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iRobot

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This article is about the robot company. For other uses, see I, Robot (disambiguation).
iRobot Corporation
Company typePublic
Nasdaq: IRBT
IndustryRobotics
Founded1990; 34 years ago (1990), Delaware, U.S.
Founders
HeadquartersBedford, Massachusetts, U.S.
Key people
Products
RevenueDecrease US$891 million (2023)
Decrease US$−264 million (2023)
Decrease US$−305 million (2023)
Total assetsDecrease US$734 million (2023)
Total equityDecrease US$196 million (2023)
Number of employees
1,113 (December 2023)
Websiteirobot.com
Footnotes / references
[1]

iRobot Corporation is an American technology company that designs and builds consumer robots. It was founded in 1990 by three members of MIT's Artificial Intelligence Lab, who designed robots for space exploration and military defense.[2] The company's products include a range of autonomous home vacuum cleaners (Roomba), floor moppers (Braava), and other autonomous cleaning devices.[3]

A planned takeover deal by Amazon.com for US$1.7 billion, announced in August 2022, collapsed in January 2024 amid antitrust scrutiny by the European Commission.[4]

History

[edit]

iRobot was founded in 1990 by Rodney Brooks, Colin Angle, and Helen Greiner after working in MIT's Artificial Intelligence Lab. In 1998, the company received a DARPA research contract which led to the development of the PackBot.[5]

In September 2002, iRobot unveiled its flagship home robot, the Roomba, which went on to sell a million units by 2004.[6] iRobot began being traded on the NASDAQ in November 2005, under ticker symbol IRBT.[7] On September 17, 2012, iRobot announced that it had acquired Evolution Robotics, manufacturer of automated floor mopper Mint.[8]

In addition to deployment as bomb-disposal units with the US military in Iraq and Afghanistan, PackBots have been used to gather data in dangerous conditions at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster site,[9] and an iRobot Seaglider detected underwater pools of oil after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.[10] In February 2016, iRobot announced that it would sell its military robotics business to Arlington Capital Partners, in order to focus more on the consumer market.[11]

In November 2021, iRobot announced that it had acquired Aeris Cleantec AG, a Swiss air purifier manufacturer. iRobot began selling Aeris-designed air purifiers through its own brand in 2022.[12] By 2020, iRobot had sold more than 30 million home robots, and deployed more than 5,000 defense & security robots.[13]

Attempted acquisition by Amazon (2022–2024)

[edit]

On August 5, 2022, Amazon announced its intent to acquire iRobot in a deal worth US$1.7 billion. The deal was subject to federal approval from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other regulatory agencies.[14] In September 2022, the FTC requested more data from both companies, amid concerns about Amazon's market power and the privacy implications of it gaining information about consumer floorplans.[15]

In June 2023, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority cleared the acquisition, saying it wouldn't lead to competition concerns in the country. [16] The European Commission launched a formal investigation into the proposed purchase in July 2023, citing that it would "allow Amazon to restrict competition in the market for robot vacuum cleaners ('RVCs') and to strengthen its position as online marketplace provider."[17] In July 2023, Amazon reduced the offer price to $1.42 billion after iRobot raised $200 million in new debt to fund its daily operations.[18]

In January 2024, Amazon and iRobot announced they would end their plans to merge in the face of opposition from EU antitrust regulators.[4] This resulted in Amazon paying iRobot a $94 million reverse breakup fee, iRobot laying off 31 percent of its employees, and CEO Colin Angle departing.[19] Gary Cohen was appointed as the company’s new chief executive in May 2024.[20]

Current home robots

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Roomba

[edit]
Main article: Roomba
Roomba 805 on its charging dock

Roomba is an automated vacuum cleaning robot first released in 2002. Roomba is powered by a rechargeable battery, and many models are available with a docking station to which the robot returns to recharge at the end of its cleaning cycle. They work in conjunction with accessories that use both IR and RF.

The company intentionally allows customers to hack the robot because they want people to experiment and improve the product. The API for the serial has been published and the serial port made easily accessible to make modifications easy to perform.[21]

In 2015, iRobot released an updated Roomba called the Roomba 980, with a camera that uses VSLAM technology to map out a room and the objects in the room to clean the entire floor of a home. The Roomba 980 also includes carpet boost, increasing suction when the Roomba detects itself on carpets or rugs. This was also one of the first Roombas to include Wi-Fi connectivity with app control.[22]

In May 2022, iRobot announced the new operating system and software platform for its Roomba vacuum cleaners, iRobot OS. The company stated the move from iRobot genius to iRobot OS will aid in giving their products a deeper understanding of the user’s households and the users habits, in addition to voice commands and greater objected identification.[23]

In October 2022, iRobot released the Roomba Combo, which includes mopping capabilities. The robot is able to differentiate between hardwood floor and carpet, and it lifts its mop to the top of the robot when transitioning to carpet.[24]

Braava

[edit]
Braava 380t damp cleaning

Braava is iRobot's floor mopping robot, designed to work on hard-surface floors. Braava uses disposable or microfiber cleaning cloths for damp and/or dry cleaning. The 380t model comes with a Channel 4 NorthStar Navigation Cube, which is set on a high surface and directs the robot around the area it cleans.

