iRobot Moves Into Your House 126
MacAndrew writes "An NYT article today expands beyond an earlier /. and annoying futurism to a multiplying line of robots from iRobot, founded by some tinkering MIT grads in Somerville, MA. The robots have found applications ranging from chasing dust bunnies ($200) to exploring the Great Pyramid to bumping around Afghan caves for mines (a war reporter is another possibility), and so appear to be moving beyond the gee whiz Rosie Jetson stage of technology. I'm intrigued that their company name so bluntly builds off of Apple and Asimov symbols, and the prospect that a product with such a chummy name will doubtless soon be sporting lethal force (cf. Predator's recent adventures. So -- anyone get one for Xmas? Chanukah? Or just fun?"
Thank goodness (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Thank goodness (Score:2, Funny)
water jacket heater (Score:2)
Re:water jacket heater (Score:1)
tarp (Score:1)
As for the driveway, well, it is good cardiovascular exercise, like what those people spend all that money on tapes to do.
Re:Get a remote starter for your car. (Score:1)
Re:Thank goodness (Score:1)
We get it.. (Score:5, Funny)
I think we understand.
Roomba! (Score:5, Informative)
I got a Roomba for my boyfriend and my Mother for Christmas. They think it's the neatest thing since sliced bread.
The only problems we've found so far are that if you have small (e.g. 6"ish) gaps in your wall, say a bookcase, gap, CD tower, gap, bookcase, the Roomba may get confused and not realize there's a wall there. That's what the virtual wall is for. The other issue is animals. They don't know what to think of it.
Re:Roomba! (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Roomba! (Score:3, Funny)
The animals don't know what to make of the Roomba.
The dog stares at it like a deer in the headlights; the cats can't seem to decide if it's chasing them, they should be chasing it, or if they should ignore it.
Re:Roomba! (Score:2)
It's not bad for a 1st gen device. Likes to go under the couch quite a bit, and it's more like a carpet sweeper than a true vacuum, but it does help a bit.
Re:Roomba! (Score:1)
It gives us more time for (ahem) other things.
Also, he lives 600 miles away from me at the moment...
Re:Roomba! (Score:1)
*grin*
Re:Roomba! (Score:2)
here: Robomower [robotic-lawnmower.com]
too slick!
Re:Roomba! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Roomba! (Score:2, Informative)
My kids love jumping over it. My dogs love barking at it. My cat loves clinging to the celing in the farthest room from it.
Re:Roomba! (Score:2, Funny)
I got a Roomba for my boyfriend and my Mother for Christmas...
Hmmm... wonder what I could get for my wife and kids? Not much, I'd wager...
Re:Roomba! (Score:1)
I'm with you so far.
That's unusual. Oh, you mean you gave this thing to your boyfriend and your mother? So how long have they been living together? Ok, I can deal with that -- it's not quite so strange as having your mother delivered to you at Christmas.
Re:Roomba! (Score:1)
For those who insist on pendanticism, I purchased two Roomba's. One I gave to my boyfriend, the other I game to my Mother.
Re:Roomba! (Score:1)
Thank you! Are they both just for me, or must I share them with other pedants? I would have used the word "pedantry" there, by the way.
I see. I'll wait my turn.
;)
I'm all for it. (Score:3, Informative)
Re:I'm all for it. (Score:3, Informative)
The Roomba doesn't have bags, it has a bin a little larger then a pack of cigarettes. After you use it, you just pop it out, empty it, and put it back in.
There's a battery indicator on the top of the unit. When it turns yellow (getting low on power), or red (low on power), just plug it back into the charger for 12 hours.
It covers the floor extremely well, from what I've seen. It seems to measure the distance between objects as it wanders around, and makes sure it hits everything it can. The Roomba is specifically designed to be able to get under beds, chairs, and the like, and it has a brush so it can get under the "lip" between the floor and the cabinet doors and things.
Re:I'm all for it. (Score:1)
Commissions? (Score:2)
I'm not picking on you -- heck I sent the article in. I was hesitant to include the brand name in the title -- I hate to be the stooge of the word-of-mouth they want -- but hey they dominate the field of goofy or potentially lethal toys.
The Roomba would give my wife's ("our") cat a stroke, no doubt about. Which is why I want one.
Let's see $200 -- is that about $10 per dust bunny pelt?
Oh well.. (Score:1, Funny)
kind of the same strategy as my wife.
