The vipera palaestinae, as his parent snake gods christened him, had wound himself so tightly inside the iRobot Roomba that it died of head wounds. The Roomba? Well, it's back to a life of giving kittens free rides and not cleaning corners correctly. [Facebook via BotJunkie]

That is sexy. Jammable slurry. Wow, a little hot under the collar here. This really is nuts."

It is really nuts indeed: A shape-shifting robot blob that can squeeze through cracks. Sounds familiar? Of course it does. But clearly, this iRobot and Darpa researchers don't read or watch any Sci-Fi material whatsoever.

In any case, ladies and gentlemen, it has been a pleasure and a privilege writing for you. Now, enjoy the rest of your lives. They won't last much more. [JWZ via Make]

One look at this pic could explain why the project was later discontinued. [Ingenious' Flickr via Robot Stock News]

Apparently, there are at least a dozen designs have been considered—designs that would turn the Roomba dock into a litter box of sorts. There are no guarantees that we will see a Roomba capable of cleaning itself anytime in the near future, but it does seem like the next logical step. [Robot Stock News]

Roombas have traditionally avoided angular designs in the pursuit of maneuverability, settling on circular shapes that lend themselves well to the vacuum's omnidirectional cleaning habits. This new, squared-off tank-like design might necessitate more complicated vacuuming approaches for certain scenarios, but it's not like efficiency of movement is their forte anyway.

This is just a patent application, the likes of which iRobot has a small habit of leaving to die, so this could just be another Roomba Mower, lost and forgotten in the archives of the patent office. Also, the Roomba corner problem? Not that big of a deal! Their current spinning brush solution is passable, and I'm not sure changing their iconic design would even be worth it. [Robot Stock News]

Apparently this Roomba has been modified with inkjet printer parts so it can create bitmap patterns on the floor with colored powders. Damn you rebel Roomba! Cut your hair, stop snorting "powder", get a job and create civilized art like your brother! [Botropolis]

Some engineers with some free time on their hands decided to retrofit a Roomba with a mechanism that allowed it to be controlled via hamster ball. That is to say, whichever way the hamster runs, the Roomba goes. I'm sure it's quite liberating for the hamster, but I wouldn't count on your floors getting too clean. [Networkworld via Gadget Review]

The Price: $549

The Verdict: Although the Roomba Pro—which we lovingly dubbed "Calculon Jr."—is meant to be the tough, industrial one of the Roomba series, there are times it acted less like a machine, and more like a rebellious child with ADD. This would be a good cleaning device for industrial sized rooms despite its drawbacks, but it's too big and too loud for apartments.

The Pro is supposed to run on four different cleaning paterns: spiralling, wall following, room crossing, and dirt detection—all seemingly random unless you're familiar with the paths and AI its creators programmed for it.

After directing Calculon Jr. to find his "home," he only managed to dock himself—even when physically placed next to the docking station—twice out of five tries. Moreover, the Roomba is extremely loud, so I wouldn't bother trying to watch TV when the Roomba Pro is running—(unless he's cleaning a different room, which can be sanctioned off using the two included virtual walls, which worked fine with two C batteries).

One cool feature about the Roomba Pro is how simple it is to schedule a cleaning time—which can be set up to once a day, seven times a week—by using the built-in display that also tells the time and day. However, the display can only be seen if you keep the "clock" button held down.

When trying to clean up cookie crumbs and sunflower seeds, Calculon Jr.'s side brush would scatter the mess in different directions instead of sweeping it up into his vacuum. However, if you let your Roomba Pro run around for quite some time—or if you place him directly on top of the mess—he does a quite thorough job of cleaning up the dirt and debris on the floor, as long as it is an open space. You can see the cleaning process in the gallery below.

Here's where the Roomba Pro differentiates itself from its smaller brothers. Because of the Pro's larger size, it is unable to get to the dirt under smaller areas—such as the spaces under counters and couches. Similarly, when Calculon Jr. was placed under a table, it took him a while to maneuver around/between the chairs, and try to find his way out from under. When it is unable to do so, the Roomba Pro will automatically shut itself off.

Because it's a Pro model designed for offices and bed & breakfasts, it comes with various spare parts that owners can use to self-repair. It would've been nice if the Roomba Pro came with a remote, but in addition to what comes already attached, the box has two brushes, a high capacity sweeper bin (which, according to the instruction manual, you're still instructed to clean out after every use), two filters, a mini screwdriver, two brushes, two virtual walls and an extra side sweeper. But it's still a Roomba, so its AI is not going to be dramatically smarter than other models.

