Verdict: The ROMO 2 is not just a better robot vacuum. It is a robot vacuum built by people who solve harder problems in the air. DJI’s drone-derived perception and motion control make this the smartest, most autonomous floor cleaner on the market. The 8.5cm obstacle climbing and transparent-object avoidance are genuine category-firsts. At 3999 RMB ($549) for the entry model, it is also aggressively priced against established competitors.
The Drone DNA
DJI dominates global drone markets through sensor fusion and real-time spatial computing. The ROMO 2 series transfers that expertise to your living room. The P2 and A2 models carry Smart Obstacle Avoidance 2.0—a system combining array ToF projection LiDAR, binocular fisheye vision sensors, and side-facing array ToF into a perception network that maps obstacles at millimeter precision.
This is not incremental improvement. It is a different technological lineage. Where competitors rely on single LiDAR or camera-based systems, DJI fuses multiple sensor modalities the same way its drones navigate complex 3D environments. The result is recognition of transparent objects—glass doors, mirrors, water cups—that blind conventional vacuums.
The AI decision layer completes the loop. Rather than simply avoiding obstacles, the ROMO 2 identifies what it sees and adjusts cleaning strategy: slowing for scattered particles to prevent flinging, isolating liquid spills to avoid smearing, switching to sweep-first-then-mop for heavy dust zones. This is autonomous decision-making, not pre-programmed pattern matching.
Suction and Cleaning Power
The P2 and A2 models deliver 36000Pa suction—a 44% increase over the first-generation ROMO’s 25000Pa. This places them in the top tier of current consumer robot vacuums. Airflow reaches 22L/s, sufficient to extract embedded debris from carpet fibers and grout lines.
The Intelligent Boost Cleaning system adds a mechanical dimension. When the robot detects carpet or concentrated dust, a pressure plate descends to form a semi-sealed chamber against the floor, increasing internal vacuum density. This “turbocharging” effect pulls deep-set dirt that standard suction misses. The system also recognizes carpet edges and adjusts wheel height to prevent dragging.
Hair and pet fur are addressed through full-body anti-tangle design. The dual side brushes switched from three-prong to two-prong configuration based on user feedback, reducing wrap-around while maintaining edge-sweeping effectiveness. Combined with the boosted suction, the ROMO 2 handles long hair without the daily de-tangling ritual required by lesser machines.
The 123° Mechanical Arm: Reaching Where Others Cannot
The standout hardware innovation is the radar-adaptive ultra-wide swing arm. At 123° of extension, the arm reaches 7.8cm beyond the robot’s body perimeter—covering baseboard edges, chair legs, and refrigerator bottoms that conventional round robots ignore.
Unlike simple pad-extension systems, the ROMO 2’s arm carries its own precision LiDAR. It does not blindly extend; it maps the edge geometry and adjusts swing angle and pressure in real time. The robot traces chair legs in circular patterns, follows irregular furniture contours, and dynamically switches to long-edge-priority strategy in narrow passages. This is robotic manipulation, not mere pad positioning.
The dust-detection lamp aids human oversight. Covering 2000cm² of floor area, the lamp illuminates fine particles invisible under normal lighting, letting you verify cleaning quality without bending to floor level.
8.5cm Obstacle Climbing: The Mechanical Legs
The first-generation ROMO’s biggest weakness was threshold navigation. The ROMO 2 eliminates this entirely. Dynamic adaptive mechanical legs enable 8.5cm continuous two-step climbing. The robot predicts upcoming obstacles, aligns its approach, and executes a “sprint” maneuver that lifts the front wheels and drives over in approximately 10 seconds.
During testing, a 5cm sliding door track was crossed effortlessly during the initial mapping run. The system automatically marked the location as “high-threshold zone” on the generated floor plan. For households with raised door sills, this capability transforms the robot from a single-room appliance to a whole-home solution.
The Base Station: 365 Days of Hands-Off Operation
The P2 and A2 base stations support 80°C high-temperature mop washing. The P2 adds automatic disinfectant soaking, deodorizing modules, and an electric hatch door. The A2 offers similar core functionality minus the electric door and deodorizer. The entry S V2 runs 60°C washing.
The maintenance interval is genuinely extended. DJI claims 365 days of hands-off operation for the base station. The dual-disc mop design allows simple peel-and-replace replacement when pads wear out—cheaper and easier than continuous belt systems. The wastewater tank’s frosted-glass design and silver-ion antibacterial modules address odor and hygiene concerns.
Software: The Cleanest App in the Category
The DJI Home app is a statement against smart home bloatware. No advertisements. No embedded shopping malls. No promotional pop-ups. Opening the app lands directly on device control. The store is buried in secondary menus where it belongs.
The interface matches DJI’s drone apps—clean, information-dense, and operationally intuitive. Real-time cleaning animations show robot position and coverage. Floor plan editing supports no-go zones, priority areas, and room-specific cleaning sequences. Voice control integrates natively with XiaoDu and XiaoAi speakers. Remote video viewing turns the robot’s front camera into a home security patrol tool.
Product Lineup and Pricing
The ROMO 2 series offers three tiers:
- ROMO P2 (5999 RMB / ~$825): Full feature set including transparent design, 80°C washing, electric hatch, deodorizer, and disinfectant system.
- ROMO A2 (4299 RMB / ~$590): Core cleaning and avoidance capabilities with 80°C washing and optional water hookup.
- ROMO S V2 (3999 RMB / ~$549): Basic Smart Avoidance 1.0 without transparent-object recognition. 30000Pa suction and 60°C washing.
Launch promotions cut 1000 RMB from P2 and A2 prices, positioning the P2 at 4999 RMB and A2 at 3299 RMB temporarily. This undercuts equivalent-spec competitors from Roborock and Ecovacs by 15-20% while offering superior avoidance intelligence.
Limitations
- Size: The sensor and battery hardware make the P2 noticeably larger than slim-profile competitors, limiting under-furniture reach.
- Noise: 36000Pa suction generates substantial noise during deep-cleaning cycles. The 85% noise filtration helps but does not eliminate disturbance.
- Water consumption: The high-temperature washing and disinfectant systems use more water per cycle than basic stations.
- Learning curve: The AI’s autonomous decision-making occasionally produces unexpected behavior that unsettles users accustomed to predictable pattern cleaning.
- Ecosystem lock: Full functionality requires DJI Home app. Third-party smart home integration is limited to basic voice commands.
- Repair complexity: The transparent shell and integrated sensor arrays make DIY repairs difficult.
Bottom Line
The DJI ROMO 2 is the most technologically advanced robot vacuum available in 2026. It does not iterate on existing solutions; it imports solutions from a more demanding domain. The drone-derived perception system, mechanical arm manipulation, and obstacle-climbing legs represent genuine engineering innovation.
For households with complex floor plans, mixed surfaces, or threshold barriers that defeated previous robots, the ROMO 2 is the first vacuum that truly does not need babysitting. For pet owners and long-haired residents, the anti-tangle design and boosted suction eliminate the daily maintenance ritual. For tech enthusiasts, the transparent aesthetic and clean app experience deliver satisfaction beyond mere cleanliness.
The pricing is competitive, the technology is superior, and the execution is polished. DJI has moved from proving it can build a robot vacuum to proving it can build the best one.
Score: 8.5/10
- Innovation: 9/10
- Cleaning Performance: 9/10
- Autonomy: 9/10
- Design: 8/10
- Value: 8/10
- Noise Control: 6/10
