iRobot
iRobot Negotiator civil response robot
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Best known to Gizmag readers for its range of home helper bots, iRobot is now expanding its line-up to include the growing need for public safety robots. The new iRobot Negotiator is a low-cost, tactical robot designed to meet the basic reconnaissance needs of public safety professionals, such as police and fire departments, counter-terrorism forces and domestic security experts. Read More
Robots reinvigorate computer science classrooms
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Education has long been based around the three R's, but now for computer science students throughout the U.S., a fourth R is making ground - Robotics. A program that began in 2006 through the Institute for Personal Robots in Education (IPRE) using robots as the circuit breaker in introductory computer science courses is being expanded to 28 more high schools and universities. Gizmag spoke to Dr. Tucker Balch, director of IPRE, to learn more. Read More
iRobot announces entry into underwater vehicle market
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Best known for its ventures in land-based military vehicles and home-helper robots, iRobot has now branched out into the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) market. The company will commercialize "Seaglider" technology from the University of Washington, a system which assists civilian, academic and military personnel in taking oceanographic measurements at a lower cost than traditional research vessels or moored instruments. Read More
iRobot expands pool cleaning range
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iRobot is known to consumers as the creator of all types of home helpers, from the gutter cleaning Looj to the floor scrubbing Scooba. The company has now expanded its iRobot Verro Pool Cleaning Robot line to include two new models, the Verro 100 and 500. Read More
iRobot to develop new communications relay robot
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March 5, 2008 Most notably known to consumers for its Roomba robot vacuum range and an assortment of home help bots, iRobot has received an award under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) LANdroids program to develop a small, mobile communications relay robot that would empower US warfighters with communications. Read More
Personal Robot industry to grow to $15 Billion by 2015
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January 2, 2008 A new study by ABI Research predicts that the personal robotics market will be worth $15 billion by 2015. The report examines the consumer market for toy robots like Sony's Aibo and the recently released iSobot, as well as increasingly sophisticated single-function “task” robots such as the Roomba vacuum cleaner and Looj gutter cleaning robot from iRobot. Read More
iRobot announce new mapping payload for PackBot
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December 13, 2007 Known for an array of intelligent machines from home helpers to military aides, iRobot has just announced an upgrade to its PackBot with the addition of a Mapping Kit. They new payload is designed enhance the ability of soldiers to manage the dangers of search, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. Read More
iRobot Looj cleans up at innovation awards
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November 14, 2007 The Looj remote controlled gutter cleaning bot from home robotics specialists iRobot has been announced the winner of the Best of Innovations Design and Engineering Award in the Home Appliance category in the 2008 International Consumer Electronic Showcase (CES). Read More
iRobot release Looj gutter cleaning robot
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October 1, 2007 Cleaning the gutters is an unloved yet necessary - even dangerous - household chore that is inevitably given the lowest priority until gutters are clogged and overflowing with leaves. The latest offering from home robotics specialists iRobot uses remote control to solve the problem – the Looj blasts out debris and brushes gutters clean while your feet remain firmly planted on the ground. Read More
Roomba vacuum cleaning robot range updated
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August 23, 2007 Five years since the launch of its original Roomba vacuum cleaner, robotics manufacturer iRobot has released new improved versions of the vacuum cleaning robots. Read More
The SUGV Early – Boeing and iRobot join forces to create the next generation Reconnaissance Robot for military, civil and commercial Use
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April 24, 2007 The remarkable success of robots in Iraq and Afghanistan is now well documented. UAVs have proven invaluable at every level and robotic ground systems, primarily iRobot’s Packbot, have performed tens of thousands of missions and saved countless lives from the dreaded Improvised Explosive Device (IED). The PackBot is used daily in war zones to disarm IEDs and search buildings, caves and tunnels. Now, the Boeing and iRobot are to combine knowledge to build a next generation of the robotic military ground platform. The SUGV Early will be a smaller, lighter version of the PackBot, and will provide military, civil and commercial users with unprecedented reconnaissance and secure, real-time intelligence capabilities. Read More
iRobot introduces NexGen Explosive Ordnance Disposal Robot
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February 8, 2007 That good-for-nothing son of yours who wasted all those hours playing mindless video games might have been building some valuable skill sets after all. IRobot’s newly announced iRobot PackBot 510 with EOD Kit is a second-generation explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) robot that will begin shipping in April and it uses a game-style hand controller. The PackBot 510 is 30 percent faster than its predecessor, drags larger objects, lifts twice the weight and has a grip that is three times stronger. To date, iRobot has delivered more than 800 PackBot robots which are mainly used in Iraq and Afghanistan. The robot’s new hand controller is modeled after video game controllers, making PackBot 510 easier to use, and resulting in less training time and more rapid operations in the field. In addition, the advanced track technology significantly increases the robot’s performance on rough terrain. Read More
iRobot unveils US$130 programmable robot for developers and students
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January 10, 2007 iRobot has unveiled iRobot Create, an affordable, programmable robot designed for aspiring roboticists. Create is based on the core technology of iRobot Roomba, the vacuuming robot that is cleaning millions of homes worldwide, and is compatible with Roomba’s rechargeable batteries, remote control and other accessories. Create comes pre-assembled, so developers can design new robots without having to build a mobile robot from scratch. Pricing starts at US$130, enabling developers to begin designing new robot applications out of the box. This new platform provides access to robot sensors and actuators via an open interface. Create also features standard connections for electronics and threaded mounting holes that allow users to secure their inventions to the robot, streamlining the integration of third-party electronics such as sensors, cameras, arms and wireless connections. Read More
World's First Robotic Floor Washer: iRobot Scooba
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May 24, 2005 The company that brought the world’s first practical, affordable and viable Robotic Floorvac to market is set to show a next-generation model that simultaneously vacuums, scrubs and dries hard floors. The new iRobot Scooba Robotic Floor Washer will be shown in a "sneak preview" today at The Wall Street Journal's "D: All Things Digital" conference in California. Scooba, a next-generation robot, is designed to vacuum, scrub and dry hard floors automatically. The new robot builds on technology advances from the company's iRobot Roomba Robotic Floorvac. The Roomba and Scooba will be seen in centuries to come as the very first robotic assistants to reach the home - some experts predict the home robotics market will rival the automotive industry in size within 20 years. Read More
R-Gator unmanned military ground vehicle unveiled
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NEW PICS - UPDATED October 29, 2004 John Deere and iRobot have unveiled the Military R-Gator, an intelligent unmanned ground vehicle that will use off-the-shelf technology to autonomously perform dangerous and taxing missions. The R-Gator combines John Deere's rugged utility Gator with iRobot's robotics technology.
The Robotic Gator, or R-Gator as it is called, is built on the combat-proven John Deere M-Gator military utility vehicle platform, and enhanced with proven iRobot military robotic controls and navigation and obstacle avoidance systems.
The intelligent, durable and flexible R-Gator is designed to serve numerous important roles, including acting as an unmanned scout, "point man," perimeter guard, pack/ammo/supply carrier and more for soldiers, marines and airmen.
