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Study finds Roomba owners heart their vacuums, accept flaws
While we greatly appreciate the research done by the fine folks over at Georgia Tech, we can't exactly say that we're shocked to hear that Roomba owners (in particular) actually care about their vacuums. In a study revolving around the intricacies in human-robot relationships, gurus found that "some Roomba owners became deeply attached to the robotic vacuums and that there was a measure of public readiness to accept additional robots in the house -- even flawed ones." Interestingly, the report goes on to state that consumers would be less likely to complain if troublesome / faulty household bots were "emotionally engaging," and considering that some folks were willing to "buy new rugs, pre-clean floors and purchase refrigerators with higher clearances" for their Roomba, we suppose we can't really argue with the findings. Now, robot manufacturers, don't you go ditching quality just 'cause we're pushovers, capiche?[Image courtesy of Halo5]
Hands-on with iRobot's new ConnectR and Looj bots
There's not much to see and feel with these two -- iRobots are all about the action -- but we got a quick look at the new ConnectR and Looj today. The Looj seems well enough suited to its purpose, with solid construction and a powerful thwap. We saw it running through a gutter earlier, and it certainly seems like it can clean as advertised. The ConnectR seems less well polished, but that's to be expected, since iRobot seems to be pretty flexible on what the finished product will be like when it ships in 2008, with changes based on customer feedback from trial sales. One feature in the works is an IR emitter, for controlling home automation and AV products, and hopefully iRobot can clean this one up and add another "killer" feature or two before unleashing it on the public.%Gallery-7873%
iRobot debuts ConnectR and Looj home bots
iRobot's mission to create the "robot home" got a whole lot more fleshed out this afternoon at the company's DigitalLife keynote. The general idea is to get usable tech into any and every home -- not just for the nerds, not like the Jetsons. "A little boring, but fantastically useful robots." Obviously iRobot has been attempting this a while with its Roomba and related lines, but the new ConnectR and Looj bots really flesh out that vision. On the boring end of things, the Looj is a remote-controlled bot that can clean up to 60 feet of gutter in 10 minutes. It rolls through your gutter tank-style and spits out the debris, and then rolls back to you. It's waterproof for easy cleaning, and is available today for $99. The ConnectR takes a whole new angle for iRobot, offering telepresence instead of the usual drudgery removal. You can "virtually visit" friends and family by controlling the WiFi-connected bot remotely, with live video, audio, controls and sensor data. The camera tilts and zooms, and has a zoom mode high resolution enough for reading text. You can transmit your voice through the bot, and control an LED light to convey mood. ConnectR launches next year for $499, and will be available in a pilot program for $199 to select beta-testing users.%Gallery-7865%
Intrigue ensues in iRobot vs. Robot FX case
It looks like that iRobot vs. Robot FX lawsuit is turning out to be quite a bit different than the usual patent infringement case, with reports now turning up of key figures in the case making trips to dumpsters and U.S. Marshals seizing data destruction gear. As Xconomy reports, that former tidbit was part of an affidavit filed on August 20th, which stated that a man fitting the description of Jameel Ahed, founder of Robotic FX, was spotted putting a number of items in a dumpster. After the man left, the detectives trailing him checked out the scene, finding a box for a paper shredder, another box with "iRobot" written on it, and a trashed VHS tape labled "IS Robotics SWARM 2000" (IS Robotics being the original name of iRobot), among other items. Shortly after that incident, according to DefenseNews.com, US Marshalls seized some paper shredders at the homes and offices of two Robot FX employees, as well as some devices for erasing hard drives and destroying compact discs. Adding further intrigue to the case is the fact that Robot FX just last week won a major contract with the US military, which sent iRobot's stock down nearly 25%. For its part, Robot FX is denying any wrongdoing, and it's now attempting to get the case consolidated in Massachusetts, a move iRobot opposes. Read - Xconomy, "Dumpster-Diving Detectives and Tales of Industrial Espionage"Read - DefenseNews.com, " Data-Destruction Gear Seized in Robotmakers' Dispute"[Thanks, Tom F]
iRobot leaks Looj and ConnectR information
Looks like iRobot's site admin did a bit of premature site updating, with details on the Looj gutter cleaning robot, and the still mysterious ConnectR appearing temporarily on the official site. All the new info about the ConnectR amounts to a different description of the robot -- apparently it's a "virtual visiting robot" -- and the knowledge that the "R" is capitalized. For the Looj, now we know at least one of the robot's capabilities -- it can clean 80 feet of gutter in 10 minutes -- and that it requires human supervision to operate. That's right, the gutter cleaning robot requires your attention. [Thanks, John]
iRobot Connectr can't be half as lame as Looj
