Plenty of Apple households consider robot vacuums essential smart home devices, but they’ve always had one major limitation: stairs. If you live in a multi-story home, you’ve either had to carry your robot vacuum between floors or invest in multiple units. What a drag. But the innovative new Eufy MarsWalker for robot vacuums, set to launch in spring 2026, promises to eliminate the problem entirely. The company just introduced it at IFA Berlin.
Eufy MarsWalker for robot vacuums: The first stair-climbing solution
For Apple users who appreciate seamless automation and smart home integration through HomeKit, the new MarsWalker could mean a big step forward in robotic cleaning technology. After all, Eufy is already known for lots of innovative smart-home products, from smart locks to cameras to robot vacuums.
Eufy’s MarsWalker isn’t technically a robot vacuum itself, but rather a sophisticated transport system designed to carry Eufy’s robot vacuums up and down staircases. Using four independently controlled robotic arms and a track-drive system, this Mars rover-inspired device can navigate straight, L-shaped and U-shaped stairs while securely gripping each step to prevent slips, the Anker subsidiary said.
Tracks vacuum with 3D mapping
Photo: Eufy
What makes this particularly impressive is the level of automation involved. The MarsWalker creates a 3D map of your entire home and can automatically detect when one floor is finished being cleaned. It then retrieves the robot vacuum, transports it to the next level and allows it to continue its cleaning routine without any human intervention.
Once cleaning is complete, the MarsWalker can automatically return the vacuum to its base station for emptying, washing and recharging. This creates a truly autonomous cleaning system that can handle multi-story homes from top to bottom.
So that all sound great, but the question of whether the convenience will be worth the cost remains open.
Compatibility and pricing concerns
The MarsWalker should work with several Eufy robot vacuum models, though the company has only confirmed compatibility with its new Omni S2. It launches in January 2026 for $1,599. The S2 offers impressive specs including 30,000 pascals of suction power, advanced 3D mapping with ToF sensors and RGB cameras, and the ability to recognize over 200 obstacles.
Interestingly, the S2 also features an aromatherapy system that releases scents like citrus, basil and bergamot while cleaning — a unique touch that sets it apart from competitors like iRobot’s Roomba series.
Photo: Eufy
However, there are some practical considerations for potential buyers. Eufy hasn’t announced pricing for the MarsWalker yet. If it costs as much as a second robot vacuum, the value proposition becomes questionable. Additionally, the system only works with Eufy devices, so existing owners of other brands won’t be able to take advantage of this innovation.
Eufy MarsWalker for robot vacuums: The future of automated cleaning?
Competitors like Roborock introduced features like mechanical arms for enhanced cleaning. But Eufy’s approach to solving the multi-floor problem could be the most practical innovation the robot vacuum market has seen in years.
Look for MarsWalker to come out in the first half of 2026, probably around when Eufy rolls out the Omni S2 robot vac or soon after.
Source: Anker/Eufy
David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
