iRobot dominant player in growing robotics industry: ABI Research

An outfit called ABI Research spotlighted iRobot Corp. as the dominant player in the emerging "task" robot industry, and sees a $15 billion market for home robotics in 2015.

From the press release: Several types of personal robot are available, says ABI Research principal analyst Philip Solis. Many are single-function “task” robots such as those made by iRobot, whose self-contained Roomba vacuum cleaner is already familiar. “iRobot currently dominates this market and is increasingly targeting areas outside the US and expanding its product line,” says Solis. “Its disciplined approach to keeping products relatively simple and practical has enabled the company to lead the market for task robots.”

Tags: iRobot, robot, robotics, robots, Roomba

Scooba $139, Roomba $99

The Scooba 5800 is now available for $199 NEW + a $25 gift card (pick up today!)/$139 Refurbished in the Scooba Buyers Guide. You won't find a better deal on Scooba (my favorite iRobot robot).

Roomba is still as low as $99 in the Roomba Buyers Guide, with a new deal on a Discovery SE for $164.

Other deals are available today in Kitchen Daily Deal.
Tags: Scooba, irobot, Roomba

iRobot Prospects for 2008 Profits

The most important date for iRobot stock owners in the coming year will be the all-important 1st Quarter Earnings Conference Call, if the company announces full-year earnings and revenue guidance.

I'd like to get a little bit of a jump on things, assuming that the company can deliver on its revenue guidance for 2007 - $240-$250 Million. The company has listed profit guidance at $3-5 million, but that could be almost entirely wiped out by the $2.9 million legal costs in the Robotic FX case, depending on how much iRobot expected to spend on legal costs when they issued their guidance and also on the accounting for the legal costs. Some of the costs almost certainly went to pay Jameel Ahed for Robotic FX's residual assets, which could conceivably by amortized to lessen the impact on current year earnings. Plus there is the pre-tax/after-tax impact. Regardless, the 2007 profit number isn't particularly relevant, as long as it IS a profit. Wall Street doesn't like to see losses, period, and iRobot has been cutting it pretty thinly because of their emphasis on growth, R&D and advertising (all stuff I as a long-term shareholder am very happy with). Regardless, the 4th Quarter to 4th Quarter comparisons will look great because shipments were delayed from the 3rd Quarter to the 4th Quarter and because of significant Roomba 500 Series channel fill and channel expansion (even Best Buy is selling them.)
So that brings us to 2008. Let's go with conservative, given that iRobot has been conservative in all of its past full-year guidance. Take the $240 million low-estimate revenue number and add 19 percent (the low end of their initial growth expectations issued for their initial 2007 earnings estimate issued a year ago). That yields a 2008 revenue estimate of $285 million. The top of the revenue expectation range should exceed $300 million -- a very significant milestone that would be a big deal with traders.
How does iRobot get there? There are many factors that continue to go iRobot's way and could bolster 2008 growth:
* The military continues to emphasize and expand the use of robotics. The $286 million xBot contract expands iRobot's role from IED/bomb sniffing teams to regular infantry units, which are far more numerous. The initial order of 101 PackBots with FasTac kit is likely to be followed by hundreds more, and comes on top of the existing contracts for IED robots, which should continue. iRobot has already said it would be producing about 30 FasTac robots a month starting in March. If the contract does not scale, that should be a minimum of 300 robots for the year, or about $20 million in accretive sales. If it scales to 1,000 robots for the year, look out above! That would be about $70 million in accretive sales. Let's assume $20 million for now. Also note that the military has already signaled its intention to award a separate follow-on $200 million no-bid contract to iRobot for more IED Packbot sales and service, which is even more important from a profit perspective given that the xBot contract has lower margins. So enough with the meat and potatoes, iRobot also has some military gravy coming online to top things off: The first sales of its next-generation PackBot SUGV Early product will start shipping in volume by mid-2008, and the company will begin selling the 200-pound class iRobot Warrior product, which the company will offer for the first time with the potential for armed variants. Who knows, maybe they will even sell a few R-Gators? The company also has announced a new mapping kit for PackBots which could find a home in advanced recon teams. You send in the PackBot to map a building or an area so you can plan your assault. Seems like genius to me! And, I even forgot to mention iRobot's increasing foray into the vast homeland security/police market with Taser-equipped PackBots!