We really did our best to hold back our disappointment at the Looj. Sure, there must be people out there with gutters full of leaves and plastic parachute men, and we want to be respectful of that, but we can't say it really stoked our gadget lust. Luckily for us, iRobot seems to have another bot in the works dubbed "Connectr" -- at least if a recent trademark filing for "robots for video and audio monitoring, surveillance, and communication" is anything to go on. This one might be just for iRobot's military and public service customers, but we'll hope for a consumer-friendly score here to rival other web-friendly video bots out there. iRobot has promised to announce two new bots at Digital Life in NY later this month, so let's hope this is one of them.[Thanks, Daanish]
iRobot's Looj wants to clean yer damn gutters
Ok, we're going to do our best to get through this post without making any references to hocking a Looj -- ready? So, guess what turned up in the FCC today? Dad's going to be thrilled. An iRobot robot that revealed the latest place around your home they want to clean: the gutter. And we totally get it -- who likes to clean the freaking gutter, you know? Anywho, the new robot, called, ahem, Looj, has two treads, a remote control, and a strange looking "distruptor / ejector / sweeper" auger assembly for clearing out the drains. Let's cut to the chase though, iRobot, only one question remains: we're all waiting for the robotic colonic, when's the release on that?
HD video: Roomba 560 vs Discovery
Anyone at all interested in home robots -- especially those too lazy to vacuum their own floors -- will want to see just how well iRobot's new Roomba 560 fares against its predecessor, the Discovery. Well, we've pitted the two against one another in noise, speed, cable management, docking, and, of course, ability to destroy one another. Embedded player after the break.P.S. -Forgive our shabby carpet, the dudes who rented the place before us took really sucky care of the joint.[MP4] Download in 720p HD (139MB)[MP4] Download in wide VGA (40MB)[AVI] Download in 720p HD (139MB)[AVI] Download in wide VGA (40MB)
iRobot Roomba 560 hands-on
We've been fooling around with a new Roomba 560 of our very own and we can say with some certainty iRobot's really improved on its product. Unfortunately, that isn't saying a whole lot; while we've always loved the Roomba for what it is, we've never been too impressed with the job it does. Still, the built-in scheduler is just such a welcome addition, and the robot is much quieter and generally feels far better built than its predecessor. The fact that the internals are better sealed is also a huge bonus, since we've long found ourselves cleaning our Roomba's innards out nearly as much as its vacuum bin. Jury's still out on the Lighthouses -- it's a decent idea, definitely, but we'd really prefer if the robot actually started trying to learn where things (and its own position in real space) are instead of just using battery-operated stations to tell it which rooms it's already visited. But hey, baby robot steps, right? Photo gallery below.%Gallery-6211%
iRobot's new Roomba 560, 530: totally redesigned vacuumbots
iRobot hasn't released a new, proper Roomba servantbot since late 2004's Discovery (Scooba, of course, excepted). Today that changes, with the 560 and 530 we caught wind of back in May. There's a lot going on here, so we'll start at the top: iRobot is touting these new Roombas as being "totally redesigned" from the ground up. The new vacuum system is supposedly 100% more effective at picking up the grime in your floors. Really makes the old model suck. Thanks, we'll be here all week. The 560 features 2.4GHz RF that activates its new Virtual Wall Lighthouse system (we'll get to that in a sec. The 530 doesn't have RF. Scheduling is now built into the robot. Friggin FINALLY! The new Roombas have IR sensors built into the bumper, and have a second, slower running speed. When Roomba is approaching an object, it slows down so as not to bump it so hard. Lighthouses are Roomba's new RF-based progress tracking system. Place one in each doorway, and they switch on via RF when your Roomba does. When Roomba's done with a room, it won't re-enter until the next time it runs. The battery is still removable, but you have to unscrew the bottom plate to get it out. Oh, and now you can add faceplates. The system is far better sealed off, so most of the crap you're vacuuming up supposedly won't actually get inside the robot anymore. Extra bonus: that black arc between the bumper and buttons is a handle that lies flush. The 560 goes for $350, the 530 goes for $300 -- snag 'em both starting now. %Gallery-6207%
iRobot sues Robot FX over alleged patent infringement
It looks like Robot FX has run into a bigger obstacle than it's bargained for, with the company now facing not one but two lawsuits from iRobot over alleged patent infringement. Apparently, iRobot thinks that Robot FX's "Negotiator" robot is a little too similar to iRobot's popular Packbot, and it's asking for a permanent injunction to prevent Robot FX from selling any more of the bots, along with the usual damages. Adding further to the intrigue is the fact that Robot FX was founded by a former iRobot employee, who is specifically named in the second lawsuit claiming misappropriation and misuse of confidential information relating to the Packbot. Sadly, it seems that the whole matter will have to be settled in court, and not in a winner-take-all robot death match as we would have hoped.
