[Edaily Reporter SOYEON KIM ] "Instead of spraying 100°C steam directly onto the floor, we opted to spray the steam directly onto the mop to heat the mop itself. This is to minimize damage to hardwood and vinyl floors and to better suit domestic living environments."

LGELECTRONICS’ robot vacuum cleaner, the “LG HomeBot AI Objet Collection RONi,” launched in late June, introduced the world’s first “Two-Way Steam Technology,” which applies 100°C steam to both the main unit and the charging station.

Lee Guk-haeng, a principal researcher at LGELECTRONICS’ Living Solutions Business Division who participated in the development of the Two-Way Steam Technology, recently met with E-Daily and cited Two-Way Steam as the most distinctive feature of this new product. This system simultaneously cleans the damp mop with steam at the charging station while also generating steam directly from the robot vacuum’s main unit for use during cleaning.

LGELECTRONICS’ decision to spray steam onto the mop rather than directly onto the floor was based on considerations of the domestic residential environment. The researcher explained, “Technically, spraying steam directly onto the mop is more challenging than spraying it onto the floor,” adding, “If 100°C high-temperature steam is sprayed directly onto hardwood or vinyl flooring, it could cause damage such as warping. We also took safety concerns into account, such as those related to babies and pets.” This is the world’s first method of spraying 100°C steam directly onto a wet mop from the robot vacuum cleaner’s main unit.

The development of this steam technology began with the question, “How can we improve cleaning performance?” The team devised a method to first soften food residue, grease, and stains—which are difficult to remove with a standard cold-water mop—using high heat before wiping them away.

Chocolate was identified as the most challenging type of stain during the development process. This is because chocolate hardens when it sets and becomes sticky when it melts. The researcher explained, “After Roni uses its camera to check the floor’s color and condition, if it detects a specific type of stain, it performs intensive steam cleaning in that area,” adding, “It automatically compares photos taken before and after cleaning, and once cleaning is complete, the robot vacuum returns to its station to wash the mop.”

He continued, “It is also equipped with an AI-powered contamination detection feature: if the mop becomes heavily soiled during cleaning, the robot vacuum automatically returns to its station to wash the mop before resuming cleaning.”

Managing the heat generated during the steam-producing process was also a technical challenge. “To produce steam at 100°C, the internal heater temperature must rise to approximately 300°C—significantly higher than that,” said the researcher. “No matter how well it’s insulated, the generated heat can still affect other components of the robot vacuum, such as the battery or circuit board.”

Consequently, RONI focused on implementing a structure that could block and dissipate heat to the outside without increasing the product’s size. The station was also designed with a fan to draw in outside air and expel internal heat and moisture. This approach minimizes the moisture that can result from using high-temperature steam—and the resulting risk of mold and bacterial growth—while ensuring internal hygiene.

Attention was also paid to managing limescale that can form during the steam generation process. The researcher explained, “Since heating water can cause limescale to accumulate internally, we installed ion-exchange devices in the steam generator and water supply lines,” adding, “This is a measure to prevent the water supply lines from becoming clogged by water stains or limescale during long-term use of the robot vacuum cleaner.”

In the future, steam technology in robot vacuums is expected to evolve toward greater energy efficiency, allowing them to clean larger areas with the same battery performance. The researcher noted, “Battery efficiency is the most critical factor in steam technology,” and predicted, “Technologies for generating steam with minimal energy and efficiently managing the resulting heat will become even more advanced.”