*The company's home robotics division has significant avenues for growth. The Roomba 500 Series will have its first full year in the channel, and its significantly improved feature set and performance and expected better reliability combined with a higher price point should result in significant improvements in revenue and profitability. The new Scooba 380 and Scooba 350 products also are doing better than I've expected. They will never be Roomba, but they are a significant next leg up and generate significant cross-selling opportunities, not to mention lots of free press. The Looj gutter cleaner also will have a full year of availability, and, if the company can get them into Home Depot, Sears and Lowe's next fall during leaf season, could generate significant sales ($5-$10 million?). The company will also sell a few thousand ConnectRs, etc., which will be accretive to revenue.
* The foreign market also is largely untapped by iRobot. They have ramped up their European distribution but should continue to explore global opportunities for significant Roomba growth in particular. There is no reason why foreign sales should not account for 40 percent of home robot sales versus under 20 percent today.
Finally, there is the big question: Will iRobot announce any significant new products in 2008? There are lots of possibilities, but iRobot has noted in the past that it can take two or three years of R&D to get a new robot out the door -- longer than iRobot has been a public company. So that's a big if. You know the list of chores iRobot has mentioned in the past that it could tackle -- lawn mowing (tops on my wish list, despite the competition), bathroom/shower/toilet cleaning (tops on my wife's wish list), laundry folding (probably too difficult for a while yet) and remote presence/elder care assistance robots (ConnectR and iRobot Cici). Colin Angle said last year that a robotic lawnmower is more feasible than laundry folding, although he wants laundry folding 'bot more. The company also has said it is looking into creating a light commercial version of its Roomba 500 product. I don't think however that you need any of these to see significant growth. Remember that iRobot's market penetration for Roomba alone is still just about 2 percent in the U.S. alone.
* Home robot profitability should expand significantly due to reduced warranty costs and higher prices from the Roomba 500 generation and the Scooba 300 generation and, significantly, from far lower nickel prices. The drop in nickel prices alone should mean a $5 million bonus to iRobot's bottom line in 2008! (That was the estimate iRobot's CFO gave of the hit from higher nickel prices in 2007). iRobot's profitability as a whole could top $10 million after taxes for the first time, chopping the P/E ratio from north of 100 to south of 50 with a vast, untapped market for robotics still to come.

Indeed, I think ever since the company botched the initial rollout and initial quality of the Scooba in early 2006, they have been performing exceptionally well. iRobot has mastered the art of coming out with new products at low cost to the company which generate lots of free, valuable buzz even if sales are not explosive (iRobot Create, Looj, ConnectR etc.) and have delivered a knockout, I believe, with their next generation Roomba 500 series and a solid hit with their next generation Scooba 300 Series product.

The one big caveat I hold out there is the broader economy and the downturn in the housing market spilling over into consumer appliances. I think this is the main drag on the stock right now, and if Roomba sales are weaker than expected this tepid holiday season, that could drag on the stock. A Roomba is not yet something that people consider a staple like a Gillette razor that they will buy in good times and bad. That being said, I remain bullish with the stock at $18, as iRobot appears to be firing on all engines.

Tags: iRobot, robot, robotics, IRBT, robots, 2008, stocks, investments

Scooba 5800 Discontinued?

iRobot now lists the Scooba 5800 as Out of Stock on its web site. It appears that iRobot is getting ready to roll out an upgraded low-end Scooba with the newer technology found in the 300 series Scoobas, like the new Scooba 335 from HSN. Also of note, iRobot is still showing a 3-4 week backlog for the popular Roomba 560 Next Generation model. Other Roombas are in stock. Hard to know if this is because of lots of demand or production issues at this point. The level of Roomba demand in this quarter will drive this stock one way or the other. If the company can match its revenue guidance, that's the key, because it will show very strong growth year over year. Profits for the year could be wiped out almost entirely because of the $2.9 million Robotic FX lawsuit. Also, will iRobot be bold and predict its first ever $300 million year in 2008? It's almost within reach...

Tags: iRobot, Scooba

Washington Post Gives "Big Thumbs Up" Scooba Review

The Scooba got major play in today's Washington Post, which issued a "Big Thumbs Up" review and a nice big picture to go along with it under the headline "Roomba's Scrubbing Cousin."

