Roomba Autonomous Vacuum- Where can Convenience take us?

Roomba vacuum- where can convenience take us?

Human beings have always attempted to capitalize on what creates the most easy and comfortable situations for themselves. Therefore, it is only natural for us to have delved into technologies that can eliminate the human element altogether. The Roomba vacuum cleaner takes this idea and runs with it! Contents [hide]

* 1 Overview o 1.1 History o 1.2 The Technology and its Functionality o 1.3 Design o 1.4 Pros o 1.5 Cons * 2 Effect on Robotics * 3 Conclusion * 4 Group Members References

[edit] Overview

The Roomba is a self-sufficient miniature robotic device, created by the iRobot corporation with the intent on making the household work done by humans a trend of the past. Using infrared lasers as well as touch sensors the Roomba is a mid-range example (in terms of price and functionality) of human ingenuity and the desire to allocate ourselves more time on pleasurable tasks than the drudgery of every-day household chores.

Image:roomba1.jpg

As far as robotic vacuums go, the Roomba is relatively price conscious and yet provides much of the functionality of the heavier priced models such as Electrolux's Trilobite 2.0, priced at nearly eight times the Roomba's price! Though obviously lacking in some aspects (due mostly to costs) such as Sonar technology, providing better guidance systems and functionality; as well as additional complex cleaning algorithms that maximize on time and efficiency. --CameronAiton 16:11, 6 April 2009 (MDT) [edit] History

The company itself, iRobot, was founded in 1990 by Colin Angle, Helen Greiner, and Dr. Rodney Brooks with the intent of pushing abstract robotic ideas into the world of reality through everyday functionality. With their Headquarters located in Bedford, Massachusetts iRobot has grown to a $307 million publicly traded company on the NASDAQ ranging from household to military grade robotics.

The Roomba, a light-weight robotic vacuum, was engineered and produced in mass by the company iRobot. The new product was released for public use around the Christmas season late 2002, retailing for around $200. This little robot attracted much skepticism upon its initial release, questioning its practicality and viability within the household, such as the following:

How could a dinner-plate circle actually pick up dirt? How much could it hold before it got full? Would people really want to deal with this thing roaming around their home? How noisy was it? What happens when power runs out?

Questions were soon answered as the Roombas sold by the thousands and was praised by many for it's usefulness around the house.

In 2004, the product line was split into two halves. One line was Roomba Red which is more affordable, selling at $150, it had a 7 hour charge time and its operation was very basic. The other line was Roomba Discovery, selling at $250, which only charged within 3 hours and could run 2 hours straight. The unique thing about this line is that it could even find its home base all by itself to be charged, whereas the first line could not.

In 2005, iRobot engineers added in a scheduler. The scheduler lets the user choose when the Roomba will run and end its cleaning work around the house. [edit] The Technology and its Functionality

The Roomba is a smart and powerful autonomous vacuum. It has been programmed to transition from carpets to hard floors and spend more time on areas that are more dirty. Its light touch bumpers ensure that Roomba won't damage itself or the wall. Roomba recharges automatically to add to this efficient room-cleaning package [edit] Design

IRobot has several different models of Roombas ranging from Professional series all the way to Pet series. The general design of these devices is a small and round. It can very in price based on colours, ectra features and quality controls that are available to purchase. [edit] Pros

1) For those who don't don't like the repetitive task of vacuuming!

2) Save yourself some time during the course of the day.

3) Gets into those hard to reach places such as under the couch, bed, and even under dressers!

4) Innovative, spinning side brush removes accumulated debris along kickboards, cabinet edges and corners

4) Picks up dirt well for its size.

5) Price is comparable to customary vacuums but with potentially less hassle.

6) Relatively quiet in comparison to other stand-up vacuums.

7) Has a fully programmable interface provided by iRobot for robotic enthusiasts that wish to get the most potential bang-for-their-buck. [edit] Cons

1) You will need to empty out the dirt about half way through the room (depending on level of initial cleanliness)

2) Walk around the room and pick up any objects with shard 90 degree points (as it's infrared sensors are unable to detect them much of the time).

3) Large pieces of paper, buttons, and string, and cables for your television can cause your vacuum to jam.

4) Stopping to fix the Roomba may take away more time from your day than you had bought it to save.

5) Conventional vacuum cleaners still required to clean any stairs in your house or plush carpets.

6) On carpets, it lacks the high-powered motor of stand-up vacuums and therefore lacks the ability to clean as deeply.

7) Does not replace the conventional vacuum cleaner, and in fact is only recommened to be used for every-day cleaning (while it is still recommended to use stand up vacuums for once weekly cleanings) [edit] Effect on Robotics

The Roomba has permeated the household market and pushed consumer based development of robotics to new heights; further developing self-sufficient robotic 'intelligence'. Since the unveiling of the Roomba, IRobot has also released Scuba and Dirt for floor washing and shop cleaning respectively. [edit] Conclusion

If your room has a typical floor coverings and few obstacles (coffee tables, chair legs), and don't mind babysitting a bit, my recommendation is that the Roomba can save time and effort. It is a definate must have for those who would rather sit back and relax.

As for smaller houses and many obstacles in the way, this may not be the product you are looking for. The tight spaces and obstructions can cause the Roomba to be stuck and require rescueing. [edit] Group Members References

Dinh Huynh References

1)http://www.irobot.com/hrd_right_rail/roomba_rr/roomba_fam/RoombaFam_rr_howitworks.html

2)http://www.hammacher.com/publish/74520.asp?source=google&keyword=roomba&cm_ven=NewGate&cm_cat=Google&cm_pla=Roomba&cm_ite=roomba

3)http://www.lisashea.com/lisabase/cleaning/roomba/history.html

4)http://roomba.pbwiki.com/

5)http://www.irobot.com/hrd_right_rail/roomba_rr/roomba_fam/RoombaFam_rr_faqs.html

6)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roomba

7)http://store.irobot.com/category/index.jsp?categoryId=3334619&camp=Google

8)http://www.irobot.com/hrd_right_rail/roomba_rr/roomba_fam/RoombaFam_rr_tips.html

9)http://reviews.cnet.com/robots-and-robot-kits/irobot-roomba-discovery/4505-3510_7-30975237.html

10)http://www.geek.com/articles/news/roomba-robot-detects-stressed-humans-and-avoids-them-20090318/

Cameron Aiton's References:

1) http://www.irobot.com/sp.cfm?pageid=74

2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roomba

3) http://www.roboticvacuums.net/

4) http://www.roboticvacuums.net/articles/roomba-comparison-chart.html

5) http://store.irobot.com/category/index.jsp?categoryId=3334619&cp=2804605&ab=CMS_RobotSuper_Roomba_031709

6) http://www.roomba.com.au/

7) http://www1.epinions.com/reviews/pr-Roomba_4210_Vacuum

8) http://www.androidtech.com/reviews-blog/2006/01/reviews-on-roomba_13.html

Nick Fitzpatrick's References:

1)http://www.aaai.org/Papers/Symposia/Fall/1993/FS-93-03/FS93-03-023.pdf

2)http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=51978

3)http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=766149&dl=GUIDE&coll=GUIDE&CFID=29837082&CFTOKEN=43050997

4)http://do.whileloop.org/research/papers/1514-091.pdf

5)http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1067862&dl=GUIDE&coll=GUIDE&CFID=29837082&CFTOKEN=43050997

6)http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1107548.1107615

7)http://eprints.kfupm.edu.sa/58118/

8)http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1121241.1121286

9)http://www.springerlink.com/content/k1717836j252p4w0/

10)http://do.whileloop.org/research/papers/1514-091.pdf