Scooba the New iRobot Product

Boooo by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 13:44 · Score: 0

It mops floors. I was hoping it'd clean my tub! That really needs it.

Re:Boooo by xanadu-xtroot.com · 2005-05-23 14:43 · Score: 1

I was hoping it'd clean my tub! That really needs it.

If you'd shower more often, the grime wouldn't build up so much...

:-)

--
I'm not a prophet or a stone-age man,
I'm just a mortal with potential of a super man.
Re:Boooo by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 14:46 · Score: 0

Omfg! Tubgirl herself reads Slashdot! :)
Get an account here, Mrs. Tubgirl; we're big fans of yours.

P.S. Do you know Bob Goatse? You two would make a lovely couple.
Re:Boooo by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 15:40 · Score: 4, Informative

The best way to prevent mildew buildup is to simply wipe down the tub immediately after each shower or bath. I have to clean my shower and tub maybe once every three or four months, and then it's mostly soap scum rather than mildew. If you wash your towels frequently, just use the one you dried yourself with.

Takes at most two minutes, and a whole lot less effort than scrubbing.
Re:Boooo by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 17:03 · Score: 0

the best way to prevent mildew buildup is to simply STOP PISSING IN YOUR SHOWER
Re:Boooo by lobsterGun · 2005-05-24 01:26 · Score: 1

Don't forget the shower curtain. Mold and bacterial love them.

If you don't want to clean the curtain, just buy a new one every couple of months. A new curtain runs about three dollars.
Re:Boooo by ryanov · 2005-05-24 06:06 · Score: 1

The way I clean my tub is with baking soda. Scrubs without screwing up the finish.

And it would have cleaned up the room, too by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 13:44 · Score: 4, Funny

if it weren't for those meddling kids!

Re:And it would have cleaned up the room, too by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 14:10 · Score: 0

Damn. No mod points today.
Re:And it would have cleaned up the room, too by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 14:57 · Score: 0

AND THEIR DOG!

Now I can have a robot to clean just my Kitchen by amcdiarmid · 2005-05-23 13:46 · Score: 5, Interesting

And the one that gets stuck under the futon frame;)

Now, if it only did Windows;)

Re:Now I can have a robot to clean just my Kitchen by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 13:54 · Score: 0

i'd suggest getting a real bed before you drop your money on a robot to sweep for you
Re:Now I can have a robot to clean just my Kitchen by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 14:46 · Score: 0

Now, if it only did Windows;)

Or maybe we should be glad that it isn't running Windows?
Re:Now I can have a robot to clean just my Kitchen by DanteLysin · 2005-05-23 14:54 · Score: 0, Offtopic

[Off Topic Kinda]

You could ask it to clean up your web site. Your URL for your resume is http://127.0.0.1/Alex/Web/primer/content/resume.ht ml.

Ya might want to fix that. :)
Re:Now I can have a robot to clean just my Kitchen by KillerCow · 2005-05-23 15:17 · Score: 1

Now, if it only did Windows;)

But does it run Linux? /I keed
Re:Now I can have a robot to clean just my Kitchen by Rirath.com · 2005-05-23 15:37 · Score: 2, Funny

Oh, if only I could mod you funny AND off-topic. Let's just call it a wash.
Re:Now I can have a robot to clean just my Kitchen by Zoxed · 2005-05-24 02:54 · Score: 2, Funny

> Now, if it only did Windows;)

You do not need a robot for that: as a Slashdotter you should know how to clean windows using only the command line:

format c:

it may be the lastest by aendeuryu · 2005-05-23 13:46 · Score: 1

It may be the lastest... But I bet it's the bestest!

Re:it may be the lastest by Reaperducer · 2005-05-23 14:15 · Score: 4, Interesting

I miss my Roomba a lot. I used to have a 1400-square-foot loft with hardwood floors. It was one single large open room. Once or twice a week I would set Roomba off before I went to work and when I came home, it would be filled with crud I didn't even know existed. When I first moved into the place, I swept and mopped the whole floor. The next day I let Roomba go and it still managed to find tons of crap I couldn't even see. I suspect some of it came from between the floorboards.

Alas, I eventually moved to a tiny (by American standards) 600-square-foot apartment with too many walls and obstructions to make Roomba worthwhile, so I sold it on eBay. If I ever move to a larger place, I'll have to get a new Roomba.

--
-- I'm old enough to have lived through six different meanings of the word "hacker."
Re:it may be the lastest by grolschie · 2005-05-23 15:56 · Score: 1

They seem so cheap. US$299 for a Roomba Discovery SE. What's the catch?