Highlights:

I am not a big mopper myself, and so I was ridiculously excited to try Scooba, a sleek, round disk somewhere between the size of a Frisbee and a trash can lid. My kids were excited, too, although once they saw it had no arms and didn't talk or carry a weapon, they drifted back to their coloring/tower building/house destruction activities (but not before my daughter declared Scooba a boy, which I found refreshing, given his line of work). ...
Overall, I'd give Scooba a big thumbs up, even if it didn't scrub away everything. It's perfect for people who aren't inclined to break out the mop and bucket, who don't have a lot of extra time or who have small children (especially crawlers, who are known to dine off the floor whenever possible).

I'm always amazed that reviewers expect the Scooba to vacuum up mounds of ketchup or baked on stuff -- especially stuff that they could easily give Scooba a little help with. Scooba remains my favorite iRobot product, because I hate mopping and scrubbing floors even more than vacuuming.

As always, you can check out our Scooba Buyers Guide for the latest deals, updated daily.

Tags: iRobot, Scooba

iRobot Prevails in Robotic FX Lawsuits, Jameel Ahed is Robo-Toast, But the Whole Mess Costs $2.9 Million

Robotic FX is history.

iRobot has finally prevailed in its lawsuits against Robotic FX, with federal judges in both Alabama and Massachusetts finding that Robotic FX violated iRobot patents and misappropriated trade secrets, respectively. Robotic FX is shutting down, iRobot is acquiring its remaining assets, and Jameel Ahed has to take a 5-year timeout from competing against iRobot. Of course, the whole mess cost iRobot some $2.9 million in legal costs (Robotic FX CEO Jameel Ahed, we presume, is fairly well off given his taste for DeLoreans but we doubt he has tens of millions lying around.) Although it just might be possible that some of the technology developed by Ahed could improve iRobot's products. Ahed is an engineering genius, after all, just a sneaky one. iRobot did not say whether the $2.9 million would impact fourth quarter earnings guidance, but regardless, I see this as a significant net positive because it relatively permanently ends a competitive threat, and we can all now move on to trying to gauge Roomba and Scooba sales!

Here is the press release:
iRobot Prevails in Lawsuits Against Robotic FX
Friday December 21, 6:19 pm ET
Company Settles All Disputes with Former Employee
BURLINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--iRobot Corp. (Nasdaq:IRBT - News) today announced that federal courts in Massachusetts and Alabama have entered judgments in favor of iRobot and all disputes with former employee Jameel Ahed and his company, Robotic FX, Inc., have been settled. In August, iRobot filed two lawsuits against Ahed and Robotic FX: the Alabama action was for patent infringement, and the Massachusetts action was for trade secret misappropriation.
In the patent infringement suit against Robotic FX for its Negotiator robot, the U.S. District Court for the District of Northern Alabama entered a judgment that Robotic FX knowingly infringed on both asserted patents. Similarly, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts ruled that Ahed and Robotic FX misappropriated iRobot’s proprietary and confidential information, violated fair trade practices and destroyed evidence. The Massachusetts court also made permanent an injunction that had been preliminarily ordered last month against the sale of products using certain iRobot trade secrets, including the Robotic FX Negotiator product.
“The judgments validate our strong intellectual property position and the value of our IP,” said Helen Greiner, chairman of iRobot. “We are proud to deliver our reliable field-proven robots to aid our warfighters in their dangerous missions.”
In a related settlement, Robotic FX will be dissolved and certain residual assets retained by iRobot at iRobot’s election. Ahed is prohibited from participating in competitive activities in the robotics industry for five years.
iRobot’s cumulative litigation and settlement-related expenditures associated with this dispute are expected to total approximately $2.9 million.

