iRobot Woos Mom Bloggers

iRobot invited 9 female bloggers to iRobot headquarters last week and gave them a tour and plans to work with them on some sort of project, according to the bloggers.

Chipchick.com has a rundown, complete with an extensive series of photos and a video featuring iRobot's SUGV military robot and a list of the participating bloggers. Apparently a contest is in the works...

GoodGollyMissBlondie goes goo-goo for iRobot.

Tags: iRobot, blogging

iRobot CEO Colin Angle on NPR's On Point Show Discussing Roomba, PackBot, Future of Robotics

iRobot CEO Colin Angle was the featured guest yesterday on National Public Radio's "On Point" program. This is a MUST-listen interview, available at this link.
Also check out the comments at the link from NPR listeners. There still seems to be a lot of paranoia out there about robots.

Tags: iRobot, robot, NPR

*Real* Transformers: iRobot Develops "Autonomous Vehicle Kit" That Transforms Any Vehicle Into A Robot

iRobot has developed an "Autonomous Vehicle Kit" that can transform any existing vehicle into a robotic vehicle at a much lower cost than developing a robotic vehicle from scratch, according to the company's president of military robotics, Joe Dyer.

The new technology isn't exactly at the level of "Bumblebee," the Transformer (pictured above) who turns from a hot Chevy Camaro into a fighting warrior, but it does fire the imagination about a whole host of possibilities. You can certainly imagine them -- like truck driving along a dedicated supply route, one of the most dangerous activities in Iraq and Afghanistan. Or driving a robotic truck into a Taliban stronghold town, Trojan Horse-style, and waiting for the bad guys to come and inspect it, at which point they'll be sitting ducks for an ambush. If nothing else, this would be a kick-ass marketing tool for the Army, given the potential tie-in to the most popular movie franchise in America right now.

The only problem? The Pentagon doesn't yet have a clear-cut program to buy this new technology.

From Aviation Week:

“It’s a much cheaper way into autonomy,” (Dyer) says, “and it also reserves the capability of the vehicle to be man-operated.” The company is in discussions with the Army about the kit, but Dyer points out that across the Dept. of Defense “you don’t see any programs of record or any procurement efforts underway,” for such capabilities. “Right now we’re in one of those times where technologies are being developed and there’s a technology push that’s really waiting for a requirements pull.”

iRobot had earlier developed a robotic vehicle called the R-Gator with John Deere for such missions as perimeter patrol and pack mule duty, but has had only limited success selling it. It's listed on the company's web site as a research project. (You can see the R-Gator videos and brochure at this link.)

The article also goes on to note that both iRobot and Qinetiq, the company's chief competition in military robots, are developing technologies to direct swarms of semi-autonomous robots on the battlefield.

That of course, brings a whole 'nother movie franchise to mind. Skynet and Terminator, anyone?

thx, b_radford for the tip!

Tags: iRobot, robot, robots, robotics, Terminator, Transformers, military, defense, John+Deere, Camaro, skynet, cars

Robotic CareBots for Elderly Touted by Gecko Systems

Gecko Systems, which appears to be a nearly worthless Pinksheet stock (Symbol: GCKO) trading for a fraction of a penny a share, is talking up the potential for eldercare CareBots. I note this because iRobot has said strongly hinted in the past that they are considering developing eldercare robots, given the enormous potential cost savings relative to nursing homes, etc.
Clip:

This new type of modern eldercare will postpone, if not eliminate, many elderly persons from having to endure the loneliness and loss of independence when living in nursing homes, and other assisted living facilities. Their families can now better manage the difficult decisions regarding independence they allow their now dependent aged parent while minimizing the concern and risk the adult caregiving child is willing to assume to enable an acceptable level of independence for their now dependent parent.

The press release includes wildly optimistic market penetration rates in the billions, so take it with a bag of salt.

Here's a goofy YouTube video of the CareBot in action:

Tags: iRobot, robot

"The time has come for military ground robots"

Military and Aerospace Electronics has a look at the rollout of military robots and talks extensively to Joe Dyer, head of iRobot's military robotics division. Among the tidbits is the potential use of fuel cells to power robots. (A fuel cell recently powered a PackBot for 40 miles!)

