iRobot Moves Into Your House

MacAndrew writes "An NYT article today expands beyond an earlier /. and annoying futurism to a multiplying line of robots from iRobot, founded by some tinkering MIT grads in Somerville, MA. The robots have found applications ranging from chasing dust bunnies ($200) to exploring the Great Pyramid to bumping around Afghan caves for mines (a war reporter is another possibility), and so appear to be moving beyond the gee whiz Rosie Jetson stage of technology. I'm intrigued that their company name so bluntly builds off of Apple and Asimov symbols, and the prospect that a product with such a chummy name will doubtless soon be sporting lethal force (cf. Predator's recent adventures. So -- anyone get one for Xmas? Chanukah? Or just fun?"

Comments

In 1999...

[webword]

"I'm intrigued that their company name so bluntly builds off of Apple and Asimov symbols, and the prospect that a product with such a chummy name will doubtless soon be sporting lethal force..."

This doesn't surpise me at all. If this happened in 1999, it would be "eRobot" or "Robot.com" instead. The marketing drones just go with what is hot. They just throw around buzz.

Wrong Direction

[CatWrangler]

Little droids are not the answer. Smart technology that is seamless, like an anti electo static floor that is combined with low lying filters that suck up dust bunnies will be more practical and marketable in the long run.

Robots are cool at first, but they will become as obtrusive as a visit from the mother-in-law. You do not want to trip over one of these things at 2am when you are raiding the fridge.

It is also bad enough when the dog is looking at you when you are having sex, but a robot running around the room straightening up while you are doing the nasty is probably worse(unless you are into that kinda thing).

Give people seamless technology, that is as unobtrusive and "invisible" as possible, and you will have a winner.