Kärcher is primarily known for its water-based cleaning solutions, and the firm has finally decided to put that know-how to good use for its latest robot. No, the RCF 3 doesn’t go around the house pumping water at high pressure – and we admit that we wouldn’t be very reassured if that were the case. It rather uses the roller system(s) of the brand’s floor cleaners, such as the FC 7 and FC 5. Unlike the RCV 5, of which it still uses the LiDAR navigation system, it is therefore not suitable to the maintenance of carpets, but promises to make hard floors shine by always scrubbing them with clean water while recovering “both dry and wet dirt” which accumulate there.
A clean roller for clean floors
More precisely, the RCF 3 is equipped with a microfiber roller which it rotates against the ground, but also against two water tanks. The first, with a capacity of 430 ml, is to be filled with clean water by the user and allows the roller to be humidified and rinsed, while the second, with a capacity of 115 ml, collects dirty water and possible waste.
This system must therefore guarantee that the mop, or at least the part which comes into contact with the floor, is always damp and clean, for 120 minutes according to Kärcher. He’s not entirely new to robots, however. We were indeed able to see the SwitchBot S10 or the Mach R1 equipped with similar systems on the last IFA with, in addition, in these two cases, a station responsible for filling and emptying the water tanks. Both also offer an independent suction system which allows them to pass over carpets by lifting their roller.
This is therefore not the case with the RCF 3, which nevertheless has the merit of detecting carpets to avoid them. Above all, it is the first model equipped with such a system to arrive on the market since it is already available for sale on the manufacturer’s website, at the price of €579.99. The SwitchBot S10 is still awaited and the Mach R1 has itself completely disappeared from the official site, auguring a release that is still far away.