Roomba when u have kids ? (Score:2)
Re:Roomba when u have kids ? (Score:1)
It should do one of three things: Not be able to move them, so it will treat it like a wall; Move it out of the way and clean under it (it might not pick up dirt behind it then, but you never know), or push it around for a bit, getting all the dirt. I think it would depend on exactly where in the cleaning cycle it was.
Re:Roomba when u have kids ? (Score:1)
I begged for a Roomba... (Score:4, Funny)
I have one (Score:3, Informative)
In 1999... (Score:4, Insightful)
This doesn't surpise me at all. If this happened in 1999, it would be "eRobot" or "Robot.com" instead. The marketing drones just go with what is hot. They just throw around buzz.
Re:In 1999... (Score:1)
Re:In 1999... (Score:2)
Bluntly builds of Apple? May lightning strike you! (Score:4, Informative)
"I'm intrigued that their company name so bluntly builds off of Apple and Asimov symbols"
I disagree with the connection to apple. Because IBOOK and IMAC were products long after I-Robot hit the shelves. I Robot hit the shelves in 1950, so I say they got the jump on Apple. Maybe Asmimovs family should seek some sort of injunction. An IBook,Imac is a silicon based calculating machine, here we have prior art for 52 years, that Asimov actively developed until 1976. Apple is always suing people for walking past the factory, or releasing a case that emulates theirs.
I like Apple, I own an IBOOK. Good little machine. I own three x86's running windows, linux, and solaris(gasp yes solaris,stability at its finest). I never associated my apple with Asimov, and never will. But probbably some geeks over at apple gave it the name to pay homage to a great man.
Point is that Apple had nothing to do with inspiring this company. Shameless apple plug.
man, messing with the Asimov the day after christmas. it just aint right.
Puto
Re:Bluntly builds of Apple? May lightning strike y (Score:1)
btw, on your prior art/asimov claim. does asimov have an endless patent for their I Robot that hit the shelves in the 50's? (they couldn't have a copyright on creating a "silicon based calculating maching").
in 1990, apple didn't have the iMac/iBook. (Score:3, Informative)
If you all think to 1990, Apple didn't have any 'i' products. I mean, the Mac II [apple.com] line was the top of the crop back then. [68030, in the IIfx [apple.com]]. You don't get to any 'i' products until after you go through the 68040 [Centris, Quadra [apple.com], Performa (3 digit) [apple.com]] lines, the 60x series [PowerMac [apple.com], Performa (4 digit) [apple.com]]. Nothing was named with an 'i' until 1998, with the first iMac [apple.com], which was almost a year after the first (beige) G3 [apple.com].
So, I'd have to say that there is no possible way that the name 'iRobot' has anything to do with apple, and that the original contributor of the story (although the story was very interesting), was just confused on the whole matter.
Yes, but... (Score:2)
Politely, not so. The Macintosh IIci came out in 1989 [everymac.com]; I bought one for my work ($5000!). The "c" meant "compact," and the "i" maybe meant "intergrated video" (no card was required). The IIsi and IIvi followed soon thereafter. OK, this isn't the same as iSomething, but it did get the "i" out there for something new and cool in the stagnating Mac II line.
I think the names are mostly coincidence, but judging from the NYT article's highlight of the respect the co-founder voices for Apple's achievements, I think they're pleased to be thus associated. Apple made the "i" popular and kind of friendly. No, I don't think Apple should sue them.
Re:Bluntly builds of Apple? May lightning strike y (Score:1)
Dear Zeus (Score:2)
Point is that Apple had nothing to do with inspiring this company. Shameless apple plug.
The NYT article references Apple Computer twice prominently, including the co-founder who "describes iRobot's goal as 'doing for robots what Apple did for computers, making them available to anyone who wants to use one.'" Sounds like inspiration to me.
The similarly to iMac etc. may just be happy circumstance, because it was Apple that made the iThing famous and friendly. I think it's interesting, not litigation material. Also, because I owned one I must correct that the first Apple product with an "i" was the Macintosh IIci introduced in 1989, one year BiR (before iRobot). The "c" I believe meant compact, the "i" I don't know. The IIsi and IIvi followed soon after.
Shameless Apple plug? As if they need one!
Typing away on my iBook....
Re:Bluntly builds of Apple? May lightning strike y (Score:1)
I read the forward to Asimov's I, Robot, and Asimov says the book title was the publisher's decision, but he was against using that title because there was already another writing by the title, but of course the publisher won in the end. So there's a prior art even before Asimov... :P
If anyone's interested, I can post the relevant portion of the forward. I don't have the book with me at the moment but I should be able to grab it this weekend.