For example, when it comes to sensor detection, Calculon Jr. is smarter than a baby, but dumber than a five year old. With our smaller Roomba (4220), whenever it hit an object such as a PS3 controller or my foot, it would immediately turn around and go in a different direction. With the Roomba Pro, however, Calculon Jr. painfully ran over my toes, attempted to crawl up a Rock Band drum set, and knocked over three (toy) guitars.

Many of the problems that we encountered could have been because we tested the Roomba Pro in a (carpeted) medium sized living/dining room and a (tiled) family-sized kitchen. If this apartment were a mansion with large rooms and minimal clutter, the Roomba Pro would be an ideal vacuuming device for everyday housekeeping. But if you're looking for a gadget that'll routinely clean your cozy apartment, we recommend going with one of Calculon Jr.'s smaller and cheaper brothers. [Product Page]

Computing
• LaCie 750 GB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive for $88.24 (normally $125).
• iRobot® Looj 120 Gutter Cleaning Robot for $49.99 plus free shipping (normally $80).

Flash Memory
• Kingston SD4/8GB 8GB SDHC Class 4 Flash Card for $10.99 (normally $20 - valid today only).

Home Accessories
• Breville BES400XL Ikon Espresso Machine (Refurbished) for $99.99 (normally $200 - valid today only).
• iRobot Looj 120 Gutter Cleaning Robot for $49.99 plus free shipping (normally $80).

Home Entertainment
• Toshiba 15LV505 15.6-Inch Widescreen LCD TV with Built-in DVD Player for $199 plus free shipping (normally $270 - valid today only).
• Logitech Harmony 520 Universal Remote (Refurbished) for $39.99 (normally $70).

Portable Devices (MP3 Players, Etc.)
• SanDisk 1GB Sansa Express MP3 Player for $11.99 (Reconditioned) plus free shipping (normally $38).

Oscar-Winning Movies
• La Vie en Rose for $12.98 plus free shipping (normally $20).
• The Departed for $12.25 plus free shipping (normally $20).
• The Aviator for $7.38 plus free shipping (normally $20).
• Citizen Kane for $12.87 plus free shipping (normally $20).

Hobomodo
• Aartform Curvy 3D 1.5 for $0 (normally $85 - valid today only).

The iRobot Looj Gutter Cleaning Robot drives easily under gutter straps, propelled by a three-stage auger that dislodges and eliminates dirt, leaves and debris that can cause water damage, overspills and ice dams in addition to creating a breeding ground for carpenter ants, mosquitoes and other pests.

Oooooh, naughty naughty. Add a new antena, smart speed, and a battery door that doesn't need tools to be opened, and Bob's your uncle. Bob, the gutter cleaner. Seriously, is this really a gutter cleaning robot or something else?

Yeah, that's what I thought.

iRobot Announces 2nd Generation Looj™ Gutter Cleaning Robot

World's Only Gutter-Cleaning Robot Sports New Internal Antenna, Anti-Flipping Auger and Smart Speed

LAS VEGAS, NV – Consumer Electronics Show – January 8, 2009 – iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT) today unveiled the second generation iRobot® Looj™ Gutter Cleaning Robot at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The Looj, which makes gutter cleaning fast and easy by reducing ladder work and dangerous over-reaching, has new features that help it break up clogged leaves and debris faster and improve overall performance.

"We listened to our customers and designed an updated Looj based on their feedback," said Matt Palma, Vice President Sales & Marketing, iRobot Home Robots Division. "The one-of-a-kind Looj saves people time and frees them from the dull, dirty and dangerous work of gutter cleaning better than ever."

New Looj features include:

· Internal antenna

· Anti-flipping auger

· Smart speed

· Tool-less battery door

The winner of the 2008 Best of CES Innovations Award, iRobot Looj is the only product of its kind. Controlled by a wireless remote that doubles as a detachable handle, the Looj cleans an entire stretch of gutter while the human operator stays in one spot, reducing the need to climb and reposition the ladder multiple times or juggle tools at dangerous heights.

The iRobot Looj Gutter Cleaning Robot drives easily under gutter straps, propelled by a three-stage auger that dislodges and eliminates dirt, leaves and debris that can cause water damage, overspills and ice dams in addition to creating a breeding ground for carpenter ants, mosquitoes and other pests.

