Pudu Robotics Launches PUDU ET1 Commercial Cleaning Robot for 100–800-Square-Meter Facilities

Pudu Robotics launched the AI-powered PUDU ET1 scrubber-dryer robot for small commercial spaces on Aug. 12, 2026. The product is the first in the company's new PUDU E Series and is designed to clean areas of 100–800 square meters. Intended applications include convenience stores, drugstores, chain restaurants, business hotels and office spaces.

According to Pudu Robotics, the ET1 targets small commercial spaces of 100–800 square meters and automates tasks including replenishment and wastewater drainage with an 8-in-1 docking station. For stores, a key implementation question is whether it can reduce not only cleaning time but also daily support tasks.

The PUDU ET1 is notable not simply as a new cleaning robot model, but for its redesigned operating approach for small stores. It targets areas of 100–800 square meters, with sites such as convenience stores, drugstores, chain restaurants, hotels and offices in mind, where aisle width and operating hours impose significant constraints. The innovation lies less in the cleaning functions themselves than in combining an 8-in-1 docking station with AI Magic Cleaning to reduce the work involved in daily operations, including replenishment, wastewater drainage, washing and hot-water supply. Meanwhile, Pudu Robotics' broader expansion of its commercial cleaning robot lineup appears to be a continuation of an established course. In a related article, Pudu Robotics Ranked No. 1 Worldwide in Commercial Cleaning Robot Shipments and Sales, Counterpoint Research Finds, we reported that the company was ranked No. 1 worldwide in commercial cleaning robots. Rather than an addition of a higher-end model to maintain that position, the ET1 can be seen as a complementary move to bring cleaning automation—previously focused mainly on large facilities—to smaller groups of stores. In other words, as the company seeks to increase sales and unit shipments, differentiating products by site conditions may become more important than offering a single large machine. The ET1 integrates not only the robot itself but also a dock for before- and after-cleaning processes, AI-based dirt recognition, mapping and adaptive control. This brings customer operations closer to fully automated cleaning, while also requiring a maintenance-parts and water supply and drainage plan. The competitive focus is likely to shift beyond stated cleaning performance to stable operation in narrow aisles, recognition accuracy for carpet edges and liquid spills, and standardized installation and maintenance across chain locations. Questions to examine next include operating rates in real-world use, installation procedures at individual stores, how often consumable parts need replacement, and whether performance varies at the lower and upper ends of the 100–800-square-meter range.

The ET1 combines scrubbing, sweeping, vacuuming and dust mopping in one unit. It has a front-sweeping, rear-scrubbing configuration, a maximum roller-scrubbing speed of 800 rpm, suction power of 20 kPa and support for hot scrubbing at 85°C. The docking station handles eight functions: charging, clean-water replenishment, wastewater drainage, detergent supply, roller-mop washing, squeegee washing, roller spin-drying and hot-water supply.

In Japan, the design target of 100–800 square meters is likely to be a relevant consideration for businesses with small stores and narrow aisles, such as convenience stores, drugstores and chain restaurants. Pudu Robotics' 8-in-1 docking-station approach involves surrounding systems for water supply and drainage, detergent supply and maintenance, not just the robot itself. Its compatibility with Japanese store facilities and standardized cleaning operations will therefore be an important question.