Testing the new Roomba (as a LEGO battle platform)

My kids are growing up with real robots in the house, from Dad’s UAVs to Roomba. And being 21st Century natives, they think nothing of it–of course the vacuum cleaner is autonomous. Read the rest of this entry »

New Roomba 500 Series with Remote Control and Modular Design

If any company groks the importance of the hacker user base, it’s iRobot, makers of the Roomba. Sure, most home owners just want to keep their floors clean, but when iRobot realized that people were buying its vacuum cleaner robots for hobby projects, it embraced the modders and sales rocketed. There’s even a Home Robot Forum on the official site. Read the rest of this entry »

Roomba-Maker Unveils Kill-Bot

The makers of the cuter-than-cute robotic vacuum cleaner are rolling out a new machine: A big, fast-moving, semi-autonomous ‘bot capable of killing a whole bunch of people at once.
Early versions of the iRobot
Warrior X700 “are slated to be ready by the second half of next year,” according to Army Times’ Kris Osborn. And unlike previous offerings from iRobot — which tended to be on the light, bordering-on-flimsy side — the Warrior will weigh up to 250 pounds. It’ll be able to lug a 500-pound payload, and carry 150 pounds with a newly muscular arm. Which will mean the machine is more than buff enough to pack heat.
“We’re looking at urban warfare… It can be deploying weapons systems. It can be doing re-supply operations, taking ammo or water to troops who are pinned down, perimeter security and building clearing,” Helen Greiner, iRobot chairman and co-founder, tells Army Times

iRobot Co-founder Helen Greiner Talks Robots

Robotic vacuum cleaner Roomba and floor washer Scooba are Gadget Lab favorites. We also heart the woman behind them, Helen Greiner, chairman and one of the co-founders of iRobot.

In an interview with Reader’s Digest, Greiner isn’t ready to call herself a geek. But she has some powerhouse credentials. Greiner has a degree in mechanical engineering and computer science from MIT.

She says she fell in love with Robots when she was 11 and saw Star Wars and R2D2. Her personal Roomba is called “Arnie, after the Terminator.”

Greiner says robots can help take care of “dull, dirty, dangerous jobs.” Among the ideas for new robots is the Warrior that can carry 150 pounds, climb stairs and do a four-minute mile. Also a robotic helper for Grandma and Grandpa.