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.
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.
In 2018, iRobot released the Roomba i7 and i7+, marking new advancements in their smart mapping with their VSLAM-enabled Smart Imprint mapping (also called iAdapt 3.0). Their robots could now save multiple floor plans, and maps made by Roomba were stored in the cloud instead of being deleted every cleaning run. The release also introduced iRobot’s Automatic Dirt Disposal system, which emptied the robot’s dust bin every cleaning run. A year later, the Roomba S9+ was released, further improving those features with higher suction power and a D shape, a first for iRobot’s Roombas.
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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.
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.
Braava
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.
Create
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
Root is an educational robot designed for use by children learning how to code. It is programmed through a tablet or smartphone. iRobot acquired Root Robotics in 2019. In 2024, the Root product line was acquired by SAM Labs.
Scooba
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.
Dirt Dog
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
My Real Baby was a robotic toy marketed by iRobot from 2000 and produced in partnership with the toy manufacturer Hasbro. 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
ConnectR was a videoconferencing robot which was prototyped in 2010. It did not pass pilot tests and was not sold commercially.
Verro
Verro was a swimming-pool cleaning robot released in April 2007.
Looj
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. Looj won the Best of CES Innovations Award: Home Appliances in 2008. It was discontinued in 2017.
Mirra
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.
Terra
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". 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. The program was indefinitely postponed in March 2020.
Military and policing robots
In April 2016, iRobot sold off its Defense & Security unit, with a new company being formed called Endeavor Robotics. This unit became part of Teledyne FLIR in 2019.
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 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, Georgia, 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
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.
SUGV
iRobot's platform for the United States Army's Future Combat Systems.
Warrior
Warrior, announced in 2006,), 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.
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.
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. Transphibian was initially developed by Nekton Research, Inc. in Durham, North Carolina, which was acquired by iRobot in September 2008.
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 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'.
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.
AIRarm
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.
FirstLook
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.
RP-VITA
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.
Ranger
Ranger is a man-portable UUV that supports technology development related to mine warfare, expeditionary warfare, homeland defense, underwater surveillance and reconnaissance, and other missions. Ranger is also suitable for ocean research and commercial applications related to search and survey. Ranger was initially developed by Nekton Research, Inc. in Durham, North Carolina, which was acquired by iRobot in September 2008.
Seaglider
Seaglider is a long-range dual-role autonomous underwater vehicle, which was produced by iRobot from 2008 to 2013 under an exclusive manufacturing agreement from the University of Washington. 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 vehicle.
