The Future of Cleaning Challenge – from Vorwerk & Women in Robotics

One week online and one day at DARE campus. Real prototypes, not slides. Teams of five to seven spend the day turning a real household problem: hardware, software, robotics, AI, any mix into something that actually runs. We are looking for: Robotics / ROS + CVPerception and navigation. You'd rather get a robot to actually see a room than argue about SLAM in theory. Robotics + Embodied AIPerceive, reason, physically act. What's possible once "vacuuming" isn't the ceiling? AI Agent + SoftwareReasoning and orchestration. You want the system to decide something, not just display it. CV + Data + SoftwareFrom "the robot cleaned X m²" to "the system understands the state of the home." Robotics + Manipulation + HardwareWhat's the smallest physical capability that removes the most human effort? AI + Voice/HMI + RoboticsConversational, assisted autonomy — interfaces for people who don't want to fight a UI. API/Software + AI AgentCalendars, connected devices, integrations. The orchestration layer across a whole connected home. ~50 builders, 8–10 teams, mixed on purpose — R&D next to product, marketing, and people who actually run a household. Judges:Julius Ganns — CPO, Vorwerk HOMEAnca Rusu — Executive Director, Swiss Robotics DayEran Rosenberg — NVIDIARobert Mackenzie — Head of Product, TWINTPriska Burkard — Co-founder, wetechtogetherStephanie Schliffski — Women in RoboticsSylvia Stocker — Co-founder, Arabesque Mentors:Markus FriedelChantelle LarsenJelena LaketicSoya EstrellaAlina Makarevych Natalya Tarasova Hosted by Women in Robotics, in partnership with Vorwerk.