iRobot and Taser to produce (non)lethal bots
Another day, another step towards the inevitable robotic resistance: iRobot and Taser announced plans today to collaborate on weapons-capable bots. The first model off the line will be the venerable Packbot Explorer, fitted with a Taser X26 stun gun, to be sold to police departments and the Pentagon. No plans are being made to develop robots capable of inflicting lethal force, according to the two companies, but given Taser's somewhat spotty reputation and the obvious demands of the military, we're beginning to trust our Roomba even less than before.
Roomba revisions coming in September?
There's not much that gets us more excited than new cleaning bots -- yes, we're unabashed iRobot fanboys -- so we always want to be the first to know when a fresh product comes along (we did a little happy dance with our dog when the Roomba for Pets was announced earlier this month). Luckily, then, we caught wind of the linked thread on Roomba Review (your home for all things, um, Roomba), in which a purported insider delivers some details and pics of upcoming revisions to the Scheduler, Discovery, and Roomba Red models: the 560, 530, and 510 (whose supposed retail packaging is pictured above), respectively. New features are said to include a 'lighthouse (peripheral to indicate which room is cleaned)' and integrated display, with upgrades also coming in the form of a redesign (pictured after the break), easily-swappable parts (wheels, motors, etc.), greatly improved battery life (1,500 hours versus the current 350, allegedly), and automatically-activated virtual walls. Pricing will range from CAD$300 to CAD$450 ($279 to $418), according to the RR member, so now we have to squirrel away at least that amount of dough along with however much more it's gonna cost to pick up those completely new bots we've been promised for the holidays. [Via Electronista]
iRobot to launch two non-killbots for the holidays
While most other manufacturers claim to make our lives easier by offering a slightly-improved this or an all-in-one that, iRobot is actually down there in the trenches (both literally and figuratively, with those killbots and all) observing the average Joe, and serving up products that help eliminate some of our most mundane tasks without resorting to hired help. So it's with no small amount of anticipation that we'll be waiting for the company's just-revealed, Holiday-time products, though the details released by co-founder and chairwoman Helen Grenier at the JPMorgan Technology Conference couldn't have been more sparse: besides the fact that both models are most emphatically not floor-cleaning bots, all she would say is that they are "different types of robots with mechanical features," according to Crave. Helpful. With such a vague idea of what to expect, the hunt is now on for these mysterious new automated domestic servants; we've got flooring, carpets, pools, and garages covered, so all that's really left is a windowbot, a laundrybot, and most ambitious of all, Doomba, the no-nonsense, child-rearing nannybot.
Boeing, iRobot team to develop PackBot replacement, the SUGV Early
We spotted the SUGV peeking out behind the curtain last year as iRobot introduced the Warrior, and now we've got the lowdown, as Boeing and iRobot this week announced a partnership bringing together iRobot's non-vacuum skills and Boeing's penchant for sci-fi warfare. The two companies are collaborating on the replacement for iRobot's extremely successful Packbot, which has performed thousands of dangerous missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Like the PackBot, the 30-pound SUGV Early can be deployed by a single soldier and features a video camera, infrared sensors, and enough smarts to navigate most obstacles semi-autonomously. Naturally, iRobot will be in charge of most of the design work, while Boeing is being tapped for its vast experience with systems integration, mass production, and global marketing. As a result of this partnership, the SUGV should be rolling out in 2008, with full-scale deployment in 2010. No plans are being made to weaponize these 'bots (yet), but what we really want to know is when iRobot is just going to to go all the way and start cranking out Johnny Five clones.