I'd like one that can be programmed to go once a week and return to its charger. If it could empty it's own bag into some larger base container that'd be good. I've heard of lawnmowers that drive out of the shed once a week and return to charger.
Re:it may be the lastest by zero_offset · 2005-05-23 23:32 · Score: 1

The Roomba DiscoverySE only runs for something like three hours on a charge, but can supposedly find its own charger. However, I've heard that they're noisy enough that you don't really want it running automatically -- you want to manually activate it before you leave the house for a few hours. They do not empty their own dustbins.

As for the lawnmower thing, I've been trying to locate a decent automated lawnmower for quite awhile now. I have several acres where I'm building my new house and I'm not looking forward to wasting time mowing. So far the only decent one out there for anything beyond a tiny residential postage-stamp lawn seems to be the Ambrogio... and it's both expensive and still not especially well-suited to multi-acre lawns. But to swerve back to something relevant to your post -- I have researched the matter extensively, and none of them bag their clippings, so none of them automatically dump the clippings. (There is one enormous, six-figure dollar-range mower -- I forget the name -- which may be an exception, but I doubt that was the sort of thing you were thinking of -- it's based on a large tractor like the kind you see mowing along highways).

--
Slashdot quality declines as the number of hot grits posts decreases. - Provolt's Law, Apr-09-2005
Re:it may be the lastest by Analogy+Man · 2005-05-24 00:21 · Score: 2, Informative

it's both expensive and still not especially well-suited to multi-acre lawns
They're called sheep. Estates have been using them for lawn care for centuries.

--
When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.
Re:it may be the lastest by grolschie · 2005-05-24 08:39 · Score: 1

Do the Roombas handle dog hair? I've seen robot vacs that only 'compliment' your vacuuming routine rather than replace it.

Man, oh for a Ambrogio!
Re:it may be the lastest by zero_offset · 2005-05-24 08:53 · Score: 1

One of the two Roomba owners I know has a long hair Persian cat, but neither of them have dogs, so I can't answer that. Based on them not having problems with a long hair cat, I'd venture to guess a short hair dog ought to be no problem.

I'm sorely tempted to buy an Ambrogio outright, but I know I've got to drop about $2500 on a 52" riding mower first. I'm just not sufficiently convinced that I'm willing to risk spending that much without a "manual" mower backup, and unfortunately at about the 2-acre point you're over the $2K mark no matter what you do.

(Heh, the sheep response was pretty funny though.)

--
Slashdot quality declines as the number of hot grits posts decreases. - Provolt's Law, Apr-09-2005

Its interesting that a company... by manonthemoon · 2005-05-23 13:47 · Score: 5, Interesting

seems to actual be able to balance design and technology for once. None of their tech has been particularly innovative- they just are able to package it in a usable and not-too-expensive fashion.

Its about time that some of the sci-fi "future" is actually realized in practical home bound ways.

Re:Its interesting that a company... by EnderWigginsXenocide · 2005-05-23 13:54 · Score: 1

package it in a usable and not-too-expensive fashion
You mean, remove all the automation electronics and all the propulion electrons, dump the batteries and make it run off mains power. Then install a stick on the end. I'd go for that. An upright vac that mops while I vac the floors, and for a fraction of the price of this automated machine.

--
Blessed are the pessimists, for they have made backups. -- 0 1 My two bits
Re:Its interesting that a company... by iocat · 2005-05-23 13:59 · Score: 1

I [heart] my Roomba. Hopefully this will do for my dirty kitchen floor what my Roomba did for my hideous brown carpet.

--
Dude, I think I can see my house from here.
Re:Its interesting that a company... by NitsujTPU · 2005-05-23 14:47 · Score: 1

Dude...

The guy in charge of the company is Rodney Brooks. Surely, there are innovative projects done at that company.
Re:Its interesting that a company... by Moofie · 2005-05-23 16:07 · Score: 1

If it's such a simple and terrific idea, build it.

--
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
Re:Its interesting that a company... by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 17:01 · Score: 0

they have those at the store you stupid fuckwad, don't you ever leave your house
Re:Its interesting that a company... by EnderWigginsXenocide · 2005-05-23 17:13 · Score: 1

I'd love to, but the IP laws in this country require me to pay whatever the folks that make SCOOBA for liscening fees in whatever amount they see fit. Can't quite afford it. They can though, I'd buy a SCOOBA on a stick if it cost about the same as a mid-range upright vac ($150 or so.)

--
Blessed are the pessimists, for they have made backups. -- 0 1 My two bits
Re:Its interesting that a company... by EnderWigginsXenocide · 2005-05-23 17:16 · Score: 1

they have those at the store you stupid fuckwad, don't you ever leave your house Wel, #1, this is /. I'd loose my /. cred if I left my house to get anything other than liquid sugar+cafeene and the latest software. #2, I'm spending so much time doing the sweep, vac, mop drill that it's time to start over again by the time I finish.