“Robots have high peak power demands, in addition to their power loads of just staying awake and looking about,” says iRobot’s Dyer. “Steep and rough terrain has very high power demands.” For now, UGVs will take advantage of the cutting edge of battery technologies, and investigate future advances in fuel cells and hybrid electric power, he says.

Dyer also speculated about armed robots, suggesting that Taser-equipped robots and other nonlethal technologies may be equipped first. (Awesome Taser PackBot video).

Thx, SamBouchard!

Tags: iRobot, robot, robotics, military

New Poll: What should iRobot's Next Home Robot Be?

The poll is at the top right of this blog. Any choices I missed? Leave a comment here.

Tags: iRobot, robot

Robot Flick Transformers 2 Tops $500 MILLION worldwide

Not bad for about 10 days work. The big-budget, apparently small-brained Transformers 2 is at $591 million worldwide and counting. The only other movie to come close to this explosive a start is last year's boffo Batman picture The Dark Knight featuring the late Heath Ledger.

What does this suggest? During a recession, a LOT of folks want to watch robots bashing each other, and a cute girl (Megan Fox) in danger.

Maybe iRobot could sex up its marketing with a little mayhem and some leg? Or perhaps a Transformers tie-in? A Dirt Dog that doubles as a remote controlled basher car? Or something?

Tags: Transformers, Megan Fox

Roomba 535 $169 SHIPPED!

HOT DEAL!
The iRobot Roomba 535 Vacuum Cleaner with Home Base is just $169.99 SHIPPED at Buy.com!

This is a new, NOT refurb item, while supplies last! The 535 is a step up from the 530, which retails for $299. It includes a "lighthouse" virtual wall and is capable of being upgraded with the Wireless Command Center from iRobot.

-Thorn

Tags: iRobot, Roomba

Flying Terminator Drone? Helen Greiner's Droid Works gets $100K Grant for INDOOR Robot Air Vehicle

iRobot Co-Founder Helen Greiner has landed a $100,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to develop an indoor/outdoor "robotic air vehicle" for emergency response at her new company, The Droid Works.

According to Mass High Tech: "Indoor applications would enable the UAVs to respond to emergency situations that involve large steps, closed doors and rough terrain. The NSF grant will be used to develop indoor flight control and safety technology for the UAVs."

Could you imagine how cool indoor flying robots would be? And useful? The military applications are obvious. I particularly remember the little ones in Terminator 3 which stalked the good guys down hallways, looking somewhat like the toys above left for Terminator Salvation. Then again, there also would be potential for use in caves (Afghanistan), and various emergency situations (post-earthquake evac) where buildings are unsafe to enter but robots can go in and identify exactly where people are and what they need. But the difficulty of flying indoors just seems to be HUGE given that it's hard enough to get robots to drive without smashing into things... But if Helen can pull it off, cool!

Tags: iRobot, robot, Helen Greiner, UAV, Terminator, Rescue

iRobot Lawnmower Poll: 75% Would Buy Robomower

An encouraging, completely unscientific poll at the top right of this website (if you are reading the blog feed, you have to click to Robot Stock News to see it) shows about 75% of 145 readers would buy an iRobot robotic lawnmower. We know the company has a robotic lawnmower under development, but has yet to tip its hand on when it will bring one to market, while competitors like SmartMow have started attacking the sub-$1000 home robot market where iRobot makes its mark.

Of note, the poll shows that the price point is a big key. The sub-$500 price point nearly doubles interest, while the $750 and $1000 price points are also important. I think the ideal is to have a $499 product that's the "basic" model advertised as for small lawns (smaller battery, no dock, etc.) while a $799 "SE" model adds a dock, scheduling and a high-performance battery and a $999 "Pro" model includes assorted extras (blades, battery upgrade, "doghouse dock", 2-year warranty). Of course, you could start out at higher prices to capitalize on geek interest and offer periodic discounts later (Woot?) to get to the magic $499 price point. It's important to remember that the lawnmower marketplace is MASSIVE. Mowers, landscaping and gardening equipment is a $19 billion industry worldwide. I think iRobot could aim for a $100+ million product (i.e., Roomba territory). That would mean selling 200,000 mowers a year, or about .2% of U.S. households.

