Army praises SUGV, refocuses FCS on infantry first

The Army announced last week that it was refocusing the Future Combat Systems program on aiding infantry units first (about time) rather than on heavy units given the urgent requests from the field for better lower-level equipment.
It looks like this is the schedule -- a Preliminary Limited User Test will begin this summer in Fort Bliss, Texas, followed by a full-blown Limited User Test in FY'09 (federal fiscal years start Oct. 1). Here is the key sentence: "The formal LUT scheduled in FY09 will become the basis of the Spin Out 1 acquisition decision."
That means the big SUGV contract will NOT come this year, but following the second, larger test. But I'd be SHOCKED if the Army were to pull the plug at that late a date when they are desperate to show some real world impact from their most expensive research program.

Here is the official announcement:

Army to Accelerate Future Combat Systems (FCS) Deliveries to Infantry Brigade Combat Teams
Jun 26, 2008
The Army announced today, June 26, that it is accelerating the delivery of key cutting-edge Future Combat Systems (FCS) capabilities to Soldiers in the Army's infantry brigade combat teams, known as IBCTs.
In the last five years of combat operations, IBCTs have been in the highest demand during combat operations. As a result of capability gaps found in the IBCTs, the Army is adjusting the FCS and complementary programs to provide necessary capabilities to infantry units first. These capabilities will increase effectiveness and survivability of IBCTs during offense, defense and stability operations.
"We're listening to our soldiers and commanders in the field, and we are giving them the capabilities they need - as fast as we can so that they can win in the current fight," said Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey, Jr. "We're able to do this because of the developmental efforts that have matured technology over the last few years."
The FCS technologies to be used by the infantry, termed Spin Outs, include Tactical and Urban Unattended Ground Sensors, the Non Line of Sight-Launch System and network kits for the HMMWV platform. Additionally, the Class I Block 0 Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) and the Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV) are also included for fielding to infantry brigade combat teams.
Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan have been using an early test version of the SUGV for years. Soldiers use the SUGV and other robots to clear caves and bunkers, search buildings, cross minefields, and defuse Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
Buoyed by that success, the Army now is sending an early version of the Class I UAV, the Micro Air Vehicle, to infantry units in Iraq. This is in response to a joint operational needs statement from the combat zone calling for an increase in lower level unit intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) assets.
In his testimony to Congress last April, the commanding general of Multi-National Force-Iraq, Gen. David H. Petraeus, singled out ISR as "vital to the success of our operations in Iraq and elsewhere." Future Combat Systems components address the bulk of the capabilities requested by combat commanders in Iraq.
Success achieved during equipment tests and evaluations by heavy brigade combat team Soldiers of the Army Evaluation Task Force (AETF) at Ft. Bliss, Texas, provided confidence and information to support the decision to move FCS Spin Out capabilities to the infantry brigades.
During 2007 and 2008, operational needs statements from IBCT commanders were almost double the number than from heavy brigades. Infantry formations have capability gaps this Spin Out addresses. The first step to giving FCS capabilities to the total force, Active and Reserves, is providing accelerated capabilities through Spin Outs to our infantry brigades and bringing the Soldier into the network.
In conjunction with changing the development and fielding strategy to focus on infantry first, the Army will submit a reprogramming request to align funding with this decision. This request comes from the Army's ongoing review of the entire FCS program, and reflects the decision to move more aggressively to support current operations with FCS capabilities.
Starting in July 2008, the FCS equipment will undergo a Preliminary - Limited User Test (P-LUT) focused on the Infantry Brigade at Fort Bliss, Texas. The P-LUT is intended to refocus the previously scheduled Heavy BCT Limited User Test. The results from this testing effort will support doctrine, organization, training and material development efforts. The formal LUT scheduled in FY09 will become the basis of the Spin Out 1 acquisition decision.
For more information please contact Lt. Col. Martin Downie, martin.downie@us.army.mil or (703) 697-7591.