The design was known as the Mint until 2013. It was developed by Evolution Robotics, which was acquired by iRobot in 2012.[25]

Create

[edit]
Main article: iRobot Create
An unmodified iRobot Create with Command Module (small green attachment)

Create is a hobby robot, released in 2007. Create offers users the possibility of changing or adapting the robot's functions through experimentation with the basic elements of robotics as well as by adding sensors, grippers, wireless connections, computers, or other hardware.

Root

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Root is an educational robot designed for use by children learning how to code. It is programmed through a tablet or smartphone.[26] iRobot acquired Root Robotics in 2019.[27]

In development

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Terra

[edit]

In 2019, iRobot received FCC approval to move forward with their plans to commercialize a robotic lawn mower capable of using wireless localization technology, which they announced would be branded as "Terra".[28] Terra uses mapping to navigate and mow the lawn in a straight-line pattern. It uses smart beacon stakes to localize itself in the yard, and is taught a boundary by the user (where the robot should avoid going, such as a garden). Terra includes Wi-Fi capabilities and a docking station for recharging. Terra was available as a beta program in 2019 in Germany and the United States.[29] The program was indefinitely postponed in March 2020.

Discontinued products

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Scooba

[edit]
Main article: Scooba (brand)
Photo of the now-discontinued iRobot Scooba 380 in 2009

Scooba was iRobot's floor-washing robot. The product became commercially available in limited quantities in late 2005 before a full product release in 2006. Early models required either a special non-bleach cleaning solution or white vinegar to wash hard floors. Newer units could use plain water. Several versions were marketed. iRobot discontinued the Scooba line of products in favor of the Braava line of floor moppers in 2016.[30]

Dirt Dog

[edit]

Dirt Dog was a variant of Roomba designed for workshop use that was released in 2006. The product picks up small objects such as nuts, bolts, dirt, and debris from a workshop or similar floor. The unit was able to be used on hard floors, shop carpets and industrial floor surfaces. The Dirt Dog was discontinued in late 2010.

My Real Baby

[edit]

My Real Baby was a robotic toy marketed by iRobot from 2000 and produced in partnership with the toy manufacturer Hasbro. It is no longer in production. This product, which was meant to look like a human infant, employed animatronic facial expressions and was developed from an emotionally expressive and responsive robot developed by iRobot corporation called "IT."

ConnectR

[edit]

ConnectR was a videoconferencing robot which was prototyped in 2010. It did not pass pilot tests and was not sold commercially.

Verro

[edit]

Verro was a swimming-pool cleaning robot released in April 2007.[31]

Looj

[edit]

Looj was a gutter-cleaning robot released in September 2007. Looj is not an autonomous robot, but rather a remote-controlled robot patterned after a toy tank with an auger mounted on the front. The robot fits inside most gutters to clean out debris stuck inside them, such as leaves and pine needles. It has long treads on its side which allow it to move inside the gutter. The auger dislodges and removes almost all of the debris inside the gutter by flinging it sideways into the air. Looj also has a detachable handle/remote that is used to carry and operate the robot. It was discontinued in 2017.

Mirra

[edit]

Mirra was a swimming-pool cleaning robot, the successor of Verro. Mirra cleaned a pool's floor and walls of large and small debris. It was discontinued in 2014.

