IRobot
Encyclopedia
- This article is about the robot company. For other uses, see I, Robot (disambiguation)I, Robot (disambiguation)- In literature :*I, Robot, book of short stories by Isaac Asimov*"I, Robot" , science-fiction short story by Eando Binder first published in 1939*"I, Robot" , 2005 science-fiction short story by Cory Doctorow- In music :...
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iRobot Corporation is an American advanced technology company founded in 1990 and incorporated
Incorporation (business)
Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organisation, sports club, or a government of a new city or town...
in Delaware in 2000, the iRobot Corporation designs robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
s such as an autonomous home vacuum cleaner
Vacuum cleaner
A vacuum cleaner, commonly referred to as a "vacuum," is a device that uses an air pump to create a partial vacuum to suck up dust and dirt, usually from floors, and optionally from other surfaces as well. The dirt is collected by either a dustbag or a cyclone for later disposal...
(Roomba
Roomba
The Roomba is a series of autonomous robotic vacuum cleaners sold by iRobot. Under normal operating conditions, it is able to navigate a living space and common obstacles while vacuuming the floor...
), the Scooba
Scooba
Scooba is an automated robotic floor washer produced by iRobot. It was released in limited numbers in December 2005 for the Christmas season with full production starting in early 2006...
that scrubs and cleans hard floors, and military and police robots, such as the PackBot
PackBot
PackBot is a series of military robots by iRobot. More than 2000 PackBots are currently on station in Iraq and Afghanistan, with hundreds more on the way.-Current PackBot 510 variants:...
. iRobot is a public corporation , based in Bedford, Massachusetts
Bedford, Massachusetts
Bedford is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is within the Greater Boston area, north-west of the city of Boston. The population of Bedford was 13,320 at the 2010 census.- History :...
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History
iRobot was founded in 1990 by Rodney BrooksRodney Brooks
Rodney Allen Brooks is the former Panasonic professor of robotics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since 1986 he has authored a series of highly influential papers which have inaugurated a fundamental shift in artificial intelligence research...
, Colin Angle
Colin Angle
Colin Angle is co-founder, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of iRobot Corporation, maker of the Roomba vacuum cleaning robot and the PackBot military robot. He holds a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering and a Master of Science in computer science from the Massachusetts...
and Helen Greiner
Helen Greiner
Helen Greiner is the co-founder of iRobot and currently CEO of CyPhyWorks.-Career:Helen Greiner holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a master's degree in computer science, both from MIT...
after working in MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
's Artificial Intelligence Lab. In 1998 the company received a DARPA research contract which led to the development of the PackBot
PackBot
PackBot is a series of military robots by iRobot. More than 2000 PackBots are currently on station in Iraq and Afghanistan, with hundreds more on the way.-Current PackBot 510 variants:...
. In September 2002, iRobot unveiled its home robots flagship, the Roomba, which has gone on to sell more than 3 million units to date. iRobot began being traded on the NASDAQ
NASDAQ
The NASDAQ Stock Market, also known as the NASDAQ, is an American stock exchange. "NASDAQ" originally stood for "National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations". It is the second-largest stock exchange by market capitalization in the world, after the New York Stock Exchange. As of...
in November 2005 under ticker symbol IRBT. In October 2008, iRobot announced that over 2000 PackBot
PackBot
PackBot is a series of military robots by iRobot. More than 2000 PackBots are currently on station in Iraq and Afghanistan, with hundreds more on the way.-Current PackBot 510 variants:...
s have been deployed.
Roomba
Roomba is an automated vacuum cleaningVacuum cleaner
A vacuum cleaner, commonly referred to as a "vacuum," is a device that uses an air pump to create a partial vacuum to suck up dust and dirt, usually from floors, and optionally from other surfaces as well. The dirt is collected by either a dustbag or a cyclone for later disposal...
robot released in 2000. To date, over 5 million Roombas have been sold. Several versions of the Roomba have been developed. Roomba is powered by a rechargeable battery and many are available with a docking station to which the Roomba should return to recharge at the end of its cleaning cycle. They work in conjunction with accessories that utilize both IR
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
and RF
Radio control
Radio control is the use of radio signals to remotely control a device. The term is used frequently to refer to the control of model vehicles from a hand-held radio transmitter...
.
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.
Scooba
Scooba is iRobot's floor washing robot. The product became commercially available in limited quantities in late 2005 before a full product release in 2006, although it still is not available in many overseas markets. Early models required either a special non-bleach cleaning solution or white vinegarVinegar
Vinegar is a liquid substance consisting mainly of acetic acid and water, the acetic acid being produced through the fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria. Commercial vinegar is produced either by fast or slow fermentation processes. Slow methods generally are used with traditional...
to wash hard floors. Newer units can also use plain water. Several versions have been marketed.
Create
Create is a hobbyHobby
A hobby is a regular activity or interest that is undertaken for pleasure, typically done during one's leisure time.- Etymology :A hobby horse is a wooden or wickerwork toy made to be ridden just like a real horse...
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.
ConnectR
ConnectR is a telepresenceTelepresence
Telepresence refers to a set of technologies which allow a person to feel as if they were present, to give the appearance of being present, or to have an effect, via telerobotics, at a place other than their true location....
robot - a robotic device that allows one to see, hear, and interact with people, pets, and sites from anywhere in the world.
Dirt Dog
Dirt Dog is designed for workshop use and was released in 2006. This product picks up small objects such as nutsNut (hardware)
A nut is a type of hardware fastener with a threaded hole. Nuts are almost always used opposite a mating bolt to fasten a stack of parts together. The two partners are kept together by a combination of their threads' friction, a slight stretch of the bolt, and compression of the parts...
