iRobot (still) working on lawn-mowing Roomba?

Not that it's any surprise, but according to a patent filing (which we were unable to ourselves unearth from the abyss that is the USPTO), iRobot would appear to still be working on the "Mowba," or whatever the hell the lawn-cutting robot is that they were talking up years ago. We're not sure you really need to pore over 80+ pages of sketches and drawings to get the idea though, especially since there are already a number of autonomous grass-cutting machines out there.

[nobody @ Jul 6th 2008 6:12PM]

They need to make one that does both. Once your carpet is done, it goes out your yard. Once finished with the yard, it repeats! Of course, it would recharge itself as needed.

[JohnTitor @ Jul 6th 2008 7:04PM]

the workings of the robots are completely different, you wouldn't want your carpet shredded down, or your yard's soil vacuumed up

[El Taco @ Jul 6th 2008 7:14PM]

I'm glad nobody thought of that before me!

[GatgetMan @ Jul 6th 2008 11:43PM]

At least with the carpet bot, if it turned on you, you'd get a good sucking.... This thing on the other hand (or foot)...

[Flashpoint @ Jul 6th 2008 6:12PM]

They've already got POLARIS, self-cleaning pool robots.
If they make a Lawn moving Roomba (that works well) I'm never working outside again...

...well at least till they come up with a weed-pulling and hedge trimming model.

[Flashpoint @ Jul 6th 2008 6:14PM]

No, they need one that cooks, cleans and performs vulgar sex acts (and performs them BETTER than a human female).

goddamn it, I'll nominate these people for the Nobel Peace Prize.

[Chad @ Jul 6th 2008 7:31PM]

This idea could ruin the wedding industry as we know it. Well done sir.

[Zachary Stiles @ Jul 6th 2008 8:27PM]

I second that notion, we've got to petition for the Bedroomba right now!

[Steventm @ Jul 6th 2008 6:15PM]

For fun, replace "room" in Roomba with a more appropriate name. I will go first.

LAWN-MOWING ROOMBA:

All-in-one-ba
Grassba
Greenba
Herba (as in herbivore, or yards only)
Lawnba
Mowba (Ryan Block's pick)
Omniba (as in both carpets and yards)
Yardba

[Shoumik @ Jul 6th 2008 6:29PM]

estupidoba

[Steventm @ Jul 6th 2008 6:30PM]

(while looking at the names from the previous article)

In the 2006 article, Ryan Block's first choice was "Lawnie", but that broke the rule that the name must end with "ba".

No winning name has been declared yet.

[dreamscape86 @ Jul 6th 2008 6:59PM]

Groomba.

Also does nose hairs.

[Chad @ Jul 6th 2008 7:22PM]

trimba

[Wolfticket @ Jul 6th 2008 8:03PM]

baaba (like a sheep)

[Steventm @ Jul 6th 2008 11:22PM]

Re: Estupidoba.
Darwinba, Lawsuitba, Sosuemeba.

When it comes out, this will give an incentive for small children and pets to stay off the lawn.

Re: Groomba, Trimba.
Bladeba, Cleaveba, Clipba, Cutba, Diceba, Ripba, Shaveba, Shredba, Slashba, Sliceba.

Do you really want this thing anywhere near your face or scalp?

Re: Baaba.
Bleatba, Mooba.

Herders and ranchers get this kind of service for free.

[Mental Issues @ Jul 6th 2008 6:33PM]

If they make a Roomba mower, it's only a matter of time before someone hacks it.

I can't wait to wake up and see "WORLD'S BIGGEST JACKASS" written across my front lawn.

[retro77 @ Jul 6th 2008 6:53PM]

Just what we need....robots with blades....This just in: "iRoomba-Mowers are cutting off toes all over the world!"

[Rocko @ Jul 6th 2008 7:11PM]

there's a ton of robotic lawn mowers. I'm surprised the yellow lawn mowing robot isn't this article's picture instead.

[Chad @ Jul 6th 2008 7:30PM]

If I'm not there operating it then it could go really slow and cut the lawn with something fairly safe, like tiny scissors.

[Chad @ Jul 6th 2008 7:27PM]

Hurry up... My neighbors will either:

1. Shoot at it.
2. Steal it.

So keep that in mind when you're deciding on the features. A bullet proof shell could be a bolt-on for those in the hood... but I assume everyone will want some kinda proximity alarm to go off in their house if this thing exceeds a pre-determined distance from the house (theft), or the shell could become a taser and shock the person stealing it (with a voice warning first of course ... in case it's you who forgets about this feature).

[Rick @ Jul 6th 2008 7:36PM]

I smell big product liability law suits if it works as well as the indoor Roombas (anything to do with Goombas?) when it can't find its docking station. I can just see it running amuck across a neighbor's lawn eating the cat, a poodle, and granny who just fell, can't get up, and doesn't have a Life Alert pendant.

