Roomba QuadDrive: because riding around on Roombas isn't just for cats

You saw it, you loved it: the Roomba-riding cat was an international sensation because it touched something deep within our souls. A primal desire to witness a cat astride a robot steed. But deep down you longed for something more. You pondered in inner monologue: "What if you put a whole robot on top of four Roombas working in tandem? And what if that robot was kind of creepy, like as if a human face was behind a plastic mask and it had bizarrely fake lips?" We're pretty sure you know where this is going. Behold the University of Bonn's Robotinho, surfing the Roomba QuadDrive. The QuadDrive system can blaze across the floor at a blistering 1 mph, and carry a 44 pound payload, but surely there could be no more fitting a payload than Mr. Creepster himself, Robotinho. Check it out after the break, the platform can be spied at around the 2:00 mark.

[scooter250 Posted Jun 8th 2010 11:19AM]

Scary

[Mr Blurrycam Posted Jun 8th 2010 11:42AM]

@scooter250

R for Roombetta.

[Blackfeather Posted Jun 8th 2010 11:47AM]

@scooter250
Maybe, but add a french maid outfit and I'd be all over that.

[thisNthat Posted Jun 8th 2010 12:19PM]

@scooter250

That is exactly what I was thinking. Scary, creepy, not welcome at my place...

[daniel142005 Posted Jun 8th 2010 1:19PM]

@thisNthat Kinda looks like a robot Michael Jackson... Now letting it loose in someone else's house with a candid cam on it, now that would be funny.

[Outsider Posted Jun 8th 2010 3:11PM]

Why so serious?

[Plazmic Flame Posted Jun 8th 2010 4:04PM]

@scooter250

Why is there not a caption contest for that pic? LOL

"Mom... Dad... meet Lucy BJ9."

[MarineIK Posted Jun 8th 2010 11:21AM]

Thats some funny shit right there.

[SeeKo Posted Jun 8th 2010 11:27AM]

@MarineIK

.... NOT. But so bad that it's actually funny again. True. LOL

[MJYates Posted Jun 8th 2010 11:22AM]

That thing is the Joker in disguise...

[dajimmers Posted Jun 8th 2010 11:26AM]

The janitorial staff must be pissed.

[DeviantmacG Posted Jun 8th 2010 11:27AM]

That thing is not coming anywhere near my home, or i shoot it!

[0to60 Posted Jun 8th 2010 11:34AM]

1. That is really scary.
2. That looks like the most "ghetto" setup for a robot I have seen in a while.
3. When did they turn Charlie Chaplin into a borg?

[RogueGenius Posted Jun 8th 2010 12:31PM]

@0to60

what about it says "ghetto"? And why did you put the word in quotations?

[daniel142005 Posted Jun 8th 2010 1:21PM]

@RogueGenius Never heard the term "ghetto rigged"? Means: "To fix(or create) something in the cheapest,fastest,and laziest way."

[0to60 Posted Jun 8th 2010 3:59PM]

@daniel142005

exactly daniel, I appreciate the fact that they at least put an effort into it, however, I would be much more impressed if it was a walking robot without horrible meatloaf lips and vague facial features, instead of an immobile piece of metal sitting on top of 4 autonomous vacuums. It seems that they went for a "hey we built a robot", but what I see is "hey we took some roombas and put a face on to of em :D"

[dardub Posted Jun 8th 2010 11:36AM]

The kids quickly backed off when the robot got angry lol. I would have ran for the door.

[gax907 Posted Jun 8th 2010 11:39AM]

Kinda creepy but the expressions look very natural though

[Wiggy Fuzz Posted Jun 8th 2010 11:55AM]

the 4 roombas of the robot apocalypse *te he he*

[Hate Everything Posted Jun 8th 2010 12:14PM]

Robotin Ho!

Is that a robot thats a ho, or a ho that's a robot?

[benderfender Posted Jun 8th 2010 12:32PM]

das ist gut

[John Stracke Posted Jun 8th 2010 12:46PM]

"four Roombas working in tandem" -- you mean "in concert". "Tandem" is only if there's two of them.

[Brando Posted Jun 8th 2010 12:47PM]

So dumb!

[WM7betterNOTsuck Posted Jun 8th 2010 1:54PM]

is it just me or is this the robot from that daft punk video?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPZJYQXQsm8&feature=PlayList&p=43346C6BA103DB94&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=1

[semperverus Posted Jun 8th 2010 1:56PM]

Am I the only one who thought of pintsize when I saw this on the frontpage of Engadget?

[n1hmrd Posted Jun 8th 2010 2:20PM]

Look !!! all we all really want to know is does it have a death ray option ,can i use it to chance my neighbours and creat mayhem and destruction,and is it related in anyways to skynet,robby the robot,and r2d2 ,thanks very much for replies in advances,ah one other thing can it run crysis 2 ?

[n1hmrd Posted Jun 8th 2010 2:23PM]

@n1hmrd typing mistake replace chance with CHASE!

[Ownaginatious Posted Jun 8th 2010 2:33PM]

Robotinho ist ein ziemlich kuehles Typ.

[trackzero Posted Jun 8th 2010 4:49PM]

put a cat on top of that thing, and then you've got something I'll watch.

until then....meh.

[Ducman69 Posted Jun 8th 2010 5:24PM]

kill it with fire!

[richwol Posted Jun 8th 2010 6:15PM]

The main benefit is that you could fire the cleaners with this thing crawling round..

I think it'd be a more interesting tour guide if it moved around in an erratic fashion like the actual roombas do.. one second it's walking towards an exhibition the next it's gunning for the kids ready to sweep their shoes

[airbag888 Posted Jun 9th 2010 1:02AM]

1mph until it switches off all lights and blood starts flooding the place