The new Looj models 125, 135 and 155 will be available for purchase at www.irobot.com and select retailers this spring for a starting price of $129.99.

Developed for military and applications by Geosystems, the Situational Awareness Mast doesn't use a telescopic design to extend itself, which are very limited and can get extremely bulky and heavy in no time. In the case of the SAM—also called Zipper Mast—there are three metal rolls that assemble together in a triangle—like some kind of zipper—while going up, providing enough support and stability to lift objects up to 200 pounds. There are various models available:

• SAM 8, that goes from four inches to eight feet and can lift six pounds, enough for a video camera and other sensors.
• SAM 10, that goes up to 12 feet lifting 140 pounds, and costs $11,000.
• SAM 12/15, which raises from 15 inches to 15 feet with a 150 pounds weight limit.
• And the top-of-the-line SAM 20, that goes from 25 inches to 20 feet raising up to 200 pounds.

[Hizook via Defense Tech]

Computers

The Voodoo Envy 133 for $1,899 with free second battery (originally $2,099—also, the HP Blackbird 002's price has dropped to $1,799).

Computer Peripherals:

22" Viewsonic Widescreen LCD for $190 plus free shipping (originally $249.99 - valid until 11/10. Use rebate form).

Thermaltake Toughpower 750W Power Supply for $99.99 (originally $189.99 - valid until 11/15. Use rebate form).

Canon Pixma MP970 Photo All-In-One Inkjet Printer for $164.99 plus free shipping (originally $309.00).

D-Link DPH-50U IP Telephone Adapter for $14.99 plus free shipping (originally $24.99. Use this rebate form).

Compaq Presario SR5413WM Desktop for $249.99 plus free shipping (originally $599).

Laptop Accessories:

Belkin Messenger Bag for 15.4" Notebook for $9.99 (originally $24.99 - valid until 11/6. Use rebate form).

Audio Players and Accessories:

SanDisk Sansa e280 1.8" Black 8GB MP3 Player for $48 plus free shipping (originally $249.99).

Monster Cable iFreePlay Cordless Headphones for $34.99 plus free shipping (originally $49.95).

Flash Memory:

OCZ 4GB Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) Card, Class 6 for $0 (originally $12.99 - valid until 11/16. Use rebate form).

GPS Systems:

GARMIN nüvi 200W RFB 4.3" GPS Navigation for $124.99 plus free shipping (originally $249.99).

Mio Moov 300 Automobile Navigator GPS system for $164.99 plus free shipping (originally $229.95).

Home Accessories:

iRobot® Roomba 535 Vacuum-Cleaning Robot with 3-pack Replacement Filters for $237.99 plus free shipping (originally $349.97. Use coupon code C56574 for 15% off for new HSN customers).

iRobot Scooba Floor Washing Robotic Hard Surface Cleaner for $149 plus free shipping (originally $399.99).

[Thanks to Ubergizmo, Ben's Bargains, and Robot Stock News]

iRobot Introduces Roomba Pet and Professional Vacuum Cleaning Robots

New iRobot Roomba Pet Series Perfect for Pet Owners; Roomba Professional Series Handles Larger Areas and Office Spaces

BEDFORD, Mass.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT) today introduced the newest additions to its line of vacuum cleaning robots, the iRobot® Roomba® Pet Series Vacuum Cleaning Robot and the iRobot® Roomba® Professional Series Vacuum Cleaning Robot. Engineered and designed with pet owners in mind, the new iRobot Roomba 532 and 562 Pet Series Robots pick up even more pet hair and dander with the help of higher capacity sweeper bins and additional accessories. The new iRobot Roomba 610 Professional Series Robot cleans even the largest of areas, perfect for maintaining office spaces or large high traffic areas.

Help for Hairy Homes

The new Roomba Pet Series Vacuum Cleaning Robots make caring for a home with pets easier. The Pet Series robots come equipped with an extra set of easy-to-clean brushes, a high capacity sweeper bin for trapping even more pet hair, kitty litter or dander and cleaning tools for ensuring both sets of brushes remain free of debris so they can perform optimally. The sweeper bin holds three-and-a-half times more debris than the vacuum bin, and counter-rotating brushes reach deep into carpets to pull out pet hair and dander. The new iRobot Roomba Pet Series Robots are available immediately in the U.S. and range in price from $349 to $399.

