Dyson adds three Nurovi robot vacuums, with Reuleaux-triangle mops and UV stain detection

The three models follow the lukewarm response to Dyson's 2023 robot vacuum, the 360 Vis Nav. TechRadar, which attended the launch event, spoke to Nathan Lawson Mclean, a Dyson senior design manager who works across the brand's home products, about how the machines were developed.

The R2 Nurovi Wash+Dry mops with two rounded Reuleaux triangle pads that rotate eccentrically, meaning their point of rotation is not central. Lawson Mclean said the shape lets the pads reach further into corners, and that the design had been waiting in Dyson's development cupboard: the first Reuleaux pads were developed in 2019 and fitted to the front of a brush bar in a cleaner, but the motion caused too much ricocheting, which he likened to riding a bicycle with square wheels. He said the company develops such technologies in tandem and waits for the right platform to integrate them, and that Dyson is now packing its products with its own technologies.

All three Nurovi robots use side sweepers, a component Dyson founder James Dyson initially opposed. Lawson Mclean said side sweepers "were always a bit of a faux pas with James Dyson", who "hated them" and thought they scattered dirt, which is why the brand's early models went without them; the 360 Vis Nav instead used a side duct that poked out when the robot sensed it was near the edge of a room. He said sweepers are effective but a little chaotic and tend to wear out, and that in James Dyson's view they ended up wrapped and covered in hair.

The Nurovi version is described by Lawson Mclean as origami-inspired. It borrows geometry from the conical cleaner heads used on machines such as the Dyson V16, with an over-moulded pattern that holds nylon bristles at a specific angle on the floor. According to Lawson Mclean, this helps avoid scattering dust, corrals debris in a more controlled manner and stops hair wrapping around the sweeper so readily. "So it's a small, simple, effective, quality of life improvement," he said.

The flagship R3 Nurovi Spot+Scrub UV carries a UV light that exposes dried-on, otherwise invisible substances including sugary drinks, milk, tonic water and sparkling water. The robot then scrubs back and forth over the area to clear the mess before it becomes sticky or starts to smell. Lawson Mclean said the light reveals stains that can become breeding grounds for bacteria. "You'd be surprised what fluoresces — a bit like a bowling alley in your own home," he said.

The R1 Nurovi Dry is a vacuum-only robot, a configuration that has become rare. Lawson Mclean said it suits homes without hard flooring, buyers looking for a more affordable option and people who want to avoid what he called "a great big bloody dock like some robots have". It is also aimed at users wary of robot mops. "There are many people who — I know for a fact, through user trials — don't trust robotic vacuums with their carpets," he said. "You know… we've ruined many of James' Persian rugs over the years."