Rogue Roomba breaks all iRobot's three laws of Roombotics
It's the stuff robotic room-cleaner nightmares are made of. According to The Onion, Ken Graney's third-gen Roomba (with Scheduler) is among the first known to have actually shattered iRobot's three prescribed laws of Roombotics: Roombots must not suck up jewelry or other valuables, or through inaction, allow valuables to be sucked up. Roombots must obey vacuuming orders given to it by humans except when such orders would conflict with the first law. Roombots are authorized to protect their own ability to suction dust and debris as long as such protection does not conflict with the first or second law. The most important set of robotics rules since Isaac Hayesimov's Three Laws, apparently model 4260 actually climbed dresser and sucked up a pair of heirloom cufflinks, as well as keys and a wrist watch. 4260 has also supposedly been known to climb up and down stairs -- even walls -- hide its own virtual walls, and has since being detected gone missing entirely. Graney fears for the worst: that his Roomba knows the source of its households messes, the very human that occupies it -- him. We face a grim, immaculate dystopian future indeed.
iRobot launches Verro poolbots
Robots and pools aren't always so very chummy, but iRobot's new Verro 600 (pictured) and Verro 300 pool cleaning bots are all about the water, and should be able to beat the pants (or hose, if you will) off of any standard pool vacuum. These aren't the first robotic pool vacs we've seen, Aqua Products had the Aquabot T2 a ways back, and in fact iRobot has teamed with Aqua Products to build these new Verro bots. Both Verro models clean the entire pool "from floor to waterline" in 60 to 90 minutes, using iRobot's patented AI and some fancy vacuum, jets, brushes and filtration systems. The $799 Verro 300 is designed for gunite or concrete surfaces, while the $1,199 Verro 600 does up vinyl, tile and fiberglass pools. Both are available now.%Gallery-2500%
iRobot's PackBot now ready for deployment
iRobot (yes, that iRobot) is filling their first order from the US military for 100 PackBot robots fitted with new ICx Fido explosive detectors. Already, there are an estimated 5,000 robots of various types deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan -- up from 150 in 2004 -- with $1.7 billion earmarked for ground-based military robots through 2012. So just how did military personal detect bombs in the olden days? Well, soldiers would stand back as far as possible with a rope and drag hooks over the suspected piles of rubble or abandoned vehicles in hopes of disarming or detonating them. With an estimated 70% of all US causalities in Iraq caused by road-side bombs, the $165,000 PackBot will certainly receive a warm welcome by the boots on the ground.
InterRobot's tissue-dispensing robot smiles while you sneeze
Let's face it, not everyone has the technical abilities to convert their Xbox 360 into a tissue dispenser, and moreover, it's not the most portable method of carrying around sniffle rags. Never fear, however, as the nation so well known for kicking out robotic servants is at it yet again, and this time around InterRobot Inc. is offering up a mechanical being to serve up handy tissue packs to the ill public that it runs into. The Mospeng-kun robot sports a human-esque design, the ability to wheel around and meet sickly individuals, and a continually smiling face that greets folks before personally handing them a pack of nose napkins. No word on what else the company plans on dispensing care of robotic employees, but considering they'll run you (or your business) around $835 for a five day rental, we'd probably reserve this option solely for the flu season.[Via CNET]
iRobot intros next-gen bomb-defusing PackBot
iRobot may be best known for its innocuous Roomba and Scooba robots, but there is another, less-talked about side to the company -- one where robots face far more perilous tasks than wall-to-wall shag carpeting. We're talking, of course, about the company's line of PackBot robots, who thanklessly perform reconnaissance in hostile areas and disarm explosives so humans don't have to -- sadly, not always making it out in one piece. It looks like at least some of the PackBot currently serving could soon be relieved of duty, however, with the company introducing a new-and-improved model, the PackBot 510. Set to begin shipping in April of this year, the new bot is said to be 30 percent faster than the current generation model, boasting twice the gripping strength and able to drag larger objects and lift twice the weight of its predecessor. What's more, the bot has been outfitted with a new hand controller that the company says has been modeled after video game controllers, supposedly reducing the amount of training needed to operate the robot. While most of you would indeed likely get the knack of it pretty quickly, you'll no doubt have a significantly harder time actually getting your hands one of 'em.
