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iRobot releases "Create" specs, pricing
Until now all we've seen of iRobot "Create" is a bunch of FCC docs that illustrate the concept of a vacuum-less Roomba spin-off. As of tonight, iRobot has started selling the Create with a 1-2 day shipping period at prices starting from $129.99 going up to $999.99 for a 10-pack of the little fellas. Riding the wave of the open source / hacking communities, iRobot hopes that owners of the Create will do what they did with the Roomba and use their imagination to come up with innovative and zany uses for the technology. For a little taste of "the zany," check out the bionic hamster ball navigation system add-on that the iRobot engineers cooked up. Some of the features of the Create are 30 built-in sensors, a 25-pin expansion port for connecting a command module and other electronics, and a spacious cargo bay with plenty of holes for mounting hardware. iRobot is so eager to get people out there Creat-ing clever uses for their device that they're offering a free 30-day trial period, so what're you waiting for?[Via MAKE]
RoombaWii: you know where this is headed
People have come up with numerous ways to control their Roombas -- USB, Bluetooth, MacBook tilt sensors, and even a MIDI keyboard -- and now that the Wiimote has been hacked to operate several non-Wii devices -- computers, home automation systems, and even an RC truck -- it's no surprise that some clever modder would make these two great tastes taste great together. And sure enough, a gentleman named Chris Hughes has just completed a script that merges Tod Kurt's Roomba control software with the recently released DarwinRemote, resulting in a little slavebot that scoots around using just a flick of your wrist. As you might expect, tilting the Wiimote forward and backward causes Roomba to move in those directions, while tilting it side to side sends the vacuum spinning either clockwise or counter-clockwise. There's a slight delay between manipulating the Wiimote and Roomba actually executing a command, though luckily Chris has kindly provided his RoombaWii script for download, so perhaps you can play around with it and reduce some of that latency. You can check out a short vid of his setup after the break, but if the term "flippin' awesome" is considered a little too racy for your office, you may have to file this one under NSFW....
Roombas get some holiday cheer, go caroling
Just in case that "holiday cheer" you once had has completely vanished at the thought of battling the crowds this weekend in an attempt to snag those last-minute gizmos on everyone's gift list, here's something to not only brighten your spirits, but to help you procrastinate a bit more as well. While gadgets getting their sing 'n dance on aren't anything new, a trio of Roombas breaking it down to Frosty the Snowman is enthralling nonetheless. We figured out how to give that pre-programmed Roomba its own freedom of expression awhile back, but serving up a few glasses of "robo-nog" and donning the Christmas apparel just puts this act over the top. Still, the Trans-Siberian lightfest remains numero uno until further notice. Hit the jump to see these servantbots strut their stuff...[Via MAKE]
Microsoft busting onto robotics scene with Robotics Studio
First Windows, then PlaysForSure -- what's the next realm of disparate hardware that Microsoft wants to unify under its big blue banner? Why, robotics, of course. Yesterday Microsoft launched its new Microsoft Robotics Studio, a development environment for Windows that supports "a wide variety of hardware platforms" for making all those crazy robots do their thing. The Robotics Studio includes a visual programming language for drag-and-drop robot programming -- though if hand coding is more your style, many programming languages are supported as well -- a 3D visualisation tool based on AGEIA's PhysX engine for simulating bots, and a lightweight runtime environment for working with a multitude of hardware. Plenty of big names in robotics seem to be getting behind the platform, including iRobot and LEGO, who both announced compatibility with the Robotics Studio. Microsoft's approach is quite extensible, and 3rd party software add-ons for commercial and educational use are already cropping up. The best news is that the Studio is free to hobbyists, students and academics, while commercial developers can score a license for $399. Bill Gates seems to have his full weight behind the initiative, with a self-penned eight page article in Scientific American likening the Robotics Studio to what Microsoft did for the computer industry in the 70's. No matter your stance on Microsoft, it's hard to argue with the unifying effect this app could have on the robotics industry -- but let's go easy on the bundled apps this time around, mmkay?