The iRobot Roomba 532 Pet Series Vacuum Cleaning Robot, priced at $349, cleans up to three standard-sized rooms on a single charge. It comes standard with two Virtual Walls® that use infrared beams to confine and guide the Roomba from room to room and then return it to its Home Base when it is done vacuuming. The Roomba 532 also includes iRobot’s latest technological innovations, such as a light-touch bumper, advanced anti-tangle technology and the ability to transition from carpets to hard flooring with ease.

The iRobot Roomba 562 Pet Series Robot, priced at $399, comes with all of the same features found in the Roomba 532 model. In addition, it features an extra set of brushes and can clean up to four standard-sized rooms on a single charge. The Roomba 562 also includes an on-board scheduling function, so it can be programmed to automatically clean up to seven days a week, even when owners are away, and with the new high capacity sweeper bin, Roomba can pick up even more pet debris than ever before.

Going Pro

Designed for small business owners or those with larger areas to clean, the iRobot Roomba 610 Professional Series Vacuum Cleaning Robot features a high capacity sweeper bin, extra brushes and filters, and cleaning tools. It comes equipped with two interchangeable bins that can be utilized for either everyday cleaning or for picking up larger-than-usual amounts of debris. The Roomba 610 also comes with a convenient storage case to keep its extra accessories and sweeping bin organized and in one place.

Additionally, the Roomba 610 features Max Mode, which allows the Roomba to clean until the battery is almost drained, and then returns it to its Home Base, allowing the maximum cleaning effort possible in larger homes, offices or business settings. The Roomba 610 Professional Series retails for $599 and is the only iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaning robot to carry a two-year warranty.

The Roomba 610 features the same Roomba functionality customers have come to expect from iRobot. The Roomba 610 vacuums the entire floor, under and around furniture and along walls and adjusts automatically from carpets to hard floors. The Roomba 610 comes equipped with two Virtual Wall® Lighthouses™ and also features durable paint and a bumper guard, providing a scratch resistant finish to the Roomba and more protection for furniture.

All Roomba Pet and Professional Series robots include iRobot’s patented three-stage cleaning system that automatically adjusts to effectively clean carpets and hard floors. Roomba’s intelligent cleaning system evaluates its environment more than 60 times per second so the robot is always delivering the right amount of cleaning power to your floor, regardless of the size of the room, or the size of the pet.

Availability

The new iRobot Roomba Pet and Roomba Professional Series robots are available immediately in the U.S. from www.irobot.com.

[iRobot]

iRobot also plans on selling the Negotiators for $20,000 apiece—a fraction of the price Ahed was going to get from the military for the project (although the version has been significantly stripped down). The cheaper versions will be equipped with a video camera and little else—just enough to help small-scale police forces scout potentially dangerous situations.

In the end, iRobot executive Joe Dyer is excited about selling the Negotiator: "We always loved the design and the morphology. It's our design." Hahaha...snap. [Danger Room]

For instance, if someone shows fear, the robot can learn to change its behavior to appear less threatening. If someone seems happy, the robot can make a mental (or, I guess, digital) note of what brought on that response. And if someone seems upset and lonely, the robot can give her a pat on the back, offer her a stiff drink and say "Elaine, you deserved someone better than that dickwad anyhow."

I, for one, welcome our new emotionally adept overlords. [Physorg]

According to a detailed 84-page filing, various configurations are on the table, including all-electric model and a gasoline-electric hybrid. The filing also depicts several acoustic and optical sensors that will allow the robot to "avoid hard surfaces, water and other barriers," in addition to its main job: cut grass. The robot can even sense uncut grass and make sure the blades are aligned properly.







Other features gleaned from the filing by Robot Stock News:

• A possible edge trimmer along the outside edge of the chassis.
• The possibility of collecting clippings and depositing them at a specified location
• The possibility of using RFID tags or proximity sensors to avoid running into pets or people
• The possibility of learning your lawn in the first cutting and remembering it for future cuttings
• The inclusion of grass-combing technology to ensure that the grass is fluffed and properly oriented for cutting

[Robot Stock News]

Apparently these students from South Florida aren't the only ones working on iPhone Packbot controls, as the US Department of Energy's Idaho National Lab has been said to be doing similar research. If only there was so much fervor to give the iPhone a decent copy 'n paste application. [via Engadget]