Military and policing robots

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A PackBot Scout robot shown with its second pair of treads in the horizontal position. This robot is conducting search and rescue at ground zero after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

In April 2016, iRobot sold off its Defense & Security unit, with a new company being formed called Endeavor Robotics.[32] This unit became part of Teledyne FLIR in 2019.[33][34]

First Generation Robots

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  • Genghis (1991) was iRobot's first robot. It was designed as a test platform for researchers. The robot is currently at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
  • Ariel (1996) is a crab-like robot designed to remove mines, both in and out of water.
  • Urbie (1997) was a proof of concept robot designed for urban environments. The platform was designed with two tank-like tracks so it could climb stairs. Urbie was field tested at Fort Benning, Georgia, United States; one model was gifted to a local high school on indefinite loan in 2005. High school students at Columbus High School in Columbus, GA, reconditioned the robot and created a usage manual for future students to continue to benefit from Urbie's list of talents. Urbie is built around a light, machined aluminum chassis. The exterior consists of flat aluminum plates, bent at the front and back, which are attached to the chassis with small hex screws. 2 dc motors power the forward rotating arms, while 2 slightly larger dc motors power the body length treads. From the outside, Urbie is an exact replica of the PackBot Scout. The front compartment holds 2 banks of LEDs, one white light, the other infrared. The center-front compartment holds a video camera and an infrared camera. Both cameras' images are transmitted back to a handheld LCD screen and remote control console via a single antenna. The image that is transmitted back is controlled by a mechanical switch, thrown remotely inside the chassis by a remote controlled actuator. The motors are controlled the same way that a remote control airplane or car is. The ability to reverse the tread direction on both sides gives the robot a 0m turn radius. In 2006, the exterior body was refinished, the antennas were repaired (replaced by a fishing pole) and some of the interior electronics were updated. The robot is simply constructed, with basic electronic controls, and is the same physical design as the current PackBots, it only lacks the digital processor.
  • SWARM is an artificial intelligence research project designed to develop algorithms for swarms of hundreds of individual robots. This project is sponsored by DARPA.

PackBot

[edit]
Main article: PackBot
  • PackBot is a series of military robots designed for situational awareness, reconnaissance, explosive ordnance disposal and other missions. As of 2009, the US military had more than 2000 PackBots that were on station in Iraq and Afghanistan.[35]

SUGV

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Main article: Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle

Warrior

[edit]
Main article: iRobot Warrior
  • Warrior, currently in development (expected deployment in 2008[36])[needs update], is a 250 lb (110 kg) machine that can travel up to 12 miles per hour (19 km/h) through rough terrain and up and down stairs while carrying payloads weighing over 100 pounds (45 kg). Its potential uses include bomb disposal, battlefield casualty extraction and firefighting.[37]

R-Gator

[edit]
Main article: iRobot R-Gator
  • R-Gator, a product of a partnership with John Deere Corporation, is a small utility vehicle with a robotics package added. It is capable of autonomous operation including waypoint following with obstacle avoidance, following dismounted infantry and other vehicles and semi-autonomous operation such as teleoperation with obstacle avoidance. Vehicles are currently in production.[38][39]

Negotiator

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Main article: iRobot Negotiator
  • Negotiator is a man-portable civil-response surveillance and reconnaissance robot.[40]

Transphibian

[edit]
Main article: iRobot Transphibian
  • Transphibian is a man-portable UUV and bottom crawler that autonomously inserts itself into the water and operates in a shallow area. It is designed for mine detection, harbor defense and surveillance.[41]

Chembot

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  • Chembot is a DARPA-funded prototype of a shape-shifting robot without motors, wheels or any rigid elements. It runs on chemical power and is made using dielectric elastomers, which are extremely flexible and can alter their shape in electric or magnetic fields. Ultimately, the program aims to build a robot that is completely squishy and able to squeeze through a hole 'the size of a 10 pence coin'.[42]

Ember

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  • Ember is a prototype miniature, tracked robot, weighing around 1 lb and costing so little to make that it is intended to be virtually disposable. Ember moves at walking pace, can right itself when it is turned over and is controlled by a simple touchscreen application on an Apple iPhone. Ember is a military robot designed to boost radio communications and capture video footage to aid infantry warfighters.[42]

AIRarm

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AIRarm is an inflatable arm robot developed by iRobot. The inflatable arm uses pumps to inflate the arm. Since the arm uses strings and actuators, no motors were used at the joints.[43]

FirstLook

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FirstLook is a small reconnaissance robot weighing 5.2 lb (2.4 kg) with a top speed of 3.8 mph (6.1 km/h) and line-of-sight control range of 200 m (219 yd). It has visible and thermal cameras and infrared sensors to gather and transmit images of buildings, caves, or other locations. It can participate in explosive ordnance disposal by carrying 2.5 lb (1.1 kg) of C4 explosive to an IED. The robot has the ability to mesh together a network of feeds from other robots to extend the range of its sensors. The FirstLook has CBRN detectors and is semi-autonomous, meaning it can perform tasks like course correction and flipping itself over without direct intervention. 100 were bought by JIEDDO in March 2012 and the Pentagon has ordered hundreds more.[44]