[master_sword @ Jul 6th 2008 7:57PM]

what if some kid next door is playing in his yard and sees the robot and decides to check it out...the next generation will only have 6 fingers

[master_sword @ Jul 6th 2008 8:54PM]

i'm going to go ahead and low rank myself for double posting...

[master_sword @ Jul 6th 2008 8:00PM]

what if the kid next door playing outside sees the robot and decides to check it out...the next generation will only have 6 fingers

[Gordon Page @ Jul 6th 2008 8:07PM]

natural selection

[Anthony Graham @ Jul 6th 2008 9:18PM]

Just don't get them confused, and ending up mowing your living room.

[Nate @ Jul 6th 2008 9:25PM]

does Ryan Block look at patent filing dates? Because the patent was filed almost 2 years ago.

[Chris W @ Jul 6th 2008 9:43PM]

the problem with most lawn mowing robots today is they suck. Their safety features are questionable for some, they don't work well on hills, they are quite stupid finding their way across the lawn, and they just dont feel the same as an iRobot robot. The Roomba and Scuba almost become family members. Some pets will play with them, some people name them, and you become attached to it. Without that a robot in the home or yard just becomes a chore in and of itself.
You have to put up with some things with modern robots and unless you don't have an attachment to it, your just going to grumble and complain about having to check on it occasionally or clean it.

[Adam G. @ Jul 6th 2008 10:20PM]

Um, I found the patent application in like 30 seconds. The Serial Number is 11/688225. It published on May 8, 2008 as Publication Number 2008/0109126.

[pji @ Jul 6th 2008 10:24PM]

If it is priced like a roomba, it may have a chance. At $2000+ the others have little to no effect on the market.

[mackid105 @ Jul 6th 2008 11:05PM]

I'm more interested in knowing it battery life in terms of how large of a yard can it mow before returning to the dock. I believe my yard is about an acre and if i ever stop and finish the next day, i'm in college not some 40 year old virgin at home, she yells at me so i'm only interested if it mows my whole lawn on one battery cycle

[Chad @ Jul 7th 2008 1:13AM]

It doesn't matter how long it takes, as long as it can do the entire area before it needs to be done again. The beauty of a robot is that your lawn would never look like "it needs to be cut" which is the current indicator you use to go and cut it. The robot can go and start cutting before it needs to be cut, that way if it takes multiple charge cycles, it doesn't matter. Worst case, you might need to get two or three units.

[John Blake @ Jul 7th 2008 1:23AM]

Looks very interesting.

If your looking for the entire filing, you can grab the pdf here:

http://www.roombareview.com/chat/viewtopic.php?t=9724

[Jenny @ Jul 7th 2008 2:43AM]

FYI- don't supervise your mowing robot, so I can steal it.

[Marc @ Jul 7th 2008 4:17AM]

Security possibility, with a caveman way of thinking. make it REALLY heavy, that way its got better traction for hills and such, and if someone tries to steal it they get a hernia for their trouble. problem would be energy consumption methinks though... or just cover the thing in spikes. I actually have a vision of this becoming akin to a robot dog, with the docking staion as a kennel.

[ShadowKain @ Jul 7th 2008 8:35AM]

There are already devices that accomplish this. Yawn, maybe I can train it to mow down the mailman?

[Havok @ Jul 7th 2008 11:43AM]

If you have ever seen a roomba work, you can say goodbye to straight lines in your lawn!

[Marques @ Jul 7th 2008 12:00PM]

Maybe I'm thinking outside the box or something...but with more and more US-Americans becoming obese...shouldn't we be less concerned with battery life and more with why will there a market for this?

Maybe I'm just a person that thinks that even though we have the technology to have equipment like this, that doesn't mean that we should have things like this.

Ahh well...who cares, maybe I'm alone in my thinking. I'm going to McDonalds to get a Double Quarter Pounder meal with a diet coke. Ha-ha (just kidding for those who don't understand sarcasm)

[Mike Forsyth @ Jul 7th 2008 2:10PM]

Robot lanmowers are already in existence (I have one cutitng my lawn at the moment) - the RoboMow. Uses a perimeter wire and then does a random walk within it - it also frightens away the cats.

[Josh @ Jul 7th 2008 3:03PM]

Interesting... I guess it's not that far off their original Roomba.

Here's an interesting article about robots that develop emotional bonding http://www.internetevolution.com/author.asp?section_id=526&doc_id=155718&f_src=flffour Maybe after they put both together the Mowba won't want to cut the grass because it feels used and poorly treated!

[sunny beach @ Jul 10th 2008 3:07PM]

It may START with cutting grass
but what next
Cutting off HEADS!!!!!!!!!!

[Kico @ Jul 11th 2008 11:35AM]

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=5&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vimeo.com%2F943694%3Fpg%3Dembed%26sec%3D943694&ei=DHx3SOPECoG0iwH0q-XZCA&usg=AFQjCNEaEzpn4hq31tHc8D7-dwUCBWCMyQ&sig2=gq5TN2PLswltm25DFu7oPA

Groooooomba!