Tags: iRobot, robot

iRobot CIO Jay Leader interviewed

Check it out at this link. Says business has fortunately remained strong despite the recession. Not a must-read, however.

Roomba Featured in Another Song

Check it out, it's pretty good: Simian Mobile Disco - Audacity of Huge (ft. Chris Keating)

Tags: iRobot, Roomba

iRobot Surveys Japanese on Cleaning Habits

iRobot, the maker of the Roomba and Scooba, surveyed the Japanese on their cleaning habits. A mostly gibberish Google translation is available here, worth it just for some VERY odd phrasing courtesy of the Googlebot.

Tags: iRobot, Japan

iRobot sponsoring wedding TV show "Road to the Altar"

iRobot's marketing department seems to be stepping up its creativity of late. They are now sponsoring a web-based TV show called "Road to the Altar" about getting married. Apparently there is product placement, a sweepstakes, etc., of iRobot Roomba's and the like. Roomba and Scooba should be on every wedding registry!

Tags: iRobot, Roomba, Road to the Altar

Helen Greiner gets "Hall of Fame" notice

iRobot co-founder Helen Greiner, now head of a company called The Droid Works, was inducted into a Massachusetts tech group's hall of fame last night, Xconomy reports. One enthusiastic Twitter poster commented on the event, "Helen Greiner rocks my world."

Tags: iRobot, Helen Greiner

iRobot Looj Gutter Cleaning Robot $29!

Ultimate clearance! The iRobot Looj Gutter Cleaning Robot is Just $29 w/Paypal at Buy.com, or $39 with a credit card. List is $99. That's about the price of a replacement battery, so buy a pair. It'll be cheaper than getting your gutters cleaned by a handyman, that's for sure. At this price, it's worth it just as a remote-controlled tank for the younguns. This deal WILL NOT LAST.

Tags: iRobot, robot, Looj

iRobot Says Don't Trash Roomba

That was fast. Days after a report in Treehugger slammed iRobot, the company apparently has changed its disposal recommendations for its products. No longer should they just be tossed in the trash, but instead recycled or disposed of via an electronics disposal dropoff.

Tags: iRobot

Rock Group Lansdowne Sings Ode to PackBot

A PackBot song? YES, a PackBot song. Boston rockers Lansdowne, which apparently are sponsored by iRobot, have just released By Your Side, a song devoted to the PackBot.

I can't really say I like the song, but, hey, does Foster-Miller have a song about the Talon? Methinks not! Take that, you Brits! Click through the link for a listen.

Tags: iRobot, Lansdowne, PackBot

iRobot Should Buy Kiva Systems, Maker of Robotic Warehouse Robots

Why I think Kiva Systems is the perfect partner, right now, for iRobot: Kiva is revolutionizing warehousing, with their unique, orange-colored warehouse robots that double worker productivity, slash electricity use, and minimize human error.

Fortune had a fabulous profile of Kiva, whose robots are used by such mega companies as Staples and Zappos. But the company is still in the very early stages and needs additional funding. iRobot should use some of its cash and swallow it up, giving it an entryway into true industrial robots on the cheap. Kiva has about 100 employees, making it one fifth the size of iRobot.

Another bonus: Kiva is based in Woburn, Mass., not all that far from iRobot's headquarters, so integration shouldn't be too hard.

I think Kiva's on to something very big, sort of like the Intuitive Surgical of Warehousing.

Check out this video at Kiva.com.

Tags: iRobot, robot, Kiva

Terminator Robotic Vision Video

This is from Fast Company, and it shows a potential future robotic vision technique, a la the Terminator. (BTW, iRobot is developing robotic vision using LIDAR, a technology that was mentioned on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles).
Tags: iRobot, robot vision

Seaglider Video Shows Record-Breaking Climate Trip Under the Arctic

USNews has a new article on the record-breaking, 6-month trip under the Arctic ice to monitor water flows, monitoring climate change.