Tags: iRobot, robot

iRobot CiCi Could Take Care of Grandma

iRobot is developing an elder care robot named CiCi who could help monitor grandma (or grandpa, I suppose) and alert doctors, etc., if there is something wrong.
The idea, of course, is to help keep elderly people at home on their own longer before having to go to expensive and impersonal assisted living or hyper-expensive and depressing nursing homes, an area sure to be highly competitive and highly lucrative as the Baby Boom generation ages. I could also see this being used somewhat in assisted living facilities to cut down on the number of human nurses needed to make the rounds. Colin Angle has spoken about developing elder care robots many times in the past, so it is not a new idea, but it is news that iRobot actually has developed a prototype and has displayed it at least once.
Mass High Tech's Ryan McBride broke the story last week. (Thanks, azimganj and jsrn)
The company so far has refused to comment about it (beyond confirming that there is such a robot named CiCi), and regardless, it would probably be another couple of years before iRobot actually unveils a product that is ready for prime time. Angle said last year that he thought it would be 2009 before the robotics industry puts out products in the magical $1,000 price range. (You can find much more expensive robotic companions right now, although Korean robotics makers and others are working to pump out cheaper versions as we speak.) Whether grandma really WANTS a robot helper is another question entirely, although Angle has argued that products like its breakthrough Roomba robotic vacuum already qualify as elder care assistance, given that some buyers are elderly, disabled or both and don't want to or are no longer able to vacuum as often or as thoroughly as they would like (under the beds, etc.).
iRobot for now is publicly focusing on the upcoming but presumably more limited ConnectR product, which could allow folks to check up on grandma via its built-in camera at a presumably much cheaper $499 price point. (I, frankly, would be worried about grandma tripping on said ConnectR, shattering her hip and dying!) Memo to iRobot: Maybe make ConnectR about 4 feet tall, but still lightweight, to avoid this? I frankly love the $1,800 Giraffe concept.

Tags: iRobot, robot, elder care, grandma, robotics, ConnectR, elderly, assisted living

iRobot Ad getting not-so-good attention

iRobot's donkey ad has gotten some unwanted attention. Apparently, not everybody likes the Catherine the Great allusion. Another hit at Adwizards with the title: "iRobot Vac Gives Sick Lady More Time For Bestiality With Donkey Husband."

But one guy says "I dig that donkey petting chick," so maybe it works both ways?

You can watch the YouTube video of the ad here in our original post.

Tags: iRobot, robot

Roomba 510 Discontinued by iRobot?

UPDATED 3/26/08:
BREAKING: It appears that iRobot has decided to discontinue the Roomba 510, a bottom-of-the-line model of its new, next generation Roomba 500 series Roombas. The Roomba 510 no longer appears on the iRobot home page, and is now on sale at Woot.com for $154.99 shipped.

HSN has a better deal for a Roomba 535 for $212.49 Shipped in our Roomba Buyers Guide. (You can also get the Roomba 560 TODAY in the guide for $279.)

Of note, the Roomba 510 lacks an internal radio receiver so it CANNOT be upgraded for remote scheduling via the wireless command center and CANNOT be upgraded to use the new "Lighthouse" virtual walls, which contain Roomba in one room for a period of time and then release Roomba into the next room once the first room is clean. The Lighthouses result in more efficient cleaning overall because Roomba wastes less time going over already-cleaned areas. The Roomba 535 has the radio and comes with a Lighthouse virtual wall.

There also is a Woot-like deal for Scooba just $199 New in the Scooba Buyers Guide.
-Thorn

Tags: iRobot, Roomba

iRobot Awarded $286 million XBot Contract!

I've been waiting to write this post for 6 months, but it's finally happened!
iRobot has WON the $286 million xBot Contract for up to 3,000 robots!

The long, sad saga of how 29-year-old former iRobot employee (and DeLorean driver) Jameel Ahed created a company called Robotic FX, built a PackBot-imitating robot in the basement of his father's dentist's office, underbid iRobot and was awarded the massive xBot contract, was inexplicably deemed capable of producing 3,000 robots by the Army despite having eight employees, was caught on camera by a private investigator dumping evidence in a Dumpster after iRobot filed suit, admitted to shredding 100 CDs and wiping all of his computer hard drives, was inexplicably STILL backed up by the Army and an assistant U.S. Attorney, and finally ws SMACKED down by federal Judge Nancy Gertner who issued the injunction against Robotic FX's Negotiator for using iRobot trade secrets, is finally over.

This has been expected for more than a month, but it's starting to feel like Christmas.

BTW, remember that the contract is for UP TO $286 million. iRobot will have to win orders, not just the contract. But as iRobot successfully argued to the judge, there is HUGE first mover advantage that will benefit the company for years to come for subsequent and follow-on contracts. This is a MASSIVE win for the company that will still be paying dividends 10 years from now.

UPDATE: The Boston Globe has coverage here. "It's a story of theft and betrayal and coverup, and coverup of the coverup," said Joseph Dyer, president of iRobot's government and industrial robot business unit.