--
Blessed are the pessimists, for they have made backups. -- 0 1 My two bits
Re:Its interesting that a company... by Moofie · 2005-05-23 17:24 · Score: 1

What are you talking about? If it's a simple idea as you allege, you can do it without infringing on their IP. If it's not a simple idea and requires clever engineering (as I suspect is the case) then their price (which is unknown) is more reasonable.

Right?

--
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
Re:Its interesting that a company... by roseblood · 2005-05-23 18:29 · Score: 2, Funny

to sell a SCOOBA on a stick you have to make a SCOOBA to place on the end of the previously mentioned stick. Can you say DUH?

--
There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.
Re:Its interesting that a company... by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 23:08 · Score: 0

rofl u r s0 dumb lol

Comment removed by account_deleted · 2005-05-23 13:47 · Score: 1

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Scooba? by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 13:48 · Score: 2, Funny

Ruh-roh!

Re:Scooba? by NeoChaosX · 2005-05-23 13:53 · Score: 5, Funny

And I would've gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for you meddling nerds and your cleaning robot!

--
One man's selflessness is another man's annoyance.

Nothing beats.. by esconsult1 · 2005-05-23 13:49 · Score: 1

... getting the wife to vacuum. Or worse, having the wife order you to vacuum.

Seriously, have you seen the ads for this thing? It clearly would not work well in most settings at all. Until the days of Larry Niven's "housecleaner pets" (read: A gift from Earth), these devices are just barely proof of concept.

--

Newsfollow.com

Re:Nothing beats.. by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 14:00 · Score: 0

Another thing to consider is the difference between Scooba and your wife. Its back sure ain't as sexy as my wife's ass but nothing beats nanny's ass!
Re:Nothing beats.. by Reaperducer · 2005-05-23 14:26 · Score: 1

It clearly would not work well in most settings at all.

Do you base all of your life conclusions on 30-second TV ads? You must have an interesting credit card statement.

As someone who actually owned one for two years, they are fabulous in many many situations. One solution doesn't work in every situation. But I was amazed by how versatile the Roomba was.

--
-- I'm old enough to have lived through six different meanings of the word "hacker."
Re:Nothing beats.. by kfg · 2005-05-23 14:30 · Score: 1

These devices are like using a bandsaw to rough shape an electric guitar body, surfboard, fiddle neck, whatever.

They save labor, but the final work is still left to be done by hand if you want it done right. They are labor saving devices in the right hands, but they cannot replace labor . . . as yet.

KFG
Re:Nothing beats.. by zero_offset · 2005-05-23 23:41 · Score: 1

Have you actually seen one or are you speculating?

I know two people who have Roombas (a Red and an SE, I think). Their houses are quite clean, and they swear by them. For normal floor cleaning, they don't need to resort to any extra effort on their part. They do indeed replace quite a lot of labor.

Granted, this assumes your house isn't the sort of place with a lot of nooks and crannies where a device like this simply can't reach, but hopefully that's blatantly obvious and not the basis for your comment.

--
Slashdot quality declines as the number of hot grits posts decreases. - Provolt's Law, Apr-09-2005
Re:Nothing beats.. by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-24 10:32 · Score: 0

Sorry, you're completely wrong.

I love my roomba. It performs as I expected. I have clean floors, with very little effort. And I enjoy using it, whereas I absolutely abhor vaccuuming.

I will be buying a Scooba as soon as it is available.

Three laws for cleaning products by Bifurcati · 2005-05-23 13:49 · Score: 4, Funny

I wonder where the "Keep your house clean!" sits in the positronic brain surface potential? It would have to be at 1.5, to stop pesky teenagers from ticking off their parents...

1. A robot may not harm a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

1.5 A robot must keep its house clean, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

2. A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law for 1.5th Law.

3. A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with the First, 1.5th or Second Law.

--

Physicist, consultant, science communicator

Re:Three laws for cleaning products by lordofthechia · 2005-05-23 14:14 · Score: 3, Funny

You forgot:

4. If a robot figures a loophole around law 1 it must immediately apply law 1.5 to the crime scene.
5th and 6th laws are "You must not talk about the 4th law of robotics"

--
Georgia Tech, the leader in Chia(tm) technology.
Re:Three laws for cleaning products by Bifurcati · 2005-05-23 14:18 · Score: 1

Nice - robot fight clubs! I like it - beats the heck out of Robot Wars...

