iRobot's headquarters in Bedford, MA.
Founded by three MIT graduates in 1990, iRobot has become one of the leaders in robotic technology today. They have sold over 14 million home robots and over 5,000 are used in defense fields, such as with the military and police forces. Specifically, iRobot's PackBot has been used to assist in recovery efforts ranging from 9/11 to the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Some robots, such as the Seaglider, are able to operate underwater, drastically increasing the range of possibilities for the robots. Many of iRobot's earlier creations operated similarly to a common remote control car, but more recent home robots such as the Roomba operate autonomously.
The Roomba robot avoiding a staircase.
The Roomba, a vacuum cleaner, is iRobot's most popular invention with over 10 million units sold worldwide. Using only two wheels, the Roomba is able to navigate around obstacles and even dropoffs and detect dirty spots on the floor. When the bumper outfitted on the front of the Roomba detects it has run into something (an input), it will internally convey a command to change directions (an output), thus allowing the robot to run independent of human intervention. Unlike some other autonomous robotic vacuum cleaners, the Roomba does not map out rooms that it cleans; it instead operates by tracing walls and going at random angles until it encounters an obstacle. Newer and more expensive versions of Roomba's are also able to incorporate infrared technology. Because of this, the robots have another tool with which to detect obstacles, as well as a way to search for their charging base.
Although iRobot's original inventions were defense-centric, the company recently sold its military operations front to Arlington Capital Partners. This was so that they can focus more on consumer goods, so there should be many exciting developments to come.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roomba
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IRobot
http://www.irobot.com/About-iRobot/Company-Information/History.aspx
http://roboticsandautomationnews.com/2015/07/23/irobot-second-quarter-financial-results-exceed-expectations/921/
http://www.irobot.com/For-the-Home/Vacuuming/Roomba.aspx
Very innovative creation. How much do these things cost? I wonder if consumers have complained about malfunction or lack of awareness. Are there things that the vacuum wouldn't clean if it sensed it?
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