Tags: iRobot, SUGV

Positive Looj Review

Here's a new one -- a positive Looj review! Some decent videos at the link. thx, Microcapfun

Sadly, I think the Looj, at least in its current incarnation, is a bit of a bust. The reviews are in, and the list of shortcomings -- a pretty crappy battery, tendency to flip over/get stuck, etc. -- make the Looj a sidenote to the iRobot business. Useful to many people, sure, and a large potential market, yep. But not quite there. And it didn't help that the company hasn't been able to get the Looj into any of the big-box do-it-yourself stores (Home Depot, Lowe's, even Wal-Mart) where it could have been positioned as a cool father's day gift. The only place I've seen it is online and at HSN. Have they even tried to test market it at retail? How about a short (3-5 minutes) informercial? With a product like this, that no one's ever heard about or had before, you need to educate the public. It's not like "robotic vacuum" where customers already have a frame of reference -- a vacuum. From the inscrutable name "Looj" (only Geeks figure out that it is a play on "Luge") to the only-online marketing, I'd be surprised if they've sold 50,000.
Perhaps a modest redesign with an upgraded battery and stabilizers to prevent flipping would do better. Or an industrial strength model for $499, say, intended for the contractor market. (I'd imagine a high-powered 24v lithium contractor model including a micro-hose attachment to wash away debris at high velocity after giving it an initial augering). Call it Looj 9000 Professional Ultra with Lithium.

Tags: iRobot, Looj

Back on my retail soapbox

Readers of this blog know that I've strongly advocated for iRobot to open up its own retail stores, a la Apple, to better educate consumers about robots for which they have no frame of reference but which seen operating in person would very likely be wowed into impulse buys, particularly around gift-giving time. (The typical mall store may have a Roomba vacuum or Scooba floor washing robot sitting on a shelf, where it looks like a toy in a toy box, instead of the life-improving tools that they are.)
Well, I'm hereby telling iRobot to wait until next year. Not that they were planning a retail rollout anytime soon on my account; they have their hands full with the rollouts of their European direct sales web sites ('bout time!) and their all-hands-on-deck, must-win, bet-the-company battle for a Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle deal with the Pentagon later this year.
But the current retail environment simply stinks. That's not to say that iRobot shouldn't have considered promos like discounts tied to tax stimulus checks (they didn't) etc. But it's just not the best time to open up a brick-and-mortar enterprise, unless you can get some crazy-good deal on rents. One area which I thought would be smashing for iRobot to get its feet wet was in the area of outlet mall locations, but with gas prices the way they are I'd be wary there too, except for ones that are fairly close to major Metropolitan areas or on the way to close-by destinations like beaches. An outlet store would be a great opportunity to dump all of those refurbished units at higher prices than the company gets selling to resellers, and decent salespeople could earn their keep by up-selling people to new, full-priced units and high-margin accessories. Most importantly, folks at outlet malls often have large families, including fathers and sons who are sick of clothes shopping and can be found congregating in techie outlets like Bose. Trust me, every one of them will stop by an iRobot outlet if they are given a chance to play around with the robots. A well-run store will have Looj, Roomba, Scooba and Verro demos running full-time, with a fleet of battery charging stations to swap out batteries and make sure they keep running. (That was a major flaw in the initial Scooba rollout; Brookstone stores had Scooba demos but after an hour and a half, the Scooba was dead and the staff then had to charge up the batteries for three hours to go again. They needed 3 batteries charging all the time and an attentive salesperson. That's MUCH more likely to happen at a store that is dependent on iRobot rather than a store where iRobot products are a little-understood afterthought).
In addition to iRobot products, the store could sell some robot toys, movies and knickknacks on the side. (It's really too bad that Wall-E, the movie robot getting rave reviews, didn't have an iRobot moniker on him, but that would have been a VERY costly tie-in).
At any rate, in lieu of bricks and mortar, I would like to see an iRobot infomercial that features the full range of iRobot products. Usually you see a Scooba infomercial or a standalone infomercial on HSN. But how about a half hour that features all of iRobot's home robot products, led by Roomba? You could have a TV-only deal that gives and extra $100 off Scooba when you buy a Roomba, an extra $50 off Looj, an extra $100 off Verro, with bonus accessories. In the meantime, I am still BEGGING iRobot's marketing chiefs to get your products onto Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Sears sells Roombas, so put a fleet of them to work cleaning up construction debris! Add a Verro for the Pool, Scoobas for mopping.
Okay, off my soapbox for now.
Tags: iRobot, robot

Roomba Music Video (Really Good)

This is really fun:

Maybe we can get it on MTV. (thx John)
Tags: iRobot, Roomba

BREAKING: Bloomberg says SUGV is a GO!