Here is a fantastic new video of the glider project is at this link.

The Seaglider was developed by the University of Washington but is being commercialized by the iRobot Corporation (NASDAQ:IRBT), maker of the Roomba.

Seagliders BTW are a LOT cheaper than, say, a $3 billion Seawolf manned submarine, and that doesn't even count the lifetime costs of the crew, the nuclear fuel, upkeep, disposal, et al. I could easily see a scenario where tens of thousands of Seagliders are dispatched around the globe for various purposes. Now, if only Seaglider could clean up all that Ocean Trash like a Roomba! Would be kinda cool if it could digest floating plastic.

IMHO, there will be an ever expanding array of underwater robots as the technology gets cheaper and cheaper and the benefits of exploring the oceans gets higher and higher. The possibilities seem endless.

Click on the Seaglider tag below for all of our earlier coverage of the project, including an earlier video from a week ago.

Tags: iRobot, Seaglider, Arctic, climate change, global warming, robot

Treehugger wants iRobot to adopt friendlier recycling policies

iRobot gets razzed by, well, Treehuggers. Worth a look if you work at iRobot.

Tags: iRobot

R-Gator gets Xbox/Adobe Air controls, may be equipped with REDOWL/machine gun

Wired's Danger Room finds a post from the Flash Blog showing a new Xbox controller and Adobe Air interface for the R-Gator unmanned vehicle from iRobot and John Deere. The post mentions that the R-Gator could be equipped with the REDOWL sniper detection system and return fire with a mounted M-50 machine gun.

This is the first news we've heard about the R-Gator in quite a while, and is encouraging. iRobot's web site only lists R-Gator as a research project rather than a shipping product.

Tags: iRobot, robot, R-Gator

Poll: 60% Want Square Roomba With Better Corner Cleaning

It's not a scientific poll, but 60% of 78 Robot Stock News readers voting in a poll backed the development of the Square front design Roomba if it meant better cleaning, although 40% either said no or "Hell No!" to the idea.

New poll: Would you buy an iRobot lawnmower? (Vote on the poll at the top right of the blog).

Heartland Robotics' Rodney Brooks Explains His Vision

In this YouTube video, iRobot co-founder and founder of Heartland Robotics Rodney Brooks talks about his visions for the future of industrial robots. You can see how the guy is a genius, but also why iRobot may have been a bit scared of the complexity and bleeding edge nature of his vision:

Tags: Heartland Robotics, robot

New iRobot Promo Video Shows Robotic Boat!

Robot Stock News has found a new 1-minute iRobot Promo Video available today on YouTube, and for the first time it shows a robotic boat! This is the first time I've ever seen a robotic boat from iRobot, which is NOT an announced product, although robotic ships have occasionally shown up as potential future products on roadmaps shown by iRobot to stock analysts. The robotic boat is about 29 seconds into the video. iRobot already has a whole host of underwater robots under development, including the Seaglider, which recently set a record of 6 months under the Arctic ice cap. iRobot isn't the only company to develop robotic boats; BAE Systems is among the companies that have done so. Robotic boats have been suggested for such tasks as fighting piracy -- a hot topic of late given the Somali pirates -- and blocking terrorist attacks on larger, manned ships.

Here's the video (enjoy!):


Tags: iRobot, robot, robotic boat, Navy

iRobot CEO Colin Angle Interviewed

iRobot CEO Colin Angle gives an upbeat interview to a local TV station:

Colin is sporting a new hairdo and an unusual jacket and tie. He also noted that with the distress faced by smaller robot companies, there may be opportunities for acquisitions.

Hat tip, byronangel

Tags: iRobot

Pleo Resurrected by iRobot Chinese Contractor

Remember in Jurassic Park when they brought the dinosaurs back from extinction? Well, the Pleo robotic dinosaur is getting resurrected too, courtesy of its manufacturer, Jetta Company Ltd., which also makes parts for iRobot's products. Jetta purchased the assets of bankrupt Ugobe last month.