Here is the company press release:

iRobot Wins $286 Million U.S. Army Contract
Company Selected to Deliver up to 3,000 Military Robots in Expanded, Broad-Scale Robot Deployment to U.S. Infantry Forces
BURLINGTON, Mass., Dec. 18, 2007 – iRobot Corp. (Nasdaq: IRBT) today announced it has been awarded the xBot contract, a $286 million Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract from the U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation (PEO STRI), on behalf of the Robotic Systems Joint Project Office at Redstone Arsenal, Ala. Under the terms of the contract, the Army could order up to 3,000 military robots, spare parts, training and repair services over the next five years.
The award marks a turning point in the way the Army uses robots in combat, which until now have been deployed in limited numbers only to explosive ordnance device (EOD) specialists. With this award, the Army broadens the deployment of robots in larger scale to general infantry forces for a variety of critical missions in addition to EOD. iRobot immediately will begin to deliver the first 101 robots for urgent deployment.
"This new generation of robots is set to arrive in theater and change the way the Army fights," said Joe Dyer, president of iRobot Government and Industrial Robots. "Robots give our troops the distinct advantage of completing critical missions at a safe distance; more robots create a greater strategic advantage. We are honored to serve our troops by delivering these robots for urgent deployment."
iRobot was selected to fulfill the contract as the lowest priced, technically qualified bidder deemed able to deliver as a responsible contractor. iRobot's winning xBot prototype robot is based closely on the combat-proven iRobot® PackBot® military robot platform. xBot is a generic name, and the robots delivered to forces under the contract will be named iRobot PackBot 510 with FasTac Kit. These robots are smaller and lighter than the iRobot PackBot 510, with a robust gripper and an observation mast equipped with a low-light-capable zoom camera.
iRobot has delivered more than 1,200 PackBot robots, which are at work conducting dangerous missions while warfighters remain out of harm's way.

Tags: iRobot, robot

Army Cancels $280 Million Robotic FX Order, Will It Award to iRobot?

The Boston Globe broke the story yesterday that the Army has canceled its $280 million contract with Robotic FX for 3,000 robots and 1,000 spares (4,000 robots total at roughly $70,000 each.) The Globe story is very short on information, other than citing the Army procurement official as citing "peripheral complications" as the reason for canceling the contract. (Perhaps something to do with Jameel Ahed's Dumpster diving?)

Note that the same Army official said previously in a communication with the court that she would award the contract to the next highest bidder, iRobot and its PackBot, if Robotic FX's contract was canceled. It's unclear when, or if, that will happen, but presumably it would be quickly, unless the Army decides to go in a different direction.

But it certainly appears that Jameel Ahed will now have a very hard time profiting on his attempted sale of his company to a major military contractor. Maybe he will have to go into dentistry with his father? Or DeLorean mechanic.

Xconomy comments here.

Tags: iRobot, robot

iRobot Offers PackBot Mapping Kit with Semi-Autonomous Operations

iRobot has introduced a new version of its PackBot military robot, with a new Mapping Kit aimed at reconnaissance missions, the fruit of years and millions of dollars of research into its PackBot Wayfarer project.
Who says R&D doesn't matter? I for one am happy iRobot is plowing profits back into R&D for days like today, where something really new comes on the scene -- a robot that can go into a dangerous environment, tell soldiers far away what the layout is before they go in, and avoid obstacles on its own. iRobot also announced that they are designing an upgrade to the system that will use a 3-D Flash Laser Radar in conjunction with Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Advanced Scientific Concepts.

Here is the press release:

BURLINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ:IRBT) today announced iRobot® PackBot® with Mapping Kit, a proven platform with a new payload designed to help warfighters deftly manage the dangerous tasks of search, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. PackBot with Mapping Kit is the first field tested and deployed robot to integrate real-time mapping and semi-autonomous remote operational capabilities, delivering soldiers advanced situational awareness while they remain a safe distance from danger.

“PackBot with Mapping Kit utilizes new technology that directly addresses the needs of modern warfighter and other first responders to safely gather crucial environmental intelligence without having to enter hazardous situations,” said Vice Admiral Joe Dyer (U.S. Navy, Ret.), president of iRobot Government & Industrial Robots division. “We foresee it becoming an invaluable addition to small unmanned ground vehicle operations that require fast and reliable navigation capabilities in rugged environments.”

