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 + CV
Perception and navigation. You'd rather get a robot to actually see a room than argue about SLAM in theory.

​Robotics + Embodied AI
Perceive, reason, physically act. What's possible once "vacuuming" isn't the ceiling?

​AI Agent + Software
Reasoning and orchestration. You want the system to decide something, not just display it.

​CV + Data + Software
From "the robot cleaned X m²" to "the system understands the state of the home."

​Robotics + Manipulation + Hardware
What's the smallest physical capability that removes the most human effort?

​AI + Voice/HMI + Robotics
Conversational, assisted autonomy — interfaces for people who don't want to fight a UI.

​API/Software + AI Agent
Calendars, 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 HOME
Anca Rusu — Executive Director, Swiss Robotics Day
Eran Rosenberg — NVIDIA
Robert Mackenzie — Head of Product, TWINT
Priska Burkard — Co-founder, wetechtogether
Stephanie Schliffski — Women in Robotics
Sylvia Stocker — Co-founder, Arabesque

​Mentors:
Markus Friedel
Chantelle Larsen
Jelena Laketic
Soya Estrella
Alina Makarevych
Natalya Tarasova

​Hosted by Women in Robotics, in partnership with Vorwerk.