Partly. Robots without a camera can't detect stains at all. The best camera robots catch most stains but still miss some. @vacuumnerds puts the best at roughly 70–80% in repeated testing, and found some flagships that claim the feature couldn't do it at all.
How it works
A camera on the front of the robot looks for marks, spills or patches of dirt, and software decides whether to clean that spot again or scrub harder. How well it works depends on the camera, the lighting, the floor colour and above all the software.
What this means for you
- Treat it as a bonus, not a reason to buy. A robot that cleans consistently on a schedule matters more.
- Expect to spot-clean now and then, even with a flagship robot.
- Be sceptical of marketing claims. Look for reviewers who tested the feature repeatedly.
Robots that do it best
@vacuumnerds rates the Roborock Saros 20, Dreame X60 and MOVA Mobius 60 among the best at stain detection, and notes that none is perfect.
Among the best at stain detection
Roborock Saros 20ReviewedRoborock's new top-of-the-range vacuum and mop for 2026. Very strong on hard floors and unusually good at getting over door bars and under furniture, but less certain on thick carpet and clutter.
Dreame X60 Pro Ultra CompleteReviewedDreame's 2026 flagship for the UK and Europe, with a long mop arm and legs that lift it over tall steps. Two home testers loved it; a French lab found edges and obstacles weaker than promised.
MOVA Mobius 60ReviewedMOVA's flagship vacuum and mop, with a dock that swaps between three kinds of mop pad by itself. It's excellent at dodging clutter, but weak on dried stains and short of battery for big homes.
We plan to test this ourselves: the same set of stains across the leading robots, with repeated runs, reporting each robot's success rate.