Robots Rule spoke to the company, which confirmed a plan to relaunch Pleo and provide products such as battery replacements.

Also worth a look: GoRobotics.net highlights a video of Ugobe's former chief tech officer describing the rise and fall of Pleo in a lecture at Stanford University.

In the meantime, the Pleo is on clearance for $154, almost $200 off the original $349 list price.

hat tip, simpsonsez!

Tags: iRobot, robot, Pleo, Ugobe

The Economist Profiles Roomba and Other Domestic Robots

The Economist praises the Roomba in an article on domestic robots. Nothing new, but worth a look.

Roomba Robot Vacuum Knockoff Featured by Iranian Company?!

As I was doing my regular checks of new robot videos on YouTube, I came across a cheezy commercial for a robot vacuum that appears to be nearly a perfect ripoff of the Roomba 400 series vacuum (the older generation). except with a much smaller trash bin. Here it is:

The video appears to have been posted by an Iranian importer, who says he imports robotic vacuums from Korea. If that's so, I'd assume that the language in the video is Korean? Anyone who can read it, please post a translation in the comments or email me at thorn_stevens (Plus the @ symbol) and yahoo.com. (Korea, by the way, has the highest market penetration of robotic vacuums of any country in the world).
The video appears to show what I can only assume would be violations of several iRobot patents, including its patent on virtual wall technology. Although I'm sure Iran wouldn't care about a U.S. patent. But this kind of thing should be on the minds of iRobot's lawyers. Can they file suit in Korea? What's the status of their international patent portfolio? iRobot has successfully defeated other copycats before. I don't think a product like this would do well in the United States, but I would worry about Asian consumers buying cheap knockoffs from a local brand.

Tags: iRobot, robot, Roomba, YouTube, Korea

iRobot's Seaglider Breaks Record for Arctic Navigation

The Seaglider underwater robot apparently set a new record of six months of autonomous navigation under ice in the Arctic, where it is taking measurements for climate change studies.

Here's the YouTube video:


Tags: iRobot, Seaglider

Lawnbott LB1200 Videos Show Revolutionary New Robot Lawn Mower in Action

There's a lot going on in the robotic lawn mower space, where our favorite robot company, iRobot, is in danger of being left way, way behind.

We've noted the recent emergence of the $999 SmartMow, a disc-shaped robot very similar to iRobot's own designs for a robot lawnmower, but we still think that the LawnBott LB1200 Spyder we profiled a year ago is the revolutionary product that can take robotic lawnmowing into the mainstream. The price is still too high - $1399 with limited U.S. distribution - but the technology is spot on. It's the first and only robotic lawnmower that does not need the cumbersome installation of a perimeter wire. Just drop and mow. Moisture sensors let the Spyder know if it's mowing grass, and bump sensors keep it away from obstacles. To avoid mowing your neighbor's lawn, you'll have to have some kind of a barrier, although I wouldn't be surprised if neighbors team up and share these guys.

The 18-pound wonder, which features lithium batteries, handles smaller yards up to 5,500 square feet, hills up to 27 degrees grade, and has near-silent operation so you can run it at any time of day or night without pissing off the neighbors.

About $10 a year in electricity plus other maintenance (far less than the maintenance of a gas mower) is all you need. Beats paying the local rascals $25 a week to mow, doesn't it? I'd get one, except that my lawn has a hill closer to 40 degrees. Maybe when they come out with a more robust version? Or, maybe, just maybe, iRobot will finally get in the action?

Here are the videos I promised:






Tags: iRobot, robot, Robomower, robotic lawn mower, Lawnbott, lawnmower

iRobot Plans to Potty Train Roomba! Patent Filing Shows Designs for Roomba Self-Cleaning Dock...