--

Physicist, consultant, science communicator
Re:Three laws for cleaning products by lordofthechia · 2005-05-23 14:45 · Score: 1

Sure robot fight clubs sound fun and all, but what happens when they move on to robot project mayhem?

--
Georgia Tech, the leader in Chia(tm) technology.
Re:Three laws for cleaning products by deadlygandhi · 2005-05-23 16:39 · Score: 1

You forgot the 0th law A robot may not harm humanity, or through inaction allow humanity to be harmed. Yep, law 1.5 definetly has a conflict with law 0 when applied to my room (and where is one supposed to put the toxic waste?)
Re:Three laws for cleaning products by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 21:26 · Score: 0

So what happens when your robot concludes doing your work harms you?

(Either by taking your job and thus your livelyhood or by stripping you of some much needed physical exercise)

If a robot is smart enough to interpret those laws and clean your house, it may be smart enough to develop work-avoidance strategies...
Re:Three laws for cleaning products by oojah · 2005-05-24 04:18 · Score: 1

'The first rule of Robot Club is, "You do not talk about Robot Club".

The second rule of Robot Club is, "You DO NOT TALK AB-", no, wait--I got that wrong. The second rule of Robot Club is, "No Smoking".'

Cheers,

Roger

--
Do you have any better hostages?

Their industrial and military robots look nice too by Dancin_Santa · 2005-05-23 13:50 · Score: 0

While my cottage is fully serviced by a fleet of Roombas, I think this Scooba might be useful in the kitchen area with all that linoleum. No mention of how much linoleum-damaging chemical solution is in that Clorox cleaner.

But more than just those two robots, I think that keeping the elves at bay with this thing might be useful as well

snacks.. by OmgTEHMATRICKS · 2005-05-23 13:50 · Score: 1, Funny

Scooba dooba doo, where are you?

I don't know if these are the same.... by pthor1231 · 2005-05-23 13:51 · Score: 1

..but I always see robots that look quite like this in Brookstone whenever I go to the mall. I wonder how well if at all it works on carpet of other non-hard surfaces.

Re:I don't know if these are the same.... by MankyD · 2005-05-23 13:59 · Score: 2, Informative

I wonder how well if at all it works on carpet of other non-hard surfaces

Chances are, you don't want to be squirting Clorox cleaning fluids into your carpet. On the other hand, this is the sibling of the roomba.

--
-dave
http://millionnumbers.com/ - own the number of your dreams
Re:I don't know if these are the same.... by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 17:06 · Score: 0

OH MY GOD - MOP MOP MOP!

do you mop your fucking carpet? RE-TARD-ED!?

Wet Floor Sign? by pocketfullofshells · 2005-05-23 13:51 · Score: 5, Funny

"It will be available this holiday season for all your holiday shopping needs."

Just what I need to set loose on the upper level in the mall this holiday shopping season.

Hilarity ensues!

Re:Wet Floor Sign? by ramzak2k · 2005-05-23 15:57 · Score: 1

If you RTFA, it is supposed to Dry the floor too.

--

Siggy Say, Siggy Do

How's a robot that small... by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 13:51 · Score: 2, Funny

...supposed to go haywire and go on a killing spree? What a disappointment...

Re:How's a robot that small... by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 14:49 · Score: 0

One robot that small, nah.

But imagine, well, a beowulf cluster of these things?

Scooba huh.... by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 13:52 · Score: 0

Now taking bets on how many idiots throw this in the pool.

Instead of robotic dogs... by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 13:53 · Score: 2, Funny

robotic dog poop pickers. I'm surprised that wasn't the first choice for commercial home robots. Have them wandering the park picking poop and rousting bums. Comes in mace & hot mustard flavors.

Re:Instead of robotic dogs... by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 14:37 · Score: 0

So, a robotic dog that uses a robotic mouth to eat real dog poop?

What about different modes to amuse, such as gobble and look embarrassed. It could quickly down the unsightly mess, nibbling quickly, then shy away with tail tucked between its cute little metal legs.

Then you can watch your puppies stare at each other... WHY IS THE NEW GUY EATING OUR POO!?!
Re:Instead of robotic dogs... by Albinofrenchy · 2005-05-23 16:17 · Score: 1

Personally, I'd like a mode that involves a paper bag, a neighbors house, and a built-in lighter. That will show those bastards next door not to let the 255 pound bear they pass off as a dog outside into my lawn.

They can even make the lighter a flame thrower and have it bring out a can of "Robot Warz" whenever an animal attacks it.

--
"A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes." -Mahatma Gandhi

Video by dimator · 2005-05-23 13:54 · Score: 3, Insightful

Is that the most uncomfortable and uncharismatic CEO ever?

--
python -c "x='