iRobot Create: Roomba hacking for the everyman
As much fun as vacuums can be, it looks like iRobot has sensed the true spirit behind its Roomba fanbase: hacking. Now they've gone ahead and built the iRobot Create kit to give hackers a better platform to work with. According to the FCC docs which have revealed this little number, the main differences are a lack of vacuum -- no more clean floors for you -- and a nifty "cargo bay connector" which can support a Command Module which bristles with ports and allows user-added motors, sensors and the like. Otherwise, most functions are quite similar to that of the third generation Roomba, with support for Virtual Walls, the Homebase (which it can hone in on via IR) and the Remote Control. As for software support, iRobot provides a few tips in the manual, like how to make the bot sing, along with some demo programs to get you started, but otherwise you're on your own -- though we're sure you won't have a hard time stumbling across existing Roomba hacker clubs online. Naturally, since iRobot hasn't even announced this kit yet, we're not sure about price and availability, and it would've been nice if they'd spruced up the bot's functionality just a wee bit, but we suppose giving hackers the Command Module and letting them run free might be the best tactic in the end. Make sure you keep reading for some more pics and shots from the manual.
iRobot announces "Sentinel" robot army project
Cheeky folk that they are, the engineers at iRobot have chosen Halloween to take the wraps off their latest super-secret project, codenamed "Sentinel" -- it won't clean your floors, but should it fall into the wrong hands, could make crumbs the least of your worries. Funded by the U.S. Army's Small Business Innovation and Research program, the project allows for multiple semi-autonomous robots to be controlled from a single touch-screen computer. While the intended uses for the project are mostly non-hostile at the moment -- like conducting surveillance and mapping in hostile environments -- it seems only a matter of time before the bots get outfitted with some pint-sized weaponry. Lets just hope they're restricted to fighting each other.
Evolution Robotics prepping Roomba killer
Many have tried to challenge the iRobot's dominance in the brain-dead floor-cleaner space, but with 2 million Roombas sold in 4 years, it doesn't look like the cute little vacuum is going anywhere anytime soon. Now Evolution Robotics is teaming up a unnamed large appliance manufacturer to take robot subservience to new heights, and hopefully knock the Roomba down a notch while they're at it. They're touting their "NorthStar" navigation system as a key differentiating factor, which involves wall units that project an infrared pattern on the ceiling, allowing the bot to orient itself and therefore clean more efficiently. Of course, NorthStar is already present in the eVac robo-vacuum available from The Sharper Image, so we're guessing Evolution Robotics is banking on the brand caché of their "large appliance manufacturer" to get the forthcoming bot a bit of recognition. Evolution products have been quite successful in other arenas -- their navigation systems power WowWee robots, along with Sony's now defunct Aibo. They're also working with Korea's Yujin Robotics to power the "Jupiter" household bot prototype, pictured above. Of course, iRobot isn't just sitting back and counting the cash -- they've hinted at improved navigation for the Roomba as well, and who knows what they'll have on the market by the time Evolution's vacuum bot hits retail in 2008.
Battlefield-ready iRobots roll into Washington
Considering India, South Korea, and Germany are apparently already stocking up on robotic replacements to man their respective armies, we Americans better get on the ball. We've known the Pentagon has been on a quest to find autonomous replacements to tried and true human soldiers, and it looks like help is on the way from our favorite floor-cleaning supplier, iRobot. Holding true to prior expectations, the company's products were out in full force at the Association of the United States Army show, as a myriad of self-directed 'bots induced frightening thoughts of mutiny and widespread anarchy. The "armed and dangerous" bevy of creations boasted automatic shotguns, bomb launchers, precision sniper rifles, infrared cameras, and even a 30-caliber chaingun. The machines were touted as "lifesavers," insinuating that their presence on the battlefield would allow soldiers to hang back out of harm's way -- but we aren't exactly certain how these deadly automatons actually distinguish between friendlies and foes. Nevertheless, we're working under the assumption that unlike more "chore-friendly versions," these iRobots won't be seeing any shelf time outside of maximum security armories -- but it's for our own good, anyway.[Via MobileMag]
iRobot poised to unveil Warrior and SUGV military bots