Wrong Direction (Score:3, Insightful)
Robots are cool at first, but they will become as obtrusive as a visit from the mother-in-law. You do not want to trip over one of these things at 2am when you are raiding the fridge.
It is also bad enough when the dog is looking at you when you are having sex, but a robot running around the room straightening up while you are doing the nasty is probably worse(unless you are into that kinda thing).
Give people seamless technology, that is as unobtrusive and "invisible" as possible, and you will have a winner.
Re:Wrong Direction (Score:2)
Re:Wrong Direction (Score:1)
Great designs need to be practical, I don't want a 500HP engine in my car if I have to remove the alternator to change the oil (no matter what the cost)!
The holiday name is tradtionally spelled. . . (Score:3, Informative)
KFG
Re:The holiday name is tradtionally spelled. . . (Score:3, Informative)
Re:The holiday name is tradtionally spelled. . . (Score:1)
The Good Old Days <tm>.
Christmas isn't all that old a celebration, really. My guess is that there wasn't all that much theological composition going on in Greek in that time-frame
Why do I feel my first -1 offtopic coming on?
Ah well, I freely admit I was posting with tounge (Score:1)
*chi*mas, per se, was never actually used, so far as I know, literally. The chi alone was often used to mark a meeting place or religious ceremony though ( usually passover seder, easter, not Christmas) and carried the full implication of "Celebration of Christ" in the single letter.
The fish thing eventually became more popular though. Something about persecution and all that.
KFG
Re:Ah well, I freely admit I was posting with toun (Score:1)
I'm trying to recall off the top of my head, but wasn't Constantine's "cross" the chi-rho? That wasn't exactly post-persecution, but did mark a watershed in the persecution patterns for Christians.
Classicist geeks. Who knew?
Or get them for Boxing Day.... (Score:1)
Need one of these :) (Score:2)
Perhaps these robots would pick this up?
Cats will vaccuum that up (Score:1)
Predator is NOT a robot (Score:4, Informative)
but in the context of this Slashdot story Predator is completely irrelevant and incorrect.
Re:Predator is NOT a robot (Score:2)
robot ( P ) Pronunciation Key (rbt, -bt)
n.
1) A mechanical device that sometimes resembles a human and is capable of performing a variety of often complex human tasks on command or by being programmed in advance.
2) A machine or device that operates automatically or by remote control.
3) A person who works mechanically without original thought, especially one who responds automatically to the commands of others.
(from The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
By definition 2 I'd say that it qualifies myself.
Be careful what you wish for (Score:4, Funny)
"New Roomba Virus Released; Owners Advised to Lock Roomba (or Pets)"
AP -- NYC
A new strain of CatLover Roomba virus was released yesterday by a Russian hacker. When infected, Roomba will apparently start chasing household cats and dogs and try to electrecute them. Owners are advised to download the lastest patch from roombavirusnomore.com to prevent tragedies. Authorities in US and Russia are collaborating closely in pursuit of the suspect..."
OMG, the horror!
Roomba Roxor (Score:2, Informative)
1. If you have carpets with tassles (throw rugs) you have to fold them under the carpet. Just like regular vac's that chew up the string, the roomba will also eat them.
2. Cords. You have to make sure you have them nicely tucked away.
3. You still have to pick up the junk on the floors - clothes, rocks, toys, spare parts, etc, just like you would do when (if) you sweep up otherwise. It's a nice trade off though, just pick up then turn it on.
4. We only have wood floors with area carpets, no deep pile. I don't know how well it would work on deeper pile.
Re:Roomba Roxor (Score:1)
iRobot (Score:1)
iRobot? (Score:2)
Don't they mean "i,Robot"?
Electrolux Trilobite (Score:2, Interesting)
Anyways it's a really cool little critter. It uses sonar to seek out the room. Also it automatically recharges itself since it finds its' way back to the charger. It can also untangle itself from carpets and other stuff.How cool is that?
Seems a bit more stronger and more advanced than Roomba.
However it's priced at 1500 euro so... =)
An owner's view... (Score:3, Informative)
- It does really well with cat hair and dirt/dust, but it doesn't scrub the floor. So if you have dried mud, it just goes over it.