A Bloomberg report says that an internal Army document says the service will back initial deployment of iRobot's Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV) in the initial rollout of the Future Combat Systems plan as the service is under tremendous pressure to show results from the costly endeavor.
The key clip:

The infantry brigades will receive radios built by Boeing, unmanned ground sensors and missile launch systems built by Textron Inc. and Raytheon Co., a hovering drone from Honeywell Inc. and a small robotic ground drone build by IRobot Corp., according to the Army paper.
Army Chief of Staff General George Casey explained the program today to Gates. The Army plans to formally unveil the reorganization in a press conference tomorrow.

No wonder the stock started spiking yesterday, and it is a bit suspicious that the Stanford Group came out with a buy just before this news hit.
SUGV, as readers of this blog know, is THE key driver of exponential revenue growth for this company, with potentially sales of thousands and thousands of robots.

The link to Bloomberg is here. (Thx, pipeline!)

Tags: iRobot, robot, SUGV

New iRobot Videos/Web Site Upgrades

iRobot has spiffed up its website even more, particularly on the military end, and has a new video of the iRobot Warrior showing it sweeping for mines, launching mortars (?), and even transporting PackBots at this link.

iRobot also has a spiffy research page, with updated items on the "Daredevil" project that will fuse the company's LIDAR laser imaging technology with UWB Ultra Wide Band radar to see through rain, snow fog, dust, foliage and the like.

Here's a YouTube of iRobot's LIDAR/LADAR technology from April:


Our earlier coverage of the iRobot Daredevil project is at this link.

Tags: iRobot, robot

12 Metal Storm weapons ready for iRobot Warrior

Metal Storm elaborates on its partnership with iRobot for weaponizing the iRobot Warrior robot in this Discovery Channel story. (Another TV followup on warbots would seem in order).

According to the story: "The Metal Storm/iRobot robot can be equipped with a variety of weapons, from non-lethal rubber bullets to grenade launchers. As many as 12 different Metal Storm weapons can be put onto the iRobot platform at the same time, said a Metal Storm spokesman."

I'm still hopeful we'll see the Javelin-missile-equipped Warrior.

Tags: iRobot, Metal Storm

Seaglider video shows off bladder propulsion

The Christian Science Monitor has posted a must-read story on iRobot's latest acquisition, the Seaglider unmanned submarine.

After clicking through, check out the video clip to see the bladder propulsion system in action, which allows the Seaglider to spend months at sea without refueling. Truly ingenious stuff.

Thx, wealjays!
Tags: iRobot, robot, Seaglider

iRobot lands ChemBot contract from DARPA

iRobot has secured a $3.3 million, multi-year contract from DARPA, the government agency that brought you the Internet, to create a "revolutionary" new class of robots called ChemBots, which will use new materials to create robots that can slink through small openings and explore. According to DARPA, the new self-morphing robots about the size of a softball are expected to get through openings 1/10th the size of its largest dimension, or about 1 cm, and morph back to its original dimensions in 15 seconds. It will be SLOW, however, at just 15 meters per hour. Fascinating stuff that could have lots of interesting uses. And one step closer to the T-1000 (that's the shape-changing liquid metal terminator from Terminator 2.) According to DARPA specs, the two-phase development could take up to 4 years. We've got the details from DARPA as well as the press release from iRobot.

Here is the iRobot press release:

Press Release Source: iRobot Corp.

iRobot to Create Revolutionary New Robot for DARPA
Tuesday June 17, 8:00 am ET
Company Receives $3.3 Million Award to Develop Cutting-Edge Robots that Help Soldiers Gain Access to Denied or Hostile Areas

BEDFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT - News) today announced the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the U.S. Army Research Office have awarded the company a new multi-year, multi-million dollar R&D project to develop Chemical Robots (ChemBots). The goal of this program is to develop a soft, flexible, mobile robot that can identify and maneuver through openings smaller than its actual structural dimensions to perform Department of Defense (DoD) tasks within complex and highly cluttered environments.
As the established leader in innovative robotics research and development, iRobot will lead a team composed of leading technical experts from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to incorporate advances in chemistry, materials science, actuator technologies, electronics, sensors and fabrication techniques into ChemBots engineering. The resulting revolutionary new robot platform designs will expand the capabilities of robots in urban search and rescue, as well as reconnaissance missions.
“During military operations it can be important to gain covert access to denied or hostile space. Unmanned platforms such as mechanical robots are of limited effectiveness if the only available points of entry are small openings,” said, Mitchell Zakin, Ph.D., program manager, DARPA. “We believe that a new class of soft, flexible, meso-scale mobile objects that can identify and maneuver through openings smaller than their dimensions to perform various tasks will be quite valuable in many missions.”
“Consistently developing new approaches to solve warfighter challenges with robots has made us a trusted DARPA partner,” said Helen Greiner, co-founder and chairman of iRobot. “Through this program, robots that reconstitute size, shape and functionality after traversal through complex environments will transcend the pages of science fiction to become real tools for soldiers in theatre.”
This ChemBots award is the latest in a series of DARPA project awards won within the past 10 years. DARPA initially approached iRobot in 1998 to create the PackBot for its Tactical Mobile Robot program. More recently, iRobot received an award under the DARPA LANdroids program to develop a new portable communications relay robot that is small, inexpensive, intelligent and robust.
To date, iRobot has delivered more than 1,500 PackBot robots to a broad range of military and civilian customers worldwide, and continues to enhance this technology with its next-generation PackBot 510.
DARPA is the central R&D organization for the Department of Defense dedicated to sponsoring revolutionary, high-payoff research and development that maintains the technological superiority of the U.S. military. The content of this release does not necessarily reflect the position or the policies of the U.S. Government.

Here are the contract requirements from DARPA's web site:

The ability to safely and covertly gain access to denied or hostile areas and perform useful tasks provides critical advantages to warfighters over a broad spectrum of military operations. An effective and logistically attractive means for gaining entry to denied areas is to deploy an unmanned platform, such as a robot. However, often the only available points of entry are small openings in buildings, walls, under doors, etc. In these cases, a robot must be soft enough to squeeze or traverse through small openings, yet large enough to carry an operationally meaningful payload. Current robotic platforms are constructed primarily from hard materials and, while capable of locomotion with embedded payloads, cannot change their physical dimensions to rapidly traverse arbitrary size/shape openings whose dimensions are much smaller than the robot itself and are not known a-priori.
In response to this challenge, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is seeking innovative proposals to develop Chemical Robots (ChemBots): soft, flexible, mobile objects that can identify and maneuver through openings smaller than their static structural dimensions; reconstitute size, shape, and functionality after traversal; carry meaningful payloads; and perform tasks. ChemBots represent the convergence of soft materials chemistry and robotics to create a fundamentally new class of soft meso-scale robots that can perform the following key unit operations in sequence:
1. Travel a distance;
2. Traverse an arbitrary-shaped opening much smaller than the largest characteristic dimension of the ChemBot;
3. Reconstitute size, shape, and functionality after traversing the opening;
4. Travel a distance; and
5. Perform a function using the embedded payload.
The first phase of this program focuses on the development of novel materials, material systems, and/or robot architectures, that can both move and morph under the influence of an appropriate driving force (e.g., electromagnetic, acoustic, chemical, etc.), as well as demonstration of a rudimentary meso-scale ChemBot. The specific Phase I milestone is presented under Program Goals and Milestones.

BACKGROUND
To achieve the ChemBots vision, key technical breakthroughs will center on the development of materials and architectures that can both locomote and reversibly change their form factor in order to traverse small openings and reconstitute size/shape on the other side. There are two basic traversal mechanisms: squeeze through the opening, or first transform to the appropriate form factor and then traverse. Critical features that must be considered in the ultimate ChemBot devices are:
1. Morphability in all three dimensions;
2. Architectures that can sense and morph responsively to openings, e.g., using local tactile sensing;
3. Flexible backbone structures or architectures that themselves morph or dissolve, then reconstitute - keystone that enables system;
4. Payloads that remain viable after traversal. Hard payloads, including power sources, must be smaller than the largest characteristic size of the opening. Novel soft payloads that morph and reconstitute may be larger than this size;
5. Modest power requirements. ChemBots may be self-powered, self-consuming, or energy-scavenging;
6. Autonomous or user-controlled operation, depending on application. ChemBots must not be tethered to controllers or power sources;
7. Meso-scale in size, preferentially with size-scalable architecture; and
8. Robust over typical range of military operational conditions (temperature, humidity, rain, etc.).