iRobot is kind of a strange company. It seems like half the engineering team is hard at work on helpful little slavebots -- Roomba, Scooba, and the new Dirt Dog -- that aid common folk with their domestic chores, while the other half has seen Terminator one too many times and is all about building autonomous military vehicles that can be weaponized and transformed into killbots. Case in point is the new 250-pound Warrior (pictured above), formerly known as the NEOmover, which will officially be unveiled next week at the U.S. Army Annual Meeting & Exposition (it's like CES, except everyone is packing heat and telling glorified war stories). Initially Warrior -- along with another new bot, the 30-pound Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (or SUGV, pictured after the break) -- will be tasked with duties to similar to their predecessor, the PackBot: hauling around gear for troops, scouting out potentially dangerous locations, and sacrificing their young lives by literally jumping on the grenade (or land mine, or IED). However, Robot Stock News reports that iRobot Chairperson Helen Grenier has already discussed outfitting the mechanized fleet with guns and missiles, allowing them to mow down the enemy in between more humanitarian work like firefighting and battlefield extraction. Now we would never suggest that technology capable of keeping our soldiers out of harm's way should be discouraged, but we've seen Robocop one too many times and know what can happen when you strap heavy artillery onto an angry robot. Anyway, here's to hoping that by the time these bots get all decked out with machine guns and RPGs, the only enemy "troops" they'll ever face are the kind that South Korea is on the verge of deploying -- with robots fighting robots, everyone wins.[Via GoRobotics]
iRobot's Dirt Dog: Roomba gets a 'tude
So you've got Roomba on carpet duty and a couple Scoobas taking care of the kitchen and bathrooms, but who's cleaning up that mess of a workshop where you spend most of your time getting your hacks and mods on? Well up until now you had to rely on your own prowess with a shopvac (meaning that nothing ever actually got tidied up), but thanks to the good folks at iRobot, the bad-ass Dirt Dog is coming to get your back. The same size and shape as the more timid Roomba -- meaning all your current batteries, remotes, and charging bases are compatible -- Dirt Dog comes equipped with a 40% larger debris bin along with specially designed brushes to sweep up caked-on dirt, heavy debris, and other messes that are "too dirty for a regular vacuum." This new $130 dog will be taking a bite out of some of your toughest cleaning chores starting on Friday, but you gotta make sure that it doesn't wander out of your workspace and into the rest of the house -- it probably won't pee on your couch, but those 1,000 RPM brushes will shred your shag carpets, scratch the hell out of your polished hardwood, and -- if you have a significant other -- get you confined to the garage for the rest of your natural life.Update: So it looks like the vicious Dirt Dog isn't the only upcoming member of the iRobot family. A Cnet article tipped us off to a new military bot that the company is working on -- called the NEO Mover -- and a little digging around turned up a few solid deets. Touted as the PackBot's big brother, NEO is apparently a 200-pound robot that can haul cargo Big Dog-style, and interestingly enough, is also said to be able to "move like a soldier" -- not sure what that means, but we won't make any snarky comments for fear of a swift and deadly reprisal. Like PackBot, the NEO Mover will also serve as a demolition expert of sorts, detecting explosives and presumably sacrificing its own well-being so that its human overlords can remain safely packed into their Hummers.[Via The Raw Feed]
iRobot WiFi module gets FCC nod
It may not look like much, but the circuit board pictured above could have major significance for robot lovers the world over. You see, this nondescript WiFi module was just submitted to and approved by the FCC for Rhein Tech Laboratories, a company working on behalf of a little outfit known as iRobot -- the same iRobot that's gifted us with such time-saving apparatuses as Roomba, Scooba, and that upcoming lawnmower bot we just heard about. Now at this point we're not sure whether the module will be end-user installable for long-range remote control of Roomba or if it's just one component of a different project altogether, but the simple fact that iRobot is working on some sort of WiFi integration is good news indeed. Good news for now, that is, until the servant bots use those built-in transceivers to coordinate their imminent uprising, and we have to go back to mowing our own lawns, carrying our own rucksacks, and cleaning our own floors (or the floors of the dungeons where they keep us locked up, whatever the case may be).
"I" robot coming to a train station near you...
...if you live in Japan, that is, where East Japan Railway Company is already testing a guide robot / impending doom machine innocuously dubbed "I." Before plotting to take over our mass transportation systems, the four-foot-tall "I" will help you on your way by displaying various information on its chest, reading your Suica card, and phoning a customer service rep if you need additional assistance. And despite appearances, the bot is fully mobile, able to motor throughout the station on its wheels and spin around in place. While its duties are fairly limited for now, the company says it could eventually work at customer service windows, assist other station workers, and even perform security patrols around stations -- along with serving as an attractive target for roving gangs of punks. C'mon, people. Robots and security? How many times do we have to warn you?[Via Pink Tentacle]
iRobot cooking up lawn mower bot
First Roomba, then came Scooba, next up: an iRobot lawnbot? Well, according to a Forbes profile of everybody's favorite domestic-botmaker, iRobot's working on a bomb sniffer to round out its compliment of functional droids, as well as "a robot lawn mower." Yep, another one of those things. So, what shall it be named, we wonder? We'd put our cash on Lawnie, but we'll still hit up the 5:1 on Lawnba. Just be sure and stay away from the 10:1 on Yardba, though, that one's definitely not gonna happen.[Via GoRobotics]