- I've already had to disassemble it a couple of times to clean out the cat hair and strings that get wrapped around the various rollers. It's not a huge problem, and I actually like digging through the machine.
- I must get the rapid charger. Charging for 12 hours for 90 minutes is not fun. Having a spare battery and a charging doc would be a nice addition.
- My cats were freaked out at first, but they've come to accept it. They causally walk around it while it's going.
- It not silent. It is a vacuum, and it sounds like one.
- The debris cup could be a little bigger.
- It has a tendancy to smite my enemies, and reward my allies.
--
No electrons were harmed in this post.
Re:An owner's view... (Score:2)
Could you elaborate on this point? As an evil overlord, I usually have no problem finding sla^H^H^Hrobots to vacuum my floors. I am, however, having difficulty finding an enterprise solution for automated smiting and rewarding.
No Clue? (Score:1)
Re:No Clue? (Score:1)
Comment removed (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Cleaning robots.. (Score:2)
Automatic vacuum cleaners through history (Score:2)
The Roomba is dumb, but at $200, it's cost-effective.
Cool, but I'll wait for Roomba 2.0.. (Score:3, Interesting)
I'd like it to be able to locate and drive into its recharger when it's done.
I'd like it to be able to empty its own dirt cup.
A decent solution for both issues above would be to make the recharger a raised platform with a small ramp the Roomba must negotiate. Have dirt cup open from underneath like a railroad hopper car, and let it empty into a larger dirt receptacle beneath the recharger that I could dump out weekly.
I'd also like to be able to set it to run only when I'm at work, and to set it do do high-traffic rooms more often than others.
Additionally, I'd like Roomba to be a little smarter about where it's been-- maybe have an option to load a floorplan into it, and have it 'know' where it is relative to its recharger station at all times during its run.
I'd be more than willing to pay $400-500 for such a beast.
~Philly
Re:Cool, but I'll wait for Roomba 2.0.. (Score:1)
mmm[tm]. They could then call it AiBo...
Re:Cool, but I'll wait for Roomba 2.0.. (Score:2)
Love my Roomba (Score:3, Interesting)
When I leave in the morning, I just set it in the middle of the kitchen, hit the L[arge] button and go to work. The Roomba then does its thing and vacuums the kitchen, living room, and dining room. It sweeps under all the furniture and with one exception (detailed below) doesn't get "trapped" or caught.
I do pick up one small rug with a fringe that the Roomba doesn't get along with, but other than that it works well.
Re:Love my Roomba (Score:2, Interesting)
So how does it do on rug fringes?
I'm tempted to get one, but I have a large room which is mixed hardwood and carpets with fairly long and dense fringes... I'm worried that this will make the whole thing pointless.
Re:Love my Roomba (Score:2)
Re:Love my Roomba (Score:1)
And the roomba can run over the bump thus created?
Re:Love my Roomba (Score:2)
Defense development (Score:1)
Asimov's name already used before (Score:1)
By US Robotics .
Remember them? They made those old-fashioned modem-things.
Re:Asimov's name already used before (Score:1)
Roomba is very cool (Score:2, Informative)
Our living room/dining room/kitchen/foyer is all open, so it's more like an XL size room. After running the Roomba twice on L setting, it covered almost everything. It looks like one or twice a week will keep the whole area in good shape. I've had it get caught on the fringe of a small throw rug that I forgot to pick up, and the sinning wall sensor brushes got tangled together with hair once. Other than that, it's been problem free. Before turning it on, i get the PS2 and laptop cords off the floor, and set some smaller items on other furniture. Stuff you'd do when using a big vacuum too...
As mentioned above, the charging time is the only significant negative I've found. I'll have to search for the quick charger someone mentioned. On a full charge, it'll do about one L and one M room.
Does it obey the Three Laws? (Score:2)
How about... (Score:1)
Roomba (Score:2)
It's not a particularly powerful vacuum cleaner, and it has trouble with throw-rugs with tassels and such. It can also get itself wedged in between chair legs if they're just the right distance apart. But those are minor nits that I think my mom will notice happening once, adjust for, then never worry about again.
It'll be swell when version 2.0 comes out and can go recharge itself as needed. Now if only they made a robot to do my laundry and ironing...