The Mapping Kit payload technology is the result of years of advanced research and development at iRobot. Through a state-of-the-art combination of sensors and artificial intelligence, PackBot with Mapping Kit can relay a real-time two-dimensional structural map of the environment it is moving through back to its operator, while simultaneously detecting and avoiding obstacles in its path. The soldier still maintains control of the robot, but if an obstacle is encountered, PackBot is capable of autonomously changing course to avoid imminent collisions. This advanced autonomy enables the operator to navigate faster and smarter through unknown environments, increasing the safety and tempo of operations in time-critical situations.

The iRobot PackBot with Mapping Kit is available for purchase by governmental, industrial, and academic research and development labs for operational experimentation and evaluation. As part of the development project, iRobot is designing a highly-capable 3-D Flash Laser Radar sensor for unmanned ground vehicles with Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Advanced Scientific Concepts. This sensor technology will enable future advancements of the Mapping Kit to provide the warfighter with an increasingly robust and ruggedized mapping and obstacle avoidance capability.

To date, iRobot has delivered more than 1,200 PackBot robots to a broad range of military and civilian customers worldwide. The robots have performed tens of thousands of missions in Iraq and Afghanistan and are credited with saving soldiers’ lives. ...

Tags: iRobot, PackBot

iRobot added to "Naked Short" list

More than 4 million of iRobot's 24 million shares are sold short. BUYINS.NET put iRobot on its failure to deliver list yesterday. That's a whole lot of kindling if iRobot gets in the next few months:
1) The $286 million xBot contract. (Army is so S-L-O-W!)
2) The $200 million PackBot service contract.
3) SUGV contract.
4) Significant customer growth because of Roomba, Scooba, maybe even Looj adoption.
5) Warrior contract.
6) Announcement of significant new home robots next year.

Downside I see is manufacturing risk -- product has sold out at several stores -- Iraq funding issues -- and the possibility of new competitors emerging. I currently discount all three and like $17 as a buy. iRobot is about to have its most profitable quarter ever as a public company.

Tags: iRobot, naked short

Can a Roomba Save Your Marriage?

This guy says yes. (Good article at San Francisco Chronicle that uses the Roomba as a jumping off point to talk about robotics in general.)

Tags: iRobot, Roomba

Future Combat Systems Profiled in Washington Post

There is a brief mention of the iRobot SUGV in this Post story that looks at the pluses and problems of the Future Combat Systems program.

Tags: iRobot, FCS

Robots on the March

Electronics Design Strategy News has an extensive article detailing the emerging robotics platforms, and highlights iRobot's AWARE software, etc.

Nothing earth-shaking, though.

Tomy I-Sobot as low as $90!!!

UPDATED 1/18/2008 with a BLOWOUT DEAL!
Tomy I-Sobot is $90 Shipped at Amazon! HOT TIP: Open a new Amazon Visa account and save $30 instantly! THIS DEAL WILL NOT LAST - was $199 last month!

Check out the cool 3-minute promo video at Amazon. The Tomy ISobot Features 200 commands, 200 words and phrases, 17 servo motors and a gyroscope for balancing. It just looks like a whole lot of fun, and a hot gift for the robot lover in the family!

The Tomy iSobot is averaging 5 Stars at Amazon, the highest of any robot toy by far!

Tags: Tomy, isobot

Yet more competition for iRobot Warrior/PackBot

All of a sudden it seems like everybody wants to build a Terminator.

I'm not all that worried by the competition. Remember that when we finally deploy robotic brigades, the Army will want to have an established, responsible company in charge.

Er, what the heck am I thinking? They gave a $280 million contract to go a guy working out of his dad's basement! So who knows?

(Thx, Tom)

Tags: iRobot, robot

Rocky Mountain News names Scooba 350 its favorite Christmas gift

More good pub for iRobot. The Scooba keeps getting good reviews. The blurb is at the bottom of at this link.

They do issue this caution tho': But give it to someone you love at your own risk.

Tags: iRobot, Scooba

Cyber Week Deals

UPDATED: Hot Robosapien deals: Robosapien RS Media can be had for $149 plus $17 shipping!

Cheapest Roomba 500 series robot is still $212 shipped in the Roomba Buyers Guide.

New Scooba is still just $199 in the Scooba Buyers Guide.

There are also numerous Cyber Week Specials that will be posted all this week at Kitchen Daily Deal.

Tags: iRobot, Roomba