Medical robots

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RP-VITA

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  • RP-VITA, or Remote Presence Virtual + Independent Telemedicine Assistant, is a medical robot jointly produced with InTouch Health. The robot will be cloud-connected and have access to a patient's medical record, and will also be able to plug in diagnostic devices such as stethoscopes, otoscopes, and ultrasound.[45]

Research and dual-role robots

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Ranger

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Main article: iRobot Ranger
  • Ranger is a man-portable UUV that supports technology development related to mine warfare, expeditionary warfare, homeland defense, underwater surveillance / reconnaissance and other missions. Ranger is also suitable for ocean research and commercial applications related to search and survey.[46]

Seaglider

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Main article: Seaglider
  • Seaglider is a long-range dual-role autonomous underwater vehicle, which was produced by iRobot from 2008–2013 under an exclusive manufacturing agreement from the University of Washington.[47][48][49][50] Capable of operating for months over thousands of kilometers on a single battery charge, networked Seagliders provide scientists and naval intelligence with cost-effective real-time access to oceanographic measurements.[51][52][53] The Seaglider is also used in military applications where it is more usually designated as an unmanned underwater vehicle.

Criticism

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Training data on Facebook

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When training data for the Roomba J7 vacuum robot ended up on Facebook, like a test person sitting on a toilet, testers were assuming that they did not expect to give up their privacy and such data leakage, while iRobot took the standpoint that such persons are paid and expect their data to be shared. iRobot sent 2 million images to Scale AI, an image annotation service provider, and mentioned it terminated its business relation with Scale AI.[54][55]