BREAKING/EXCLUSIVE: Roomba will finally learn how to go potty, all by him or herself, if iRobot (NASDAQ:IRBT) follows through on a patent application published this year.
According to the patent filing discovered by Robot Stock News, iRobot has designed numerous possible self-cleaning docks for the Roomba so that its owners don't have to clean it. That is the biggest problem with the current Roomba -- when you pay a few hundred bucks for a robot vacuum, why should you have to then empty and clean it yourself? It's a robot, after all! Cleaning Roomba can be a bit of a messy process, although still far better than lugging an upright vacuum around yourself every day. A successful Roomba self-cleaning dock would bring the product much further to the "set it and forget it" ideal in robot appliance heaven. And it easily could be a popular and profitable add-on to the existing Roomba, as I'd imagine many of the 3 million Roomba owners would be willing to shell out as much as $200 for the privilege of not having to clean the vacuum.

I count more than a dozen different designs in the patent application (pics at bottom), some of which would require a minor redesign of the Roomba. Others appear likely to work with the existing models. In general, the idea is this: the new dock will have its own vacuum. When the Roomba docks (a.k.a. goes potty), its contents will be vacuumed out and into the dock, which will hold between three and ten times more dirt than the Roomba itself. Hair and other debris stuck on the Roomba's rolling brushes could be automatically sliced, combed and vacuumed off. The dock vacuum could be full powered, like a regular upright -- pulling 6 to 12 amps, according to the patent application, which was initially filed in May 2007 before being published in February. One design has Roomba exchanging dirty cleaning cartridges with fresh cartridges via the dock. Another hooks directly into a whole-house vacuum system, so you never even have to empty it. (Cool, but how many people have those?) As always, it's not clear if any of these designs will ever become a shipping product. The company has previously filed patent applications for a robotic lawnmower and more recently a Square-Front Roomba, neither of which have yet become a reality. My guess is that if it were a simple proposition, we would have seen a product in the two years since this application was filed, but surely iRobot does not want to put out a product that does not work with absolute ease and reliability and may have to wait until the next generation of Roomba to implement it. (Square front, anyone?)

At any rate, a self-cleaning Roomba has been pined for for years, but seen as too much of a technological challenge for a sub-$1,000 robot. (The discontinued $1,500 Karcher RC3000 - pictured at right - also had a self-cleaning feature, but its cost put it out of reach for mainstream consumers).

As promised here are the additional pics of the various designs for a Roomba cleaning/docking station:














Tags: iRobot, Roomba, robot, Vacuum, automation, robots, robotics

UK's Sunday Times: "iRobot, where the Terminator is coming to life"

Mark Harris at The Sunday Times has a must-read behind the scenes look at iRobot's technology in "iRobot, where the Terminator is coming to life".
The article quotes an iRobot engineer saying that prototypes of flexible, chemical robots should be ready within a year (iRobot received a $3.3 million contract to develop chembots in 2008), wonders about the potential use of the iRobot Ember for delivering explosives and other weapons, talks about the ability of the iRobot Warrior to sport a Firestorm electronic gun firing explosive rounds (pictured), and the announcement by Defense Secretary Robert Gates to extend SUGVs throughout the Army's combat brigades.
The biggest news in the article is iRobot moving forward on chemical robots and the report that the Warrior costs $300,000 a copy.
Typical of most similar stories, the focus is on the creepier aspects of robotics, like plans for additional autonomy followed by cautious statements that these robots aren't going to be shooting anyone on their own anytime soon, at least the U.S. versions. Other countries may not be so reluctant. (Personally, the day terrorists figure out how to make a robotic suicide bomber will be a scary one - and no one seems to ever write about that).
And iRobot's military chief shows he has a sense of humor:

At least iRobot’s Joe Dyer does have a few pointers in case you should ever find yourself facing a rogue robot: “It’s not unlike us: if you hit the right place, you kill it but there are other places where it’ll keep on working.”
And where might those right places be? “I could tell you,” he says. “But then I’d have to have one of my robots kill you.”

On iRobot's chemical robots:

Chris Jones, iRobot’s research programme manager, reveals details of a shape-shifting spy robot that could have been inspired by the liquid metal cyborg from Terminator 2. “We’re building robots that don’t have motors, wheels or anything rigid in them. They don’t even have batteries, they run on chemical power,” he says. “They’re made of new materials called dielectric elastomers, which are extremely flexible and can change shape by applying electric or magnetic fields. Ultimately, we will build a robot that is completely squishy and that can squeeze through a hole the size of a 10 pence piece.”
Experts in everything from origami and flexible electronics to the mathematics of Venus fly trap movement are working on the project, and Jones expects to have a working, slithering prototype within a year.