While it may seem weird that iRobot would work on such an ambitious project, it is important to point out that this is not the first time the company has been involved with a military device, and the type of robots they design make them as good a candidate as any. Whether they can actually pull it off or not remains to be seen, but they will have a brain trust at Harvard and MIT backing them up—so you never know. [Danger Room]

What's even more interesting is that the old phrase of "I would have gotten away with it if it weren't for you meddling kids" might be applicable here, with Ahed standing a pretty good chance (thanks to a mysterious military contract backer) of getting away with this scheme if he didn't destroy evidence. After all, even the military contacts who were trying to choose between vendors were angling for his robot to win. [Wired]

The Packbot robot, which is manufactured by iRobot in Massachusetts, is 70 cm long, transports itself via inbuilt tracks and is usually controlled via joystick-like device. However, the joystick method is problematic because it separates speed and direction controls, therefore requiring the soldier's undivided attention. The Wiimote hacks works exactly as you would expect; by simply waving the remote around the robot moves accordingly, and when an object of explosive interest is detected, the Wiimote's in-built vibration feedback goes nuts. We're guessing the B-trigger shoots the on-board machine gun, and if it doesn't, it definitely should.

The crazy modding pair plan to get to work on the iPhone next. They reckon soldiers should not need to lug laptops around with them when a modified iPhone could do the task equally well. First stop; iPhone controlled Packbot, complete with streaming footage. Now, there's something you won't get going on WinMob. [New Scientist]

Despite the inroads iRobot's made, robotics hasn't become a true industry even though the idea of robotics has been around for 40-odd years. The goal of the company is to get robots in homes to be ubiquitous. Their market penetration is currently only 1-2%, but it's even lower among the non-gadgety middle Americans that they're aiming for. "One robot company doesn't make an industry."

Why are so few people getting into the robotics industry now? Colin says it's because the market is incredibly hard, the margins are terrible, and very few companies have the collective knowledge necessary to enter the market. It took them 10 years to get enough company knowledge from partnering with the industrial cleaning industry (among others) in order to create a robot that's cheap enough and good enough to be used as a consumer electronics device. Other companies like Samsung or LG—who can design a device with the highest-quality parts for the lowest prices—can possibly enter in the robotics field, but they haven't chosen to yet.

So what's to come? Angle emphasized the fact that robots are going to be necessary to live the way we've become accustomed to. As the population ages here and in places like Japan (where three out of every two people are over the age of 150), robots are going to have to provide health and home care for the elderly. iRobot is entering this market with their ConnectR webcam robot that lets doctors or nurses monitor someone at home and have a "presence" there without actually being there.

He says that Japan is making developments in this area, but most of their designs (like the robot that helps you get out of bed, the dead human picker-upper and the exoskeleton) seem too expensive for the average elderly person to afford. ConnectR is just a start, but the industry around care for the elders is just going to get bigger.

Colin also talked about the military industry, which they've entered into as well. Their PackBot, which helped clean out mines in Afghanistan before moving onto Iraq, is just the tip of the iceberg. By using robots instead of humans to do dangerous missions like cleaning out a building, our military can use non-lethal force because the operator of the robot isn't concerned about his own life. This "shoot second" principal is supposed to save lives, even when we arm robots with weapons, as they're starting to. And with these lethal robots, there's always going to be a human "in the loop," meaning there won't be any autonomous killer robots that annihilate humanity.

Another very interesting piece of the robotics puzzle lay in the oil industry, which they developed a robot for in the mid to late '90s that improved oil refining by 100%. There wasn't a huge demand then, but there's obviously going to be a giant demand soon.

If iRobot's CEO has his way, we're going to have a robot in all of our houses. We can't wait.

iRobot Selects Create Challenge Contest Winner

BURLINGTON, Mass., Oct. 30, 2007 - iRobot Corp. (Nasdaq: IRBT) today announced a winner in the iRobot Create Challenge contest. Built using the iRobot® Create® Programmable Robot, the winning entry, titled "Personal Home Robot," was designed to make life around the house more convenient and entertaining. It can water plants, control lights and appliances, play music and remind owners to take medication. The robot's creator, Danh Trinh, 35, of Towson, Md., won $5,000.

"This is an excellent example of the enthusiasm people bring to the idea of building robots," said Helen Greiner, co-founder and chairman, iRobot Corp. "Contestants put in amazing efforts creating exciting and imaginative robots for the challenge. We saw everything from robots that serve food and drinks to robots that paint pictures and can be remotely controlled from distant locations."

