WYBOT S3 is the world’s first robotic pool cleaner that cleans, docks and empties itself

Owning a pool is a dream, especially with the scorching summer temperatures around. But there is a fair amount of manual labor involved, including dragging a vacuum hose around, cleaning the waterline, raking out leaves and debris, managing water quality, and more. Robot pool cleaners can do a lot of things, but not everything. And that’s the gap WYBOT is closing with the S3.

There’s good reason why the WYBOT S3 has won multiple awards, including the 2025 CES Innovation Award, the 2025 IFA Honorary Award, and both the 2025 Berlin and London Design Awards. It is the world’s first self-emptying robotic pool cleaner that can dock, charge and clean itself and dispose of its own debris. And with AI-powered mapping, navigation and obstacle detection, as well as multiple cleaning features, the S3 can handle all your pool maintenance this season. Here’s what you need to know.

The main feature of the S3 is its world’s first 3D mapping and smart navigation system. Powered by 36 advanced sensors, including 27 dedicated to robot navigation and 9 for docking precision, the S3 uses its initial run in your pool to create a complete 3D map of the environment. It is not only scanning the floor, but also creating a spatial model of your entire pool with its shape, depth changes, walls and waterline.

S3 calculates optimized paths for each cycle, becoming more efficient over time as it refines its understanding of the layout of your pool. If you’ve ever seen an old robotic cleaner bumping aimlessly through walls, you’ll appreciate how different a mapped, path-optimized clean looks. And efficiency is also hugely improved, with the WYBOT S3 detecting debris up to 20 times faster than standard robotic cleaners.

The navigation system supports six different cleaning path patterns, allowing the robot to adapt its approach to the geometry of the pool. Whether you have a standard rectangular or oval-shaped pool or a custom design, S3 maps it out on day one and customizes from there. It’s compatible with fiberglass, vinyl, ceramic tile, concrete, and pebble surfaces, so it doesn’t need a premium or specialized pool to work well.

Powering its navigation capabilities is the industry’s first AI vision system. The S3 uses a built-in camera to identify debris hotspots in real time and adjusts its cleaning strategy based on what it actually sees. Whereas traditional robotic cleaners follow a predetermined or random path, the S3 can identify debris, such as a pile of leaves, and actively route itself to deal with it. With AI Vision mode, the S3 targets cleaning efficiency to floors where debris accumulates most.

Many robotic pool cleaners do a good job of cleaning your pool. But where they all fall short is what happens after the cleaning is done. You have to take the robot out of the water, take it somewhere, open the debris compartment, dump it out and rinse it, then either plug the unit in for charging or set it somewhere to dry. The WYBOT S3, on the other hand, does not require any manual intervention.

When the S3 completes the cleaning cycle, or its battery drops below a certain threshold, it automatically returns to its docking station on the pool deck. Once docked, it transfers the debris collected from its internal 3-litre bin to a 10-litre shore-based self-cleaning debris bin. The robot then recharges itself, ready for the next scheduled cycle. The dock uses nine precision sensors to ensure precise docking every time, even in low visibility water conditions.

That 10-litre bin is big enough to handle eight full cleaning cycles before it needs to be emptied. Under normal pool conditions, this means approximately one month of maintenance-free operation. The self-cleaning element of the debris compartment is also worth noting. It is designed to prevent bacteria growth and odor build-up, which is important when you are working with organic materials in a hot outdoor environment.

Filtration is handled by a dual-layer system consisting of a 180-micron ultra-fine filter box paired with a 40 ppi sponge layer. They capture everything from large leaves and twigs to sand, dust, hair and algae particles. And because the robot handles floor, wall, and waterline cleaning, you’re getting a thorough clean with every automated cycle.

Using the WYBOT mobile app, you can track the S3’s real-time position in the pool, watch it work from your phone, and monitor cleaning progress without having to be anywhere near the pool deck.

The app also lets you take manual control at any point. If you spot a specific area of ​​the pool that needs extra attention, you can use the app to direct the S3 to that spot. You can navigate it along floors, walls, and the waterline as needed.

Smart scheduling is also built-in, letting you set automatic cleaning routines that run overnight or during off-peak hours. And with live progress updates, you’ll never wonder if the robot has completed its cycle or is stuck somewhere. You will be able to find out its status immediately. The connectivity layer uses both Wi-Fi and sonar communications. The sonar component allows the app to maintain contact with the robot while it is submerged.

Since the dock is at the edge of the pool on the shoreline, you may not have easy access to power without using long extension cords that get in the way. Of course, it also supports traditional DC connections, if you have a plug point nearby. But if you don’t do this, the dock may draw power from the solar panels.

In good sunny conditions, the solar panel on the dock generates enough electricity to provide approximately 1.5 hours of additional runtime per day. This essentially gives you free cleaning energy during peak pool season, which coincides with peak solar season. If you’re in a location with a sunny climate, this can offset a meaningful portion of the unit’s energy footprint over time.

The DC charging option serves as a reliable fallback for cloudy days or areas with less consistent solar output. The system is smart enough to automatically manage two power sources. When the dock’s battery gets above 70%, it charges the robot, and when it drops below 50%, it stops charging to conserve dock power. This is the kind of intelligent power management you’d expect from a premium connected device, and it’s nice to see it thoughtfully implemented here.

WYBOT also focuses on sustainability. The S3 takes partial energy from the sun, reduces the need for chemical-heavy manual cleaning interventions, and keeps the pool consistently clean, which reduces the load on the filtration system and is actually better for the environment than the alternative.

Robotic pool cleaners have been getting smarter for years, but progress has been mostly incremental. The WYBOT S3 tops the range by being the first robot pool cleaner that not only cleans very well but also handles post-cleaning maintenance.

3D mapping, AI vision and especially self-emptying docks are innovative developments in this field. Your pool stays clean, and you don’t even have to think about it.

The WYBOT S3 will be available for pre-sale in mid-May for $2,499.99 – that’s $500 off its usual retail price.