Thx, Kylebquick!
Tags: iRobot, robot, iRobot, robot, iRobot, terminator, robots, chemical robots

Fake Roomba TV Commercial

This is a cute TV commercial for the Roomba cooked up by a class at VCU:


Tags: iRobot, Roomba

Voice-activated Roomba created

Verbal Machines Ltd. has hacked a Roomba so that it responds to voice commands. I could see this helping people with certain disabilities. Here's the video:


Tags: iRobot, Roomba

More PackBot Videos

A Taser-equipped PackBot is in action in this video:

(Our earlier Taser coverage can be found through the Taser tag below).

Check out the PackBot EOD's maneuverability starting at about 6:47 into this video:


Tags: iRobot, PackBot

New Roomba Demo Video

Can't get enough Roomba Video Demos?

Here's the latest on the Roomba 550 from HSN:


More details in the Roomba Buyers Guide.

Tags: iRobot, Roomba

Poll: Should iRobot Build its Square-Front Roomba?

RSS readers: There is a new poll feature at Robot Stock News. You won't be able to see it unless you click through to the web site. So far, votes are pretty even pro and con.

iRobot Verro Buyers Guide

Got a pool? Well, the iRobot Verro line of pool cleaning robots could be for you, and I'll help you save $224!

Today's Best Deal: HSN is selling the iRobot Verro 500 with a FREE BONUS $149 storage cart for $1001 shipped.
New customers can save $75 and get it for $925.90 with coupon code C56574 at checkout! This robot cleans 4,225 gallons an hour so you don't have to! The iRobot Verro 500 works on all pool surfaces including granite, vinyl, fiberglass and tile. Also, exclusively at HSN, you can buy an EXTRA 2 YEARS of Warranty (3 years total) for just $99! No one else offers more than the standard 1 year warranty.

If you want to buy direct from iRobot, you can also get the Free Bonus Cart with the Verro 500 at this link, but the cost will be $1049 after $50 Shipping.

Or, you can get a Free iRobot Looj Gutter Cleaning robot with any robot purchase over $249 at iRobot through this coupon link through June 21 - Father's Day. That'll work with the $399 Verro 100 (for above ground pools) and the $699 Verro 300 (for in-ground pools, best for gunite/concrete), as well as Roombas, Scoobas, etc.!

The Verro 100 is also at Amazon for $399 with free shipping (out of stock; on order).

The Verro 300 is $699 with free shipping at Amazon and no tax to most states.

Amazon sells the Verro 500 for $1099 with Free Shipping and NO BONUS CART.

The iRobot Verro 100 and 300 utilize a hydro-jet system that ‘power washes’ pool surfaces, deep cleaning pores, cracks, seams while the iRobot Verro 500 uses roller brushes to scrub the algae, bacteria and dirt from pool surfaces. The pair will clean out your nasty pool and filter out particles larger than 2 microns. (You just plug it in, toss it in the pool and come back when it's done! Each machine will clean a 20 foot by 50 foot pool in about an hour.) Verro robots improve the circulation of pool chemicals and water temperature, while reducing pool filtration system run-time.

Here's the HSN video:


Happy Summer!

Tags: iRobot, robot, Verro, pools, pool cleaning, pool robot

iRobot PackBot gets 40 MILES with Fuel Cell pack!

A new fuel cell pack from Adaptive Materials successfully demonstrated a record 40-mile endurance test on an iRobot PackBot Scout. The fuel cell generates 150 watts of continuous power and up to 600 watts of peak power, and runs on propane.

It provides roughly 18 times the endurance of a typical battery pack, according to Adaptive Materials (pic on front page at link). I think this technology will dramatically improve the potential for more autonomous robots, because they won't need to be nursed every couple of hours by a soldier replacing a battery pack. That means fewer opportunities for danger, and more opportunities to use robots for more extreme recon, and probably lives saved. It'd be cool if the robot could even fuel up at a robotic fuel depot on its own! (Think Roomba's charging dock, except better).