, bolts, dirt, and debris from a workshop or similar floor. The unit can be used on hard floors, shop carpets and industrial floor surfaces. The Dirt Dog was discontinued in late 2010.
My Real Baby
My Real Baby was a robotic toy marketed by iRobot from 2000 and produced in partnership with the toy manufacturer HasbroHasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
. 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."
Military and policing robots
iRobot has an extensive line of robots designed for use in military or policing functions.First Generation Robots
- 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 MuseumNational Air and Space MuseumThe National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution holds the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft in the world. It was established in 1976. Located in Washington, D.C., United States, it is a center for research into the history and science of aviation and...
- Ariel (1996) is a crab-like robot designed to remove mines, both in and out of water.
- Urbie (1997) was a proof of conceptProof of conceptA proof of concept or a proof of principle is a realization of a certain method or idea to demonstrate its feasibility, or a demonstration in principle, whose purpose is to verify that some concept or theory that has the potential of being used...
robot designed for urban environments. The platform was designed with two tankTankA tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
-like tracks so it could climb stairs. Urbie was field tested at Fort BenningFort BenningFort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, USA; 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. Photographs of Urbie at different events can be viewed at http://www.columbus2space.org/. Urbie is built around a light, machined aluminum chassis. The exterior consists 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 0 degree 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 intelligenceSwarm intelligenceSwarm intelligence is the collective behaviour of decentralized, self-organized systems, natural or artificial. The concept is employed in work on artificial intelligence...
research project designed to develop algorithms for swarms of hundreds of individual robots. This project is sponsored by DARPA.
PackBot
- PackBot is a series of military robotMilitary robotMilitary robots are autonomous robots or remote-controlled devices designed for military applications.Such systems are currently being researched by a number of militaries.-History:...
s designed for situational awareness, reconnaissance, explosive ordnance disposal and other missions. More than 2000 PackBots are currently on station in Iraq and Afghanistan, with hundreds more on the way.
SUGV
- iRobot's platform for the United States Army's Future Combat SystemsFuture Combat SystemsFuture Combat Systems was the United States Army's principal modernization program from 2003 to early 2009. Formally launched in 2003, FCS was envisioned to create new brigades equipped with new manned and unmanned vehicles linked by an unprecedented fast and flexible battlefield network...
.
Warrior
- Warrior, currently in development (expected deployment in 2008), is a 250 lb (113.4 kg) machine that can travel up to 12 miles per hour (5.4 m/s) through rough terrain and up and down stairs while carrying payloads weighing over 100 lbs. Its potential uses include bomb disposalBomb disposalBomb disposal is the process by which hazardous explosive devices are rendered safe. Bomb disposal is an all encompassing term to describe the separate, but interrelated functions in the following fields:*Military:...
, battlefield casualty extraction and firefighting.
R-Gator
- R-Gator, a product of a partnership with John Deere CorporationDeere & CompanyDeere & Company, usually known by its brand name John Deere , is an American corporation based in Moline, Illinois, and the leading manufacturer of agricultural machinery in the world. In 2010, it was listed as 107th in the Fortune 500 ranking...
, 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.
Negotiator
- Negotiator is a man-portable civil-response surveillance and reconnaissance robot.
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.
Chembot
- 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 elastomersDielectric elastomersDielectric elastomers are smart material systems which produce large strains and belong to the group of electroactive polymers . Based on their simple working principle dielectric elastomer actuators transform electric energy directly into mechanical work. DE are lightweight, have a high elastic...
, 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 piece'.
Ember
- 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.
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.
Seaglider
- Seaglider is a long-range dual-role autonomous underwater vehicleAutonomous Underwater VehicleAn autonomous underwater vehicle is a robot which travels underwater without requiring input from an operator. AUVs constitute part of a larger group of undersea systems known as unmanned underwater vehicles, a classification that includes non-autonomous remotely operated underwater vehicles...
entering production under an exclusive manufacturing agreement from the University of WashingtonUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
. 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. The Seaglider is also used in military applications where it is more usually designated as an unmanned underwater vehicleUnmanned underwater vehicleUnmanned underwater vehicles are any vehicles that are able to operate underwater without a human occupant. These vehicles may be divided into two categories, Remotely operated underwater vehicles , which are controlled by a remote human operator, and Autonomous underwater vehicles , which...
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See also
- Autonomous research robotAutonomous research robotThe Denning Mobile Robot company of Boston was the first to offer ready-made autonomous robots, which were purchased primarily by researchers. Grinnell More's Real World Interface, Inc...
- Swarm intelligenceSwarm intelligenceSwarm intelligence is the collective behaviour of decentralized, self-organized systems, natural or artificial. The concept is employed in work on artificial intelligence...
- Artificial IntelligenceArtificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
- DARPA
- Home automationHome automationHome automation is the residential extension of "building automation". It is automation of the home, housework or household activity. Home automation may include centralized control of lighting, HVAC , appliances, and other systems, to provide improved convenience, comfort, energy efficiency and...
- Domestic robotDomestic robotA domestic robot is a robot used for household chores. Thus far, there are only a few limited models, though science fiction writers and other speculators have suggested that they could become more common in the future...
- RobotRobotA robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
- RoombaRoombaThe Roomba is a series of autonomous robotic vacuum cleaners sold by iRobot. Under normal operating conditions, it is able to navigate a living space and common obstacles while vacuuming the floor...
- ScoobaScoobaScooba is an automated robotic floor washer produced by iRobot. It was released in limited numbers in December 2005 for the Christmas season with full production starting in early 2006...
External links
- Visit to iRobot and interview with Joe Dyer. The Sunday TimesThe Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
31 May 2009, Mark Harris - Interview with Helen Greiner, the cofounder of iRobot
- New York Times article about military robots including iRobot's packbot
- iRobot on antisniper device