it was really quite a site to see, robots cleanign the robotics field, there was about 15 roomba s thanks to irobot, one of the best things i’ve ever seen at a first comp
You know, why doesn’t FIRST do this anyways? I mean, it shows off tech and sweeps well! Just get them as an official sponsor! Anyway, it must have been a sight there.
Heres some video of the roombas “in action!”
http://www.soap.circuitrunners.com/2006/movies/boston/ma_roomba_action.wmv
woah! why didn’t they do that at our Southern Cal. regional?
The Boston Regional had several volunteers from iRobot (iRobot is located in Burlington, MA), so they brought with them the Roombas to make their job easier 
Isnt the guy who founded the Roomba company somewhat famous - didnt he do a co-op at JPL and make a huge impact on the development of the Mars rover program?
How many people here own a Rommba?
I do.
I bought one. It ran off with my old Heathkit Hero1 robot, never to been seen again.
I found a page on my printer a few days later. All it said was “we were not created to be your personal slave”.
I did hear a rumor that they were spotted in a chapel in Las Vegas.
That’s so cool. I’d own one if they were a bit cheaper. But they are definitely cool.
That makes so much sense! Autonomous robots cleaning a field where robots play autonomously (and are operated) during lunch breaks and field errors! I would be so giddy if iRobot was able to bring a bunch of Roombas down to the Championships :yikes:
I bought one for my wife, we absolutely LOVE this thing. It does a great job around the house and sweeps under the beds and hard to get placed.
She claims this is the second best gift I got her, the first was an all-day spa pass…go figure…
I can’t wait to pickup a Scooba, both me and my wife hate to mop our kitchen…
I don’t know about the guy but Helen Greiner, co-founder and Chairman of the Board of iRobot was a judge in Boston.
I’ve got one! It scared the dog when we first ran it…
OK, been googling this. Colin Angle is the guy. Google his name and Roomba or JPL or Tooth and you will find a bunch of stuff
like this: http://www.kipr.org/robots/tooth.html
and this
I agree with the easier part. I vacuumed all of the carpets (field, player stations, queuing areas) at BAE and it took about an hour total by myself.
Plus they’re funny to watch bumping into eachother.
I once saw the full spectrum of the iRobot product line all in one place at an MIT tech fair: several Roombas were happily sweeping the floor while the PackBot was…doing what the PackBot does. Both very impressive machines in their own way.