Clip:

“Demonstrating the duration capabilities of a UGV in a rugged, real-world environment is a critical milestone in aligning the Adaptive Materials fuel cells with the potential of UGVs,” said Michelle Crumm, the company's chief business officer. “UGVs are limited now by the power provided through batteries; on battery power, UGVs can only travel so far or sit and sense for a limited period of time before the battery needs to be charged or replaced. By leveraging the proven, reliable power of an Adaptive Materials fuel cell, UGVs can achieve ultra-long duration and long range missions.”
...
The distance traveled is the equivalent of:
* The fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, Iraq and Fallujah, Iraq - enabling the UGV to conduct myriad tasks and keep a soldier out of harm’s way
* Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
* Kabul and Charikar, Jalez, Sherhabod, or Pol-e'Alam, Afghanistan

Can you spell UPGRADES?
Tags: iRobot, robot

iRobot SUGV "a cornerstone" of Army's unmanned vehicle efforts

Military and Aerospace reported on the explosion in Pentagon spending on robotic vehicles and planes in the upcoming budget. The article calls iRobot's Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV) a "cornerstone" of the Army's efforts, although it neglects to mention the defunct nature of the larger Future Combat Systems program.

There also is this analysis:

The vast majority of proposed DOD unmanned vehicle spending involves unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which the Pentagon often refers to as unmanned aerial systems (UASs). Relatively little of the DOD's UV budget is for unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) or unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs).
Unmanned aerial vehicles represent the most mature unmanned vehicle enabling technologies, and Pentagon observers say they expect spending for unmanned ground and marine vehicles to begin increasingly rapidly over the next several years as UGV and UUV technologies mature.

Note that would be great news for iRobot, given its investments both in PackBot derivatives and robotic submarines.

The $125 million in the 2010 budget for FCS unmanned vehicles will be split between the SUGV and Lockheed Martin's MULE. Not clear on the breakdown, but my guess is that SUGV would get the majority of that.

Tags: iRobot, robot, SUGV

Roomba, robotics profiled by CNET/CBS

CNET covers the state of robotics today, with interviews with all the major players, including iRobot CEO Colin Angle, who mentions robotic lawnmowing, window-washing and bathtub cleaning, as he has in the past.

Worth a read.

Tags: robot

iRobot Projects 4,000 Military Robot Sales in 2013

At a conference for analysts on its campus in Massachusetts yesterday, iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ:IRBT) projected sales of 4,000 military robots in 2013, up from about 1,000 now. That's a pretty astonishing growth rate, but that actually matches up pretty well with the growth over the past five years. This is the fastest growing sector of the military budget. They did not project a revenue number for that level of robots. But even if per unit sales average just $75,000-$100,000 (including all of the spare parts revenue they would be accumulating), I'd expect the military side of the company alone to be around $300 million to $400 million in annual revenue.

iRobot CEO Colin Angle also mentioned the company's growing patent portfolio as an asset as well. (I've been paying a lot of attention to the patent filings for hints of future products, including an iRobot lawnmower and a next-generation Square-front Roomba.) But the company's patents on various basic PackBot and Roomba technologies may be more valuable to a potential acquirer.

Tags: iRobot, robot

Helen Greiner's New Company "The Droid Works" Building a Robot Plane

The amazing Helen Greiner, the co-founder and former chairman of iRobot (she's still on the board) told xconomy a couple months back about the plans for her new company, The Droid Works. According to xconomy, Greiner said she already has a team working on an UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle for you nongeeks out there) but wouldn't go into details beyond that.

She obviously hasn't had much time yet to work out a decent logo, but love the name. Miss her!
At any rate, don't be surprised if she starts selling some stock to help fund her new venture. That also goes for Rodney Brooks, the other co-founder starting his own robot company, Heartland Robotics, which we hear is working on industrial robots. Heartland's web site is a little more advanced at this stage...

Tags: the droid works, robot