The iRobot Create Challenge was sponsored by Tom's Hardware Guide (www.tomshardware.com) and hosted by Instructables (www.instructables.com). Entries were judged on aesthetics, intelligence, utility, entertainment value, completeness and originality. A photo and description of the winning robot is posted at http://www.instructables.com/id/iRobot-Create-Personal-Home-Robot/. For more information about the contest, or to see the other entries, please visit http://www.tomshardware.com/irobot.

iRobot Create is an affordable, programmable robot designed for aspiring roboticists, advanced high school and college students and serious robot developers. Create comes preassembled, so developers can design new robots without having to build a mobile robot from scratch. With Create, developers can begin designing new robot applications out of the box. The 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.

2:16 Do you believe? He's not turning people into believers of robots. He's turning them into lovers of robots.

2:18 Showing product testimonials. Attribution? Probably his family members.

2:20 A demo of a Roomba working. Not even a new Roomba. This is turning into quite a preamble. He calls a baby a mud machine and a dog a shedding device. Charming.
2:24 Still the demo. No news yet. Channel Steve Jobs, Colin. He's moving on to the Scooba demo.


2:30 iLooj is announced. Details, spilled by the FCC, are here. Available now from iRobot.com and for $99.

2:37 iRobot ConnectR virtual visiting robot is announced. It features mobile teleconferencing and has a camera and mic. Details on iRobot's website already; $500, but for $199 you can drive around the first set of pilot program models (READ: beta).

2:42 iRobot ConnectR UI revealed. Shows angle of lens tilt and zoom. Has a light.

2:44 The first closeup of the ConnectR. It looks like a red toilet seat. It could show some personality with different colors. Uses a recharging dock. Taser hack imminent, instant security droid.

2:47 Warning, the following photos are creepy. Remote play of board games, playing with your pet, etc...


2:49 Here's the FAQ

The creators of the Roomba, iRobot Corp. of Burlington, MA., have been plenty busy of late. Along with providing the military with IED-disrupting Packbots, the company released the Verro pool cleaning robot in April, the Scooba mop-bot last November, and the programmable Create at CES in January, 2007. The Discovery line, which is the third generation, came out in 2004, and the Discovery with scheduling capabilities, which is the fourth generation, came out shortly after. But aside from some feature adds and lower end models, iRobot hasn't supplied any real improvements to its vacuuming robots in more than two years.

As with earlier models of Roomba, the 500 series rolls around the house sensing dirt and vacuuming the floor for about 45 minutes per room. Using an array of sensors, it pokes into every corner and cranny eating up dirt. One of the most significant changes is that the Roomba now has an array of IR sensors running along the front bumper. Previous versions of Roomba noisily banged into walls and furniture at full speed. But the sensor array, along with optimized software, helps the Roomba to slow down a bit before impact. This collision detection feature makes running the floorvac while writing a review of it much less distracting than in the past, although the folks at iRobot say they have always been surprised by the number of people who sit around watching the Roomba run rather than just leaving the house.

Roomba owners interact with the bots in all kinds of counter-intuitive ways, and I'm not even talking about the people who dress them up in French maid costumes. But that's part of why iRobot decided to re-think and user test every single detail for the 500 series. They even experimented with different shapes and dimensions (they stuck with round, obviously). The interface buttons have changed, there used to be four and they were not terribly intuitive. Now there is a big "Clean" button and another one that says "Dock" and that's about all you need to know to operate this robot. And in case that's not enough, iRobot has built a vocal tutorial into the unit. The voice module also alerts you if it gets broken.

The 13-inch diameter of Roomba remains intact because it's the standard width between chair legs. But the old model had a slanted edge that often got wedged into places it couldn't get out of. The Roomba is now uniformly disc shaped, thicker and deeper as well. With more cubic space, the Roomba can accomodate a larger chamber for dirt, and a more powerful motor. The vacuum power has been increased 100 percent, according to iRobot. They didn't want to get into specifics about amps or horsepower because it's not a good measure of the suction. (The power rating wasn't anywhere in the documentation either, so I'll leave it to an enterprising commenter to report back on this.)

The brushes on the underside were re-designed to shoot larger chunks of debris into the bin. And the suspension on the wheels was improved to give Roomba greater mobility over thresholds (it surmounted the 1/2-inch rise between my kitchen and dining room with ease). And yes, Roomba now works on big thick carpets too.