Unregulated use of reserved frequency

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iRobot has been criticized for attempting unregulated use of 6240-6740 MHz band, and asking for an FCC exemption to do so. This band is for use for the lawn mowing robot without needing to use an electronic fence as a boundary marker, instead by using radio beacons. The band falls into a band reserved for radio astronomy use, thus interfering with radio telescope observations of methanol's 6.66852 GHz emissions.[56]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ "US SEC: Form 10-K iRobot Corporation". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. February 27, 2024.
  2. ^ Eng, Dinah (August 14, 2014). "iRobot: From R2-D2 to practical robots." Fortune. Retrieved March 1, 2017
  3. ^ O'Brien, Matt (August 31, 2016). "iRobot CEO says vacuum cleaners clear path to robot future". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2017-02-25. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  4. ^ a b Mattioli, Dana; Mackrael, Kim (January 29, 2024). "Amazon, iRobot Abandon Deal Amid Regulatory Scrutiny". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 29, 2024. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  5. ^ "IRobot awarded $3.3M to build new DARPA robot". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  6. ^ "One Million Roombas". Archived from the original on 2013-05-12. Retrieved 2013-03-26.
  7. ^ Kerr, Jolie (November 29, 2013). "The history of the Roomba". Fortune. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  8. ^ "IRobot Corporation: Our History". Archived from the original on 2012-01-03. Retrieved 2009-11-20.
  9. ^ Amar Toor (18 April 2011). "iRobot Packbots enter Fukushima nuclear plant to gather data, take photos, save lives (video)". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  10. ^ "iRobot and healthcare". Xconomy. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  11. ^ Amadeo, Ron (5 February 2016). "iRobot sells off military unit, will stick to friendlier consumer robots". Ars Technica. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  12. ^ "iRobot Acquires Air Purification Company, Aeris Cleantec AG". irobot.com. iRobot Corporation. 18 November 2021. Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  13. ^ "iRobot Reports Third-Quarter 2020 Financial Results". Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  14. ^ Bray, Hiawatha; Gardizy, Anissa (August 5, 2022). "iRobot Roombas its way into Amazon's arms". The Boston Globe.
  15. ^ "FTC reviewing Amazon's $1.7 billion deal to buy iRobot". AP News. 2022-09-21. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
  16. ^ Mathews, Eva (2023-06-16). "UK clears Amazon's $1.7 billion deal for Roomba-maker iRobot". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  17. ^ Porter, Jon (2023-07-06). "Amazon's iRobot Roomba acquisition under formal EU investigation". The Verge. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
  18. ^ Soni, Aditya (25 July 2023). "Amazon lowers iRobot deal price by 15% after Roomba maker incurs fresh debt". Reuters.
  19. ^ "Amazon Calls Off Bid To Buy Robot Vacuum Cleaner IRobot Amid Scrutiny In The US And Europe". Associated Press.
  20. ^ Hiawatha, Bray. "IRobot names new CEO, claims progress on restructuring - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  21. ^ Wright, Mic (2010-10-23). "The Wired Interview: iRobot CEO Colin Angle". Wired.com.
  22. ^ "iRobot Enters the Smart Home with Roomba® 980 Vacuum Cleaning Robot". iRobot MediaKit. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
  23. ^ "iRobot OS is the newest 'brain' for your Roomba". The Verge. 31 May 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  24. ^ "Roomba Combo™ j7+ Robot Vacuum and Mop". www.irobot.com. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
  25. ^ "iRobot's new mop will jet around your bathroom floors". Archived from the original on 2016-08-13. Retrieved 2016-08-18.
  26. ^ "Kids can have fun and learn to code with this cool robot". usatoday.com. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  27. ^ "The little robot that could". news.harvard.edu. 20 June 2019. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  28. ^ "RLA-Y1 Terra T7 Robot Mower by iRobot". Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  29. ^ "Robot Lawn Mower". www.irobot.com. Archived from the original on 2019-02-14. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
  30. ^ Seitz, Patrick (16 March 2016). "IRobot Hopes To Clean Up In Floor-Mopping Business". Investor's Business Daily. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  31. ^ iRobot Verro Pool Cleaning Robot Archived 2007-05-17 at the Wayback Machine
  32. ^ "Janes | Latest defence and security news".
  33. ^ Maffei, Lucia (October 4, 2019). "FLIR buys Aria patents, aiming to merge ground and drone robots for military use". American City Business Journals.
  34. ^ Heater, Brian (August 5, 2022). "Amazon is buying iRobot for $1.7B". TechCrunch.
  35. ^ "iRobot Delivers 2,000th PackBot Robot". 2009. Archived from the original on February 26, 2009. Retrieved February 7, 2009.
  36. ^ Rick Aristotle Munarriz (27 October 2006). "Attack of the iRobot". Archived from the original on 1 December 2006. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  37. ^ Mark Wilson (7 October 2006). "iRobot Warrior: If Your House is Really, Really Dirty". Gizmodo. Gawker Media. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  38. ^ "Government & Military - Federal & Military Sales - John Deere US" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  39. ^ "R-Gator unmanned military ground vehicle unveiled". 29 October 2004. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  40. ^ "IRobot Corporation: Negotiator". Archived from the original on 2009-02-18. Retrieved 2009-03-11.
  41. ^ "IRobot Corporation: Transphibian". Archived from the original on 2009-03-17. Retrieved 2009-03-11.
  42. ^ a b Harris, Mark (2009-05-31). "iRobot where the Terminator is coming to life". The Times. London. Archived from the original on October 16, 2009. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
  43. ^ Ackerman, Evan (22 August 2012). "iRobot Developing Inflatable Robot Arms, Inflatable Robots". IEEE Spectrum Automaton. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  44. ^ Pentagon Orders Hundreds more FirstLook Robots - Defensetech.org, 3 January 2014
  45. ^ Halverson, Nic. "Robot Doctor Will Now See You". Discovery News. Archived from the original on 2012-10-22. Retrieved 2012-07-25.
  46. ^ "IRobot Corporation: Ranger". Archived from the original on 2009-03-17. Retrieved 2009-03-11.
  47. ^ "IRobot Secures Licensing Agreement For Underwater Seagliders". 29 June 2008. Archived from the original on 29 June 2008.
  48. ^ "iRobot Maritime Robots - 1KA Seaglider". 21 May 2010. Archived from the original on 21 May 2010.
  49. ^ "iRobot Corporation: Press Release". 6 June 2011. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011.
  50. ^ "Seaglider Licensed to Kongsberg". www.ocean.washington.edu. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
  51. ^ The Christian Science Monitor (19 June 2008). "No one lives in this submarine". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  52. ^ Thomas Ricker (11 June 2008). "iRobot to convert UW's academic Seaglider into military drone". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  53. ^ "From the deep: UW Seaglider draws U.S. military attention - The Daily". 12 July 2012. Archived from the original on 12 July 2012.
  54. ^ "A Roomba recorded a woman on the toilet. How did screenshots end up on Facebook?". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  55. ^ Guo, Eileen (16 January 2023). "Roomba: Wie private Fotos eines Staubsauger-Roboters auf Facebook landen können". heise online (in German). Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  56. ^ Brooks Hays (17 April 2015). "Why astronomers hate the lawn-mowing Roomba". Space Daily.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to IRobot.
  • Official website
  • Visit to iRobot and interview with Joe Dyer. The Sunday Times 31 May 2009, Mark Harris
  • New York Times article about military robots including iRobot's packbot
  • iRobot on antisniper device
  • iRobot 310 SUGV
  • Business data for iRobot Corporation:
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