$170,000 Japanese-style Roomba takes home the gold

It seems that automated floor-suckers are getting all the attention of late, as we've had users parading their Roombas around with all sorts of unorthodox methods, teaching them to bust a move, and now how to pose for the cameras. While already recognized in one Tokyo ceremony, the Fuji Heavy Industries and Sumitomo-created vacuum has officially taken the gold in the Robot of the Year competition hosted by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry. Due to its purported ability to replace "two live human beings" and clean out an area of "3,000 square meters in four hours on a single charge," the jumbo-sized Roomba wannabe can help those towering skyscrapers stay clean in a bustling world. Additionally, it can maneuver up and down floors, in and out of elevators, and around crowded workspaces with ease, but we're not exactly sure how many decibels of noise this thing cranks out while taking care of business. Nevertheless, the co-founders are selling the device for a whopping ¥20 million ($168, 011), but still claim that it will more than pay for itself after a decade or so -- you know, since it doesn't beg for health insurance or anything.

[Via Plastic Bamboo]

[J @ Jan 3rd 2007 2:50PM]

A decade or so? Assuming the employee costs 30K in salary + extra benefits and such, and the device can replace two humans, can't it recoup costs in about 3 years? 4 assuming some repair work needs to be done?

[alex @ Jan 3rd 2007 2:52PM]

I, for one, welcome our dust-bunny destroying overlords

[icepop4who @ Jan 3rd 2007 2:55PM]

lol. it's about the size of 20 roombas. i bet it can't suck under furnitures.

[Chris Merchant @ Jan 3rd 2007 3:06PM]

In Tech-based Tokyo, Vaccums clean YOU!

No?

Fine.


Chris

[SubGenius @ Jan 3rd 2007 3:21PM]

Instead of replacing maintenance workers making minimum wage,
Why not design robots to replace lawyers, doctors and politicians?

[Dave @ Jan 8th 2007 3:01PM]

just wait 15 or 20 years

[Miles Smith @ Jan 3rd 2007 3:24PM]

Looks like a dishwasher from June Cleaver's Kitchen!

[Bob @ Jan 3rd 2007 3:29PM]

Boy - the mexicans are really going to be pissed at the japs for this one...

[SubGenius @ Jan 3rd 2007 3:32PM]

Instead of replacing maintenance workers making minimum wage,
Why not design robots to replace lawyers, doctors and politicians?

[Dan @ Jan 3rd 2007 3:46PM]

I can't stop thinking "Eat recycled food. It's good for the environment and OK for you!"

But then I thought Judge Dread was a riot.

[Fabrice @ Jan 3rd 2007 3:51PM]

Back in my country (France) we already have those fat-ass machine that clean the floor by themselve in the parisian metro. This is a 10 year old news ;-)

[Gil @ Jan 3rd 2007 4:14PM]

Gee you mean the machines that are human guided and not autonomous? This is a ROBOT. It has intelligence and can operate fully indipendent of human control or commands.

(that last line sounds like the premise of cheesy robot rebelion movie)

[LandMineHare @ Mar 19th 2007 12:17PM]

Then why does Paris always stink?

[Fabrice @ Jan 3rd 2007 4:22PM]

nope. the one i am talking about are real robots. There s noone operating them and they beep an awful lot if you are in their way... and keep beeping until you finally move your butt.

[Dave Bergschneider @ Jan 3rd 2007 4:17PM]

looks like a cut in half 1940's fridge.

[quiksilver @ Jan 3rd 2007 6:34PM]

"Instead of replacing maintenance workers making minimum wage,
Why not design robots to replace lawyers, doctors and politicians?"

There is a replacement for lawyers and politicians... it's called a cardboard box. Takes up the same space and accomplishes about the same thing!

[Peter @ Jan 4th 2007 6:20AM]

Jacobites will wail when they lose their cleaning jobs but in the end more, cheap automation of menial jobs will increase the quality of life for all.

The 'Exodus effect' will kick in for the initial period
Exodus Effect: (improvement programs worsening conditions at first before vastly improving them 'see- Israelites bitching about the desert being worse than slavery in Egypt as the first example, later 70's UK economic recovery another, Post commie fall Russia being another, automated answering service until we get true artificial agents to deal more specifically with our call needs being yet another example of how the initial stages of improvement (machines over paid human operators) seem to worsen things until they mature a little).

After the Exodus effect period it will be nice to see machines doing simplistic tasks rather than elderly people. I always feel sad and that it's an undignified lifestyle for someone in their sunset years to be on their knees scraping gum off of floors etc.
The machine will come down in price and spread quite quickly i think.

[dave @ Jan 4th 2007 12:02PM]

I for one welcome our oversized vacuum overlords...w00t! first "overlords" comment

[alex @ Jan 3rd 2007 10:00PM]

you lose, dave

[nicleT @ Jan 4th 2007 3:44PM]

This is a supreme retro design! It reminds me one of the character of the 3D animation film ROBOTS.

[Bill @ Jan 7th 2007 7:04AM]

It is bound to happen, by 2010 robots will be doing everything - I cannot wait until the fully robotic beer opener comes along, then we couch potatos can do foot ball chips and beer with out every getting u.

[cd name @ Jan 14th 2007 2:31PM]

If this works as well as the Roombas, the building will be filthy. The company has a long way to go with quality of performance issues for roomas, let alone a super roomba.
Believe me, I would love to have an auto vac that really works well, but so far, roomas lack ability to pick up dirt and hair. I can only assume the super vac is the same.