Roombas have evolved over the years into a fairlyimpressive product, except when it comes to corners. Apparently bothered by this, iRobot's engineers have patented a Roomba with a corner specialty. The secret trick: it's square.
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]