The old Roomba was no match for electric cords or the tassled fringes on most rugs. This was a fatal problem, because it required you to Roomba-proof the house before cleaning. The 500 series finally overcomes the tangle problem by stalling the brushes momentarily whenever a tassle is encountered, then moving away. This feature is not perfect, - smaller cords, like the power cords for cellphones, will probably still get munched by Roomba. But it worked for every other type of cord it encountered in my house.

As before, some Roomba models come with "Virtual Walls" that confine Roomba to a single room. The 560 ships with a pair of vastly improved "Virtual Wall Lighthouse" barriers. Unlike the old walls, which used IR to communicate with Roomba, the Lighthouses use three IR beams and RF to allow for a systematic room-to-room cleaning. As the Roomba begins cleaning the kitchen, for example, the LIghthouse acts as a barrier. When the Roomba has finished cleaning the kitchen, it sends a signal to the lighthouse, which will then instruct Roomba to pass into the next room and continue its cleaning. This worked perfectly in my tests, as the Roomba scooted under the dining room table but never lost track of the Lighthouse. And then, after about 30 minutes in the living room, crossed the barrier and began cleaning the kitchen. The Lighthouses, it turns out, also help Roomba to understand how large a room is, thus making it more efficient.

Roomba's larger internal capacity has another benefit which I've saved for the end because it's so interesting. The bottom of the 500 series has been overhauled, and made modular. Unscrewing the bottom cover reveals that every component of the new Roomba is modular and user-replaceable. If the caster wheel goes bad, just pop it out, get a new one and pop it back in. iRobot claims that this, along with better seals that keep out grit, will extend the life of the floorvac five-fold. This is more important than it appears, because Roomba owners vacuum a lot more than expected - three or four times per week, as it turns out. The 500 series is tested to withstand 4 runs per week and last three-to-five years.

The modular components also make the Roomba even more hack-able than before. iRobot even acknowledges as much on the packaging of the 560 itself - a sticker appears on the wrapping around the Roomba that reads in part: "For software programmers interested in giving Roomba new functionality we encourage you to do so."

One last thing, just as in earlier models the designer have hidden some easter eggs in the Roomba. Let the hunt begin.

There are 3 models in the 500 series, which goes on sale today. The 510 is the most basic model, it does not have a docking station, and sells for $250. The 530 includes a home base for the Roomba to automatically dock with, and the old style virtual walls, for $299. The 560 includes the dock and the Virtual Wall Lighthouses for $349.

For the curious, this is what some have called a true-to-life transformer, an iRobot PackBot outfitted with a gas-powered propeller engine and a steerable parafoil. The concept, dubbed the Griffon man-portable hybrid, was conceived and built by iRobot's Brian Yamauchi and Pavlo Rudakevych, and the video of the ill-fated test flight was shot sometime in the last three or four years. You can download a PDF of their Griffon research paper here.

And yes, to that one guy who plans on explaining that these are not actually "robots" because they operate by remote control rather than their own artificial intelligence: We get it. We just love the word. Robot Robot Robot!

Real-world transformers [New Scientist]

I personally think one will be some kind of a pet-aide. Like a robot that can dispense food on a schedule and maybe even scoop a cat box. If you remember, iRobot announced the Create back at CES, but this supposedly isn't it. Hit the comments and let us know what you think it will be or should be. –Travis Hudson

iRobot: New home bots for the holidays [News.com]

Despite its midget Johnny 5 looks, the bot will have a video camera and infrared sensors, which along with its toughened shell, will allow its operator to guide it through rugged terrain. It's expected to be ready for use next year. – Louis Ramirez

Press Release [via Gearfuse]

The Verro 300 ($799) is best for harder surfaces (like concrete) while the Verro 600 ($1,199) is intended for tile or vinyl. Not a bad way to clean your pool. – Louis Ramirez

Press Release [via Electronista]

So does this mean there's a more sophisticated robotic vacuum lurking around the corner? Could be, though I'm still waiting for the day we have robot maids. – Louis Ramirez

Dyson Preparing a Roomba Killer [New Scientist via Gadget Lab]

Which I do. –Brian Lam

Review: iRobot Scooba, One Year Later [Dethroner]

Press Release [iRobot]

Product Page [Woot]