Dust? Bah! (Score:1)
My neighbor has one of these. He glued a GI-Joe to the top of it. Yee haw!
pictures and videos.... (Score:1, Informative)
http://www.insomedia.com/roomba/ [insomedia.com]
Before Roomba there was Dustbot (Score:1)
Like many Tomy toys, Dustbot achieved its goals with minimal, marvelous mechanical mechanisms. See photos at Lee's Robo Gallery [geocities.com] and Gwen's Corndog Festival [corndogfestival.com]. Radio Shack still provides support information [tandy.com].
The future (Score:2)
this is news? (Score:1)
Anyway, the platform of choice is definately the Evolution ER1-K (www.evolution.com) which can be configured more like their co-worker bot. It is fully automated, configurable, has collision detection, a gripper arm and you can control it remotely. (I even added tank-tracks and a bicycle safety flag to mine).
The robot is programmable through python and they are releasing their C++ API later this month (rounding to January here).
If you are going to re-post stuff... at least post it to the interesting products.
Thanks
Roomba is entertaining but not very useful (Score:2)
Problem #1: It gets stuck on thresholds (the little raised piece of wood in some doorways). Roomba gets beached on mine and emits a little "uh oh!" tone, and I have to come rescue him. (I've decided it's a he.) Ideally I'd like to start him up when I go to work and come home to a clean room, but I have to be there in case he gets stuck.
Problem #2: Weak suction. Roomba tends to push dirt around first before vacuuming it up. Not usually a problem, except that in my bedroom I have an area rug, maybe 1/2 inch tall. He'll push the dirt up to the edge of the rug, but then he can't vacuum it up there, because he's at a slight incline when he's half on and half off the rug. So I end up with a ring of dirt on the floor around the edge of the rug.
Plus, of course, you can't get rid of your regular vacuum (or at least a dust buster), because Roomba only does floors, not couches, stairs, etc.
Overall, a fun experiment, and somewhat useful, but not worth keeping (for $200, anyway).
Last Post! (Score:1)
you're a hero; if it doesn't, well -- nobody else has done it yet either,
so you're still a valiant nerd.
- this post brought to you by the Automated Last Post Generator...
Re:Tinfoil hat brigade!!! (Score:1, Funny)
It would be great for attacking blind and crippled people.
Re:Tinfoil hat brigade!!! (Score:2, Offtopic)
Sure, you say that -now-, but you'll be sorry when your Roomba spots your Muslim Terrorist Prayer Mat and automatically detonates, eradicating you and your terrorist buddies in a ball of righteous, American fire.
Re:Tinfoil hat brigade!!! (Score:1, Informative)
FWIW, Predator is not a guided rocket. Predator is a semi-automous robotic aircraft. Predator is slow, low-powered, and with the ability to stay airborne a long time. Predator was designed as a flying robotic observation platform. Predator was retrofitted with the ability to deliver Hellfire missiles. Thus a robotic reconnaisance device became an offensive weapon. Beginning to see the connection? Whether the MIT robots can be armed, I could not guess. However the notion that an otherwise harmless sensor platform can become dangerous is not that much of a stretch. So if you see one of them dragging a bag of fertilizer, pay attention...
Re:Tinfoil hat brigade!!! (Score:1)
To point out what should be obvious;
The Predator is a remotely controlled recon aircraft retrofitted with a targeting system and two hellfire missiles. (Same stuff Apache helicopers carry.) The aircraft itself does not damage anything, it simply serves as a platform that can fire hellfire missiles on targets once they have been spotted. Since there are several advantages to these things; including long flight times, zero risk of pilot injury, etc. the Predator can be described as a "war robot". (Though it is more like a remote controlled vehicle, as it is not autonomous.)
There is a similar but unarmed system that goes by another name that has been in use for years.
You have confused the ability to attack something via firing missiles with BEING a missile.
I also see no "conspiracy theory garbage" in referencing the Predator system, as it has been in the news and on the Discovery channel a lot; including a successful kill (in Yammen) of three Al Queda operatives (including one American citizen) a few weeks ago. It is a fully operational robotic (if remote control counts as robotic) weapon delivery system.
The only point here is that you missed the point of the hyperlink in the story because of your ignorance.
Re:Tinfoil hat brigade!!! (Score:2)
Take the Tomahawk missle, for example: preprogrammed, autonomous navigation... the only practical difference between it and the Roomba is the payload and mission.
Also, I imagine the Tomahawk is much smarter than the Roomba, and has a much better maintenance plan.
Re:Tinfoil hat brigade!!! (Score:1)
Arthur Hansen
Re:Tinfoil hat brigade!!! (Score:2)