Looking back at iRobot’s diversification attempts through the years

Several of iRobot’s ceased robotics, consisting of the Mirra, Looj, Scooba, and Terra.|Resource: iRobot, Wikipedia, and Adobe Supply

Now, iRobot Corp.’s future doubts. The firm formally began the Phase 11 personal bankruptcy procedure previously this month. It stated it anticipates the procedures to be completed by February 2026 and for Roomba robotic vacuum cleaners to run usually throughout the restructuring.

While iRobot is best understood for the Roomba, in its over 35 years of procedure up until now, the Bedford, Mass.-based firm has actually established a series of various other robotics. Allow’s recall at a few of the several robotics iRobot has actually established besides the Roomba.

iRobot origins remained in room expedition with Genghis

The Genghis robotic made use of airplane servos.|Resource: Smithsonian Air and Room Gallery

Genghis was initially established at the MIT laboratory of Rodney Brooks, among iRobot’s founders, around 1991. Brooks developed Genghis for room expedition.

The six-legged, insect-like robotic made use of aircraft servos for its leg electric motors. Genghis showed exactly how intricate habits, such as crawling, might be accomplished making use of a network of easy, decentralized controllers as opposed to a main control system.

As Opposed To having a main controller, each leg on the robotic had its very own integrated sensing units that would certainly notice challenges in its course. The legs were set with a couple of standard habits and might separately respond to various circumstances.

Genghis has actually gotten on screen at the National Air and Room Gallery of the Smithsonian Establishment in Washington, D.C.

Ariel identified and got rid of mines in browse areas

Prior to offering its armed forces robotics device in 2016, iRobot established several robotics for armed forces applications. Ariel was among the earliest. Established in 1996, this robotic strolled sidewards, like a crab, undersea to look for mines on the sea flooring.

While iRobot took organic ideas for Ariel’s layout, the robotic had not been susceptible to being stuck on its back like a crab turned by the waves or a killer. Rather, Ariel might reorient itself and its legs to maintain strolling with its body inverted.

Regardless of these benefits, Ariel additionally had its downsides. The robotic’s legs were susceptible to obtaining embeded big rocks.

iRobot’s best-known armed forces robotic: PackBot

iRobot’s PackBot.|Resource: iRobot

iRobot initially began creating PackBot in 1998 after it won a DARPA agreement to construct a tactical mobile robotic. The robotic would ultimately develop right into an entire collection of armed forces robotics developed for situational understanding, reconnaissance, and eruptive ordnance disposal (EOD), to name a few objectives.

In 2001, the PackBot aided to browse the Globe Profession Facility after the September 11 terrorist strikes. A year later on, the robotic was released with united state soldiers for the very first time.

In 2009, the united state armed force had greater than 2,000 PackBots on terminal in Iraq and Afghanistan. A couple of years later on, PackBot was made use of to collect information on the harmful problems at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear calamity website.

iRobot launched a couple of various PackBot versions. These consisted of PackBot Precursor, the standard PackBot setup; PackBot Traveler, which had a haul that allows it to peek over challenges; and PackBot EOD, which concentrated on EOD.

My Genuine Child was initial iRobot home system

It may be unexpected to find out that iRobot’s initial robotic for home usage had not been the Roomba hoover yet rather was My Genuine Child, a robot plaything. iRobot created this item in collaboration with Hasbro and introduced it in 2000.

My Genuine Child was suggested to resemble an actual human baby. It included animatronic faces to be psychologically meaningful and receptive.

Post-Roomba, iRobot checked out wiping

In 2005, iRobot launched the Scooba, its floor-washing robotic. The firm maintained the Scooba line to life up until 2016, when it obtained Braava from Advancement Robotics.

Very early versions of the Scooba needed either an unique non-bleach cleansing option or white vinegar to clean tough floorings. While later designs might scrub floorings with simply simple water.

iRobot ceased the Braava line in 2025 when it changed to its Roomba-branded vacuum/mob mixes.

Dust Pet dealt with commercial floorings

iRobot’s following industrial robotic was the Dust Pet, launched in 2006. This variation of the Roomba was developed to scoop in workshops. It might get tiny items like nuts, screws, dust, and particles from a workshop or comparable flooring.

Dust Pet dealt with tough floorings, store carpetings, and various other commercial flooring surface areas. iRobot ceased that robotic in 2010.

iRobot meddled leisure activity robotics with Develop

In 2007, iRobot launched Develop, a programmable mobile leisure activity robotic. The robotic made it possible for customers to alter or adjust the robotic’s features via testing with the standard components of robotics.

Customers might additionally include sensing units, grippers, cordless links, computer systems, or various other equipment.

In the years following its preliminary launch, iRobot introduced Develop 2 and Develop 3. Later on, in 2019, iRobot obtained Origin, an academic coding robotic.

Verro and Mirra handled swimming pool cleansing

Throughout its prime time, iRobot launched 2 various lines of pool-cleaning robotics. Its initial was Verro, launched in 2007. Verro was initially established by firms coming from Aqua Products Team, which had actually remained in the pool-cleaning organization for years. At launch, iRobot stated Verro might cleanse swimming pools from flooring to waterline in 60 to 90 mins.

In 2013, iRobot introduced Mirra 530, one more pool-cleaning robotic. The robotic might cleanse a swimming pool’s flooring and wall surfaces of big and tiny particles. Mirra was ceased in 2014.

Remote-controlled Looj cleansed seamless gutters

2007 was a hectic year for iRobot. Together with leisure activity robotics and pool-cleaning robotics, it additionally launched Looj, a seamless gutter cleansing robotic.

Unlike iRobot’s various other offerings, Looj had not been independent. Rather, maybe from another location managed to steer right into many seamless gutters and remove particles like fallen leaves and yearn needles.

The robotic was imitated a plaything storage tank with lengthy footsteps that aided it relocate inside the seamless gutters. iRobot ceased Looj in 2017.

Seaglider was made use of in scholastic and armed forces applications

iRobot established the Seaglider, a dual-role independent undersea robotic, with the College of Washington. Seaglider might run for months over hundreds of kilometers on one battery cost.

That robotic offered researchers and marine knowledge with oceanographic dimensions and be made use of in armed forces applications. In 2010, Seaglider aided to keep an eye on the Deepwater Perspective oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It identified undersea swimming pools of oil.

iRobot made venture right into telepresence robotics

In 2012, iRobot revealed the RP-VITA Remote Existence Robotic. This robotic was established with InTouch Health and wellness to permit remote doctor-to-patient consults. In 2013, it made 510( k) clearance by the united state Fda (FDA) for usage in healthcare facilities.

iRobot stated the RP-VITA might be made use of for energetic person surveillance in pre-operative, peri-operative, and post-surgical setups. While iRobot aided create this robotic, it was offered by InTouch Health and wellness.

In 2013, iRobot dealt with Cisco to bring the Ava 500 video clip partnership robotic to market. The telepresence robotic might allow individuals functioning off-site to join conferences and discussions where activity and area spontaneity are essential. Ava Robotics drew out of iRobot in 2016.

Terra, the lawn mower that never ever left growth

While Terra was never ever really launched to the general public, it was still a noteworthy component of iRobot’s trip. Terra was iRobot’s robot mower.

This item was formally revealed in 2019 and afterwards postponed in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The firm never ever went back to Terra hereafter hold-up.

The blog post Recalling at iRobot’s diversity efforts via the years showed up initially on The Robotic Record.