LG Electronics opens pop-up experience zone for RONi cleaning robot

LG Electronics said Wednesday it has set up a pop-up experience zone where customers can try out its new cleaning robot, the LG Hom-Bot AI Objet Collection RONi.

The zone runs through Aug. 12 at the first floor of Hyundai Department Store's Pangyo branch. The space recreates various rooms — including a kitchen and living room — in different interior styles to show how the LG RONi fits naturally into a home environment.

Visitors can get a close look at two docking station designs: the Hidden Station, which tucks the robot and its dock out of sight beneath a kitchen sink cabinet, and the Objet Station, which takes the form of a bedside table.

The Hidden Station keeps the robot and its dock concealed, preserving a clean interior look. At just 15 centimeters in height, it requires no additional cabinetry and does not reduce existing storage space. Once the LG RONi returns to the station after cleaning, a door closes automatically, keeping the robot's built-in camera out of sight.

The Objet Station, designed to resemble a side table, can be placed in a variety of living spaces including the living room and bedroom. Its height, handle thickness and water tank placement have all been refined for ease of use.

Visitors can also test the RONi's cleaning performance at the pop-up zone. LG Electronics said it is the first company in the world to equip both the robot body and its docking station with a 100-degree Celsius steam function. The robot draws in dust and debris with 30-watt suction power and scrubs floors with a mop that spins at 180 rotations per minute.

Starting at the Hyundai Department Store Pangyo branch, LG Electronics plans to take the RONi experience tour to Lotte Department Store's Incheon branch (Aug. 14–23) and Shinsegae Department Store's Gangnam branch (Aug. 25–31). Each venue will host interactive events, and participating customers will receive LG RONi merchandise.

Meanwhile, the LG RONi, which went on sale July 2, has posted the highest sales figures of any new cleaning robot LG Electronics has launched since it introduced South Korea's first cleaning robot in 2003. Sales are running at roughly three times the pace of comparable new suction-and-mop cleaning robots over the same period after launch.