Nature provides many examples of ChemBot functionality. Many soft creatures, including mice, octopi, and insects, readily traverse openings barely larger than their largest "hard" component, via a variety of reversible mechanisms. These mechanisms include (1) using elastic materials to twist, crumple, and bend with many degrees of freedom, (2) utilizing the flexibility of the musculoskeletal structure to squeeze through openings, and (3) exploiting reversible changes in modulus (i.e., flexible to stiff) to achieve dimensional reductions which can exceed 10:1. Soft invertebrates typically locomote by crawling, e.g., peristalsis (earthworms, caterpillars), pedal waves (snails, slugs), cilial motions, etc., and utilize means such as gripping, hooking, and suction to ensure sufficient traction with the terrain.

Potential approaches to achieve soft meso-scale robots include, but are not limited to:
1. Gel-solid phase transitions;
2. Non-Newtonian systems (e.g., shear-thinning and -thickening fluids and gels);
3. Shape-memory materials;
4. Electro- and magneto-rheological materials;
5. Electrostatic, electrostrictive, electro-osmotic, electroadhesive, and dielectrophoretic phenomena;
6. Reversible chemical and/or particle association and dissociation;
7. Geometric transitions, e.g., folding phenomena;
8. Modulus-shifting materials; and
9. New classes of materials and/or system architectures.
Any innovative approach that meets the goals of this BAA will be considered.

PROGRAM GOALS AND MILESTONES
The goal of this program is to develop a payload-carrying soft robotics platform that can be used in military operations to access denied territory through small openings and perform functions.
The ChemBots Program will be separated into two phases. The goal of Phase I is to develop critical material/architecture technologies and demonstrate a rudimentary meso-scale ChemBot with moving and morphing capabilities. Depending on the success of the Phase I demonstrations, the goal of Phase II will be to develop a suite of fully-functional ChemBots for specific applications.
Phase I will be a research effort of not more than 24 months; however, shorter duration efforts are strongly encouraged.
The Phase I milestone is:
1. Demonstrate a ChemBot, approximately the size (but not necessarily the form-factor) of a regulation softball (i.e., 30 cm circumference; 10 cm diameter; 500 cm3 volume), that can:
a) travel a distance of 5 meters at a speed of 0.25 meters/minute;
b) achieve a 10-fold reduction in its largest dimension; and
c) traverse through a 1 cm opening of arbitrary geometry and reconstitute its original size and shape, in 15 seconds.
Phase II is expected to be a research effort of between 18 and 24 months. The Phase II milestones will be determined by the results of the Phase I effort and the specific applications that are proposed.
To realize the program vision and meet the Phase I milestone, each research effort requires performers with expertise in materials chemistry and physics, robotics, command and control algorithms, and systems integration.

Tags: iRobot, DARPA, Chembot

iRobot Buys Seaglider Technology, Enters Underwater Robot Market

iRobot announced that it has licensed Seaglider underwater technology from the University of Washington, adding a vast new area for the company to explore commercially. (The company has hinted at its desire to get robots in the oceans in previous talks to investors.) So far, 70 Seagliders have been deployed around the world, and it seems like there would be many, many potential applications, from sentry duty to mapping, environmental studies and, perhaps a bit more on the military side, potentially for surgical sea attacks (Predator of the sea?) or reconnaissance in enemy territory. I could even imagine a value to commercial fishermen if Seagliders could deploy and locate schools of fish/crabs and tell fishing fleets where they are. This probably will not generate a whole bunch of revenue at first, but it seems a logical add-on to iRobot's stable of military robot technology.


Here is the Seaglider home page, complete with animations, pictures, detailed specs, and a whole lot more. It's 1.8 meters long and about 110 pounds -- about the size of a petite woman, and it has a 4600 kilometer range, not bad. It communicates via satellite. Pretty nifty stuff if you ask me.

Here is the press release:

iRobot Enters Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Market
License with UW TechTransfer Secures Sole Rights to the Seaglider™ Vehicle and Technology

