irobot

Robots

iRobot Makes First Version Of T-1000 Or Number Six

9:49AM Jesus Diaz | Gizmodo’s bullpen five minutes ago. Me: “Holy f—k. Check this.” Matt: “We’re all dead.” Me: “We’re so f—ked.” Wilson: “Soft robotics. That’s a scary phrase.” Jason: “You mean a sexy phrase. Mmmm. Soft robots.” Wilson: “Now, jamming skinMore »
Robots

Creepy: iRobot’s “My Real Baby”

8:40AM Danny Allen | Meet the offspring of iRobot, and Transformers creator Hasbro. No, really. More »
Robots

iRobot Patents Call For Potty-Trained Roomba

4:40AM Sean Fallon | The Roomba autonomous vacuum / kitten transportation vehicle may be able to go potty all by itself like its cuddly counterparts if these patent applications from iRobot ever come to fruition. More »
Robots

Roomba Patent Solves Pesky Corner-Cleaning Problem With Simple Geometry

8:30PM John Herrman | Roombas have evolved over the years into a fairlyimpressive product, except when it comes to corners. Apparently bothered by this, iRobot’s engineers have patented a Roomba with a corner specialty. The secret trick: it’s square. More »
Robots

iRobot’s Tiny Ember Robots Scout Terrains in Swarms

5:00AM Andi Wang | A tiny version of iRobot’s Packbot reconnaissance machine, the Ember, was made to scout hostile environments in swarms, compiling feedback from multiple machines instead of risking a single, bigger robot for the mission. More »
Robots

iRobot Looj V.2 Cleans Gutters, Probably Has Other Unspeakable Uses

2:15AM Jesus Diaz | Here’s Looj, iRobot’s second generation of–get this–The World’s Only Gutter Cleaning Robot. Just put Looj in the gutter and operate it via remote controller. According to them, it is more efficient than the previous. More »
Robots

Unreal Snooping Bot Can Grow from 25 Inches to 20 Feet

11:22AM Jesus Diaz | So weird. This iRobot Packbot has a Situational Awareness Mast built-in, a surveillance system which can grow from 25 inches (63cm) to 20 feet (6m) lifting 200 pounds (90kg), on its top configuration. The mechanism is very ingenious: More »
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Get Your Floors Clean and Cute With Hello Kitty Roomba

6:00PM Gizmodo US Edition | For homemakers who always wanted a Roomba but thought it too uncute, iRobot and Sanrio have partnered up to create a Hello Kitty-branded version of their robotic vacuum cleaner. So now not only does everybody’s favourite expressionless cat protect your computer, play your music and blast away your enemies, she’ll also clean your floor. Who’s a good kitty? Only 500 units are made, and each will cost roughly $US810. Figures–it’s only available in Japan. [iRobot Japan via Dvice] More »
Robots

New iRobot Roombas Aimed at Pets and Very Dirty People

1:59AM Mark Wilson | iRobot is expanding their Roomba line with three new models intended for more industrial of use. The Roomba 532 and 562 Pet Series Robots (US$350 and US$400) are meant for animal owners—or anyone sucking up massive amounts of floor hair—and equipped with larger sweeping bins to accommodate copious amounts of fur. The Roomba 610 Professional Series ($600) is similar, sporting a larger bin as well, but also comes with an extra, interchangeable bin and a Max Mode that will burn the batteries lower to finish big rooms. All three units are available now. Here are the full specifics: More »
Robots

iRobot Gets Revenge On Former Employee By Selling His Stolen Robot Design

11:00AM Sean Fallon | The story between iRobot and former employee Jameel Ahed has everything: military robots, betrayal, lies, stolen plans, lawsuits, big money, private investigators and destroyed evidence. But up until now there was one critical element missing…revenge. iRobot has completed that final act in this real-life drama by stealing back the “Negotiator” robot that Ahed made with their stolen plans and marketing it to police forces and other safety organisations around the country. More »