater, reducing the volume of components inside the station. In addition, the station's height was lowered from the existing approximately 50cm to about 15cm by newly designing to increase the integration of components.
The Hidden Station is an automatic water supply and drainage model that connects to a direct drainpipe, useful for customers who want to use a robot vacuum but find it difficult to find installation space due to a small home. LG Electronics' patented technology, which discharges humid air caused by steam outside the station, prevents moisture from accumulating inside the dustbin, etc.
The Objet Station, with a table design that fits any space, also allows the robot vacuum to fit neatly into the station and not be visible. It can be cleanly installed in desired spaces such as bedrooms and living rooms, allowing for harmonious interior design. It reflects the opinions of customers who prefer the product to be unobtrusive when not in use.
Both products automatically handle dust suction and mopping, as well as washing and drying the used mop. Also, for the first time in the world, the steam function is applied to both the robot vacuum body and the station, greatly enhancing cleaning performance and hygiene management convenience.
The robot vacuum boils water in the body to create hot steam in real-time and directly sprays it with a mop. Steam stores more heat energy than hot water, so when sprayed on the mop surface, it releases hidden heat and effectively dissolves and removes stubborn stains like dried chocolate, coffee, and kitchen floor grease.
In the station, the mop is sterilized with steam for hygiene. LG Electronics applied a turbidity sensor to the station to measure the contamination level of the water during washing and automatically adjust the number of washes to keep the mop clean. It is also possible to set washing options such as cold water, hot water, and steam according to the contamination level.
LG Electronics' self-developed artificial intelligence (AI) object recognition technology is also applied to the robot vacuum driving technology. With various sensors such as AI chips, LiDAR, 3D cameras, ultrasound, and bumpers, it recognizes the surrounding environment and obstacles more precisely, driving and cleaning smartly. 
The new product first cleans areas excluding carpets, then returns to the station to remove the mop itself, and then cleans only the carpet separately. When detecting a carpet, the suction structure is changed to adhere more closely to the floor to better suck up dust. Also, if the customer sets it in the LG ThinQ app, the AI recognizes the floor contamination based on the camera and performs customized cleaning using steam.
Meanwhile, LG Electronics plans to unveil new cordless stick vacuums with △the highest level of suction power for suction only △Wet & Dry models capable of suctioning dust and liquid and mopping simultaneously at this year's IFA. 
Do-Young Kwak, Head of the Living Solution Division of LG Electronics HS Business Division (Vice President), said, "We will present a differentiated customer experience in the global market with design reflecting customer voices and upgraded cleaning performance." 

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