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. Several updates and new models have since been released that allow the Roombas to better negotiate obstacles and optimize cleaning.

The Roomba was introduced in 2002. As of February 2011, iRobot claims that over 6 million units have been sold. Part of the success of the Roomba is that it can be easily adapted to perform other robotic tasks when extended with an embedded computer connected to the Roomba Open Interface.

The Roomba features a set of basic sensors that allow it to prevent itself from falling down stairs, change its direction when it bumps into an obstacle, and detect exceptionally dirty spots on the floor. It has two motorized wheels that can operate independently from each other. The Roomba uses the wheels to move forward and turn around its own axis to go in another direction.