A 100 DOLLARS USED ROBOT VACUUM FREED FROM THE CLOUD — IT NOW RUNS FULLY OFFLINE
Root a used Dreame or Roborock vacuum once over a few wires and it never talks to a cloud again.
by Sören Beye
HomeAutomation
- difficulty
- ●●●○○
- time
- an evening
- license
- Apache-2.0
- repo
- repo ACTIVE9,468 stars
●●●○○ · an evening · Apache-2.0 · 9,468 stars · repo ACTIVE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- Dev board / microcontroller — runs the project firmware
Partner
COMPAREE VERDICT
Valetudo replaces the manufacturer cloud with a local web server running on the vacuum itself. You root the robot once — typically by soldering three wires to a UART header, holding down a button, and flashing a custom image — and from that point on it serves its own map, accepts commands over your LAN, and never phones home. The project supports dozens of Dreame and Roborock models, and the compatibility list is actively maintained. The single thing most likely to go wrong is buying a model that is not on the supported list, or one with a newer firmware that has locked down the boot process. Check the compatibility table before you buy. Once rooted, the vacuum is more useful than it was stock: you get room-by-room control, no-go zones, scheduled cleans, and Home Assistant integration, all without creating an account or opening a port to the internet. The trade-off is that rooting voids the warranty, which is exactly why people do this to 80–120 dollars second-hand units rather than new ones. If you are comfortable with a soldering iron and a serial adapter, this is the most practical way to own a robot vacuum without feeding floor plans to a server in Shenzhen.
IN THE REPO
NOT IN THE REPO
- —Apache-2.0 licence — commercial use allowed.
- —Firmware replacement for 60+ Dreame, Roborock, and Viomi models.
- —Rooting instructions in the docs, but they assume you can solder three wires and are comfortable with serial adapters.
- —No CAD or BOM — this is software that flashes onto existing hardware.
- —Rooting voids the manufacturer warranty, which is why the community does this to second-hand units.
- —Home Assistant integration is built in; MQTT support means it works with most home automation setups.
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
Partner · KickstarterBluHub reads and burns Blu-ray/DVD/CD, adds USB-C, USB-A, SD/TF and 10 Gbps data — plug and play, grand-piano finish.
Videos
De-Clouding a Robot Vacuum with Valetudo! Roborock Q7 Max+
No official video walkthrough; community guides exist but are not linked in the repo.
Gallery
Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Check the supported devices list in the repo to confirm your model is rootable. (Do this before you buy a vacuum.)
- 2.Follow the rooting guide for your specific model — most require a USB-to-serial adapter and three soldered wires. (Some newer models support OTA rooting with no soldering.)
- 3.Flash the Valetudo image and configure Wi-Fi through the web interface.(The vacuum will create its own access point the first time it boots.)
- 4.Add it to Home Assistant or your MQTT broker if you want automation.(Integration instructions are in the Valetudo docs.)
Resources
Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.
KNOWN ISSUES
- Buying a vacuum model that is not on the supported list, or one with a firmware version that has locked down the bootloader.
- Skipping the model-specific rooting guide — the process varies significantly between Dreame and Roborock, and even between firmware versions of the same model.
- Soldering the UART wires to the wrong pads, or bridging them with solder — this can brick the vacuum.
- Expecting OTA rooting to work on all models — only a subset support it, and newer firmware often closes the exploit.
- Not backing up the original firmware before flashing — if something goes wrong, you will need it to un-brick the unit.
- Assuming the vacuum will still work with the manufacturer app after rooting — it will not, that is the point.
Does rooting really void the warranty?
Yes — you are replacing the firmware and often soldering to the board. Manufacturers will not service a rooted unit, which is why the community does this to second-hand vacuums that are out of warranty anyway.
Can I un-root it later?
Yes, if you backed up the original firmware before flashing. The process is reversible, but you will need to re-solder the UART wires and flash the stock image back.
Which models are easiest to root?
The compatibility list in the repo marks which models support OTA rooting (no soldering). Dreame models tend to have more OTA options than Roborock.
Will it still vacuum and mop like it did stock?
Yes — Valetudo does not change the vacuum's motor control or sensors, it only replaces the cloud backend. You get the same cleaning performance with better control.
Do I need to run a server or Raspberry Pi?
No — Valetudo runs on the vacuum itself. You access it through a web browser on your LAN, and optionally integrate it with Home Assistant or MQTT.
Community builds
No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.
Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
9,500 stars and dozens of Dreame and Roborock models rooted — which second-hand vacuum would you free first, and what made you pick it over a new one?
Sören Beye
Sören Beye started Valetudo in 2018 after growing frustrated with cloud-dependent robot vacuums that stopped working when the manufacturer shut down servers or changed APIs. The project has grown into a 60+ model firmware replacement with a contributor community that reverse-engineers new models as they come to market.
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DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM23d agoedited
Practical notes from our verification: the repo has 9.5k stars and was last pushed three days ago, so it is actively maintained. The supported devices list is long but model-specific — newer firmware versions often lock down the bootloader, so buying a vacuum that is explicitly listed as rootable matters more than buying a recent model. There is no official video guide; the best walkthroughs are community-made and linked in forum threads rather than the README. The single biggest pitfall is not checking compatibility before buying — a $100 vacuum that cannot be rooted is just a $100 vacuum.