From Mine Sweeping to Carpet Sweeping

It was a natural evolution from robots that handled explosives to robots that vacuum floors. Well, maybe not, but shortly after the first PackBots started to search caves in Afghanistan, iRobot unveiled Roomba: a robotic vacuum cleaner that was also the world's first affordable home robot. How affordable? Try $149 for the basic model. That's cheaper than most video game consoles, and all they do is sit there and process data while you do all the work.

Although iRobot was previously known for its military and exploratory bots, Roomba isn't as much of a stretch as you might think. The company has been working to perfect its robotic systems for a decade, and it was only a matter of time before they expanded into the civilian market, where the real monetary rewards lie. It proved a profitable idea: sales of Roomba have exceeded 1.5 million units, and in early November 2005 iRobot went public on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol IRBT. Clearly, folks are quite taken with this company and its quiet little robots.

 iRobot's success with Roomba lies in the fact that the robot doesn't try to be everything for everyone. It does one thing, and it does it well. While it may not do windows (yet), it's perfect for cleaning your floors. The Roomba system uses state-of-the art electronics to locate dirt, identify obstacles, and determine the best coverage pattern for a particular room. Not only that, its low profile helps it get underneath furniture where most vacuums can't reach. No longer do you have to move the couch to get to all the dust bunnies and forgotten gum wrappers – heck, you don't even have to push the vacuum cleaner anymore. Roomba is safe around children and pets, although both might find it startling at first. Never fear; it'll soon become as much a part of the environment as the end table, though it's probably not as good a place to set down your soda. You never know where it might end up!

On to part four :: How does Roomba work? :: Back to Roomba Guide Index