BEDFORD, Mass., June 10, 2008 – iRobot Corp. (Nasdaq: IRBT) today announced a sole licensing agreement with UW TechTransfer at the University of Washington to commercialize Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Seaglider technology previously supported by the Office of Naval Research and the National Science Foundation. The agreement with both the Applied Physics Laboratory and School of Oceanography reinforces the company’s strong ties to world class academics. iRobot made the announcement from the show floor of the Association for Unmanned Vehicles International’s (AUVSI) Unmanned Systems North America 2008 conference (iRobot Booth #1121) at the San Diego Convention Center.
“We have a strong track record for transferring new technology from research initiatives into products that support military missions,” said Helen Greiner, co-founder and chairman of iRobot. “Ten years ago we transformed the original PackBot into a combat-proven robot used today by soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, and licensing the Seaglider from the University of Washington will help our robots conquer new underwater frontiers.”
Seagliders help civilian, academic and military personnel make oceanographic measurements at a fraction of the cost of traditional research vessels or moored instruments. These long-range, high-endurance vehicles economize on energy consumption with a buoyancy-based propulsion system to support mission ranges of thousands of kilometers and deployments lasting up to several months. Instruments can be attached to the Seaglider to continuously collect oceanic physical properties across a range of depths and areas, providing valuable insights to oceanographers and military planners.
“This is a wonderful example of the University of Washington’s commitment to build partnerships with industry, and to successfully transfer innovative research to the commercial sector,” said Russell McDuff, director of the School of Oceanography. “Our federal sponsors expect the university to be able to transition technology from the academic laboratory into the marketplace. We’re delighted to have formed a great relationship with iRobot and are convinced that their strength in building autonomous robots is a great fit for the Seaglider technology.”
The Office of Naval Research funded the original research and development behind Seaglider technology beginning in 1995 and is currently testing this vehicle for additional applications. More than 70 Seagliders have been delivered and many are currently in operation all over the world. Recent deployments include waters off Norway, Greenland, Taiwan, the Philippines and Iceland.

About UW TechTransfer
Established in 1982, UW TechTransfer facilitates the commercialization of new innovations arising from UW research through the management and licensing of intellectual property. Since the department’s founding, UW TechTransfer has helped create more than 235 companies in Washington state and abroad. In FY07, UW TechTransfer generated $38 million in total revenue from all sources. Additionally, UW TechTransfer manages a total patent portfolio of over 2000 issued and pending patents filed in the U.S. and around the world. For additional information about UW TechTransfer, visit http://depts.washington.edu/techtran/

Tags: iRobot, robot, seaglider

Robotic Cow Mustering with Flying Robot Helicopters

So, the new cowboys are going to be cowbots. You heard it here first.

Australia is already working on it.

Tags: cowboys, robot, farming, agriculture

Rodney Brooks still bullish

iRobot co-founder Rodney Brooks says the success of military and consumer robots in the last six years is leading to a classic "hockey stick growth curve." At CNET. (Click on the chart to see iRobot's astounding 6-year growth spurt, which will continue this year DESPITE a recession.)

thx, byronangel

Tags: iRobot, robot

Spending your tax rebate on Roomba?

This columnist did, and loved it.

Clip:

I have tried everything. I have tried Norwex mops, Swiffer sweepers, my vacuum cleaner and the list goes on. It is a lot of work looking after Sambo. He always appreciates what I do and has a lick and hug for me, but somehow the frustration lingered on for me. Sambo would pick himself up after shaking himself off and start his merry journey all over again.
My frustration ended one evening as I watched a commercial for the iRobot Roomba. The iRobot Roomba was supposed to pick up pet hair and vacuum my rooms all by itself. I was desperate. President Bush told us to spend our tax rebate. I was going to buy a Roomba. Of course, I didn’t think this little machine could possibly work on Sambo’s hair, but it had a 30-day return policy so what did I have to lose.
I found a sale and brought iRobot home. I set him loose in my family room, and he criss-crossed the floor and Sambo’s hair was no more!

She also makes the point that a Roomba is a lot cheaper than a cleaning lady.

Thx, Wealjays.

Tags: iRobot, Roomba

Strategy Page highlights SUGV; expects most PackBot and Talon robot contracts to be nixed

Strategy Page has an interesting take on the latest contract awards for iRobot's PackBot and Foster-Miller's Talon robots. The blog expects that most of the 7,000 robots in the contracts will never be delivered, and points to the likely emergence of iRobot's smaller SUGV infantry droid as the reason. Soldiers want smaller, lighter robots when they are on the run, and the 30-pound SUGV is on the way. The Army can cancel the contracts for new technology, and so far, actual orders are running far behind the possible contracts.
Clip:

Efforts to have the infantry use the small robots in combat have not been successful. The 42 pound Packbot and hundred pound Talon were fine for dealing with roadside bombs, but too big and heavy to easily haul around the battlefield. But most troops admitted that if the small droids were a bit smaller and lighter, they would be more welcome. ...
In the last four years, users of current PackBot UGVs have filled military message boards with interesting uses they have found for these robots, and new features they could make use of. SUGV is the product of all that chatter, and the troops want it ASAP. But only 25 have been delivered so far, mainly for testing.
... SUGV is still waiting for some of the high tech FCS communications and sensor equipment, and is using off-the-shelf stuff in the meantime. The troops don't care, as long as it works.

