This retro robot vacuum is one of my favorite gadgets at IFA 2024

By Jon Bitner Published September 5, 2024

The Karcher RC 3000 robot vacuum at IFA 2024. — Jon Bitner / Digital Trends

IFA 2024 has officially opened its doors to the public, marking the 100th anniversary of the iconic event. Hundreds of consumer electronics brands will be at the show — including Samsung, Acer, and Lenovo — and it’s shaping up to be another big year for the convention. I was invited to preview the sprawling IFA grounds ahead of its kickoff, and while much was still under construction, IFA 100 Years: The Exhibition was largely complete. That’s where I stumbled upon the Karcher RC 3000 — a robot vacuum from 2003 that served as a precursor to many of today’s most prominent devices.

IFA 100 Years: The Exhibition looks back at key innovations in the consumer electronics industry. From gaming and radio to video and home appliances, it captures key moments that shaped our digital lives over the past 10 decades. And while you’ll find plenty of innovative devices in The Exhibition, the Karcher RC 3000 is undoubtedly one of the coolest smart home products in the showcase.

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The Karcher RC 3000 was first launched in 2003. It wasn’t the first-ever robot vacuum (many arrived in the late 1990s), but its unique docking station allowed it to run autonomously much longer than the competition. This gave it the ability to vacuum floors and deposit its dust into a reservoir located on the dock, much like the robots you’ll find on store shelves today.

Modern robot vacuums can now mop and vacuum and clean themselves after each use. But being able to carry out just one of those tasks more than two decades ago was a huge achievement. Toss in contact sensors to move around rooms without manual intervention, the ability to adjust its power based on the task at hand, and enough horsepower to climb over small obstacles, and you’ve got an impressive retro robot vacuum.

Despite its age, the RC 3000 still strikes an imposing image. Unlike the muted white and black designs of today, it boasts a gregarious yellow-and-black color palette that immediately catches your eye. Even in a room filled with dozens of innovative electronics, it’ll quickly steal your attention.

Karcher’s modern catalog of robot vacuums isn’t quite up to par with the competition, but if it decides to make a comeback, we’d love for it to keep the design of its iconic RC 3000.

IFA 2024 runs from September 6 through September 10. We’ll be covering all the smart home reveals as they happen, so check back in the coming days for all the latest news.

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Jon Bitner is a writer covering consumer electronics, technology, and gaming. His work has been published on various websites…

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