More at Strategy Page.

Also of note, Benchmark Electronics in New Hampshire has been selected to build the SUGV.

iRobot now has key military facilities in Ohio, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. That's 3 states = 6 senators = possibly more clout?

Tags: iRobot, PackBot

Handy iRobot Roomba/Scooba/Verro/Looj/Create inventory tracker

I'd like to spotlight an awesome new tool from megacontributor Jonas, available at MechInvestor at this link.

A few quick glances and you will see lots of items that are out of stock or on 3-4 week order, including two out of three Scooba models, the high-end Roomba 570 and a lot more.

The best part of this is that it shows you not only what is currently in stock but shows a history as well. It looks to me at first glance that iRobot has a significant inventory control problem. Either iRobot has underestimated demand -- which seems unlikely given the current economic climate -- or it is having trouble consistently getting its Chinese manufacturing partners to deliver product on time. Either way, it's a good idea to keep checking for investors.

Tags: iRobot

Who's Buying and Selling iRobot Now?

This handy chart tracks the 106 institutional investors in iRobot. As of the most recent report, 47 added to their holdings, 41 sold and the rest stood pat.

Oppenheimer Funds, for example, has added a net 1 million shares to its holdings.

Tags: iRobot

iRobot Roomba Professional, New Line of Roomba for Pets On the Way!

Three new Roomba models will be released later this year -- a $499 Roomba Professional featuring a higher capacity dustbin and a 2-year warranty; a $399 Roomba 560 For Pets, and a $349 Roomba 530 For Pets. The New pet models have special pet hair brushes and a pet-themed cleaning bin with paw prints.

The Roomba Professional looks a tad disappointing, in that it appears to be simply a dressed-up Roomba 560 instead of having real "Professional" features, such as an industrial strength electric motor with increased suction, lithium batteries and a 5-year service plan. But it should still sell fairly decently, especially if it is offered through catalogs such as Hammacher Schlemmer that appeal to high end customers. (iRobot already has a $499 Roomba, the Roomba 580, which is simply a rebadged 560 with extra add-ons. I doubt they've sold many.)

The iRobot investors' day presentation meanwhile featured 137 slides and is a MUST for iRobot investors. Among the highlights were:
* the exponential growth in Europe this year (1000%+),
* high customer satisfaction of new Roomba 500 Series owners (87-88 percent),
* increasing Roomba brand awareness (up to 87 percent this year from 65 percent last year and 43 percent two years ago),
* easier Roomba 500 repairs due to modular system, allowing iRobot to ship out a $3 part instead of replacing the whole robot,
* Roomba unit growth of 10% expected this year alongside higher selling prices and lower warranty return costs,
* increased autonomy on the military side allowing one controller to direct 3 robots at a time now, and 12 by 2012 as autonomy improves, with voice commands.
* 60% of G&I revenue expected for 2008 already ordered or delivered.
* New G*I robots include PackBot FasTac robots already delivered, Responder/Engineer PackBots in July, Chem-Bio sniffing PackBots in December, RedOwl sniper-detecting PackBots in July, Future Combat Systems' SUGV decision in September with testing now,
* Developing integration of Raven Unmanned Aerial Vehicle with the PackBot,
* Developing new "soft-body" robots with MIT and DARPA,
* Developing LANDROID quick communications robots.

Tags: iRobot, robot

Major new iRobot military contract appears imminent

iRobot rival Foster-Miller recently received a $400 million contract for military robots, and it looks like iRobot will also get a massive new contract in the coming days, Xconomy reports.

The military has typically given one company a contract followed by a nearly identical contract for the other company. Although I think we've been expecting something perhaps in the $200 million range instead of a $400 million behemoth.

The prospects for a big new contract have been mentioned previously, and can only help a stock that has been languishing near its all time lows.

Thanks, Jonas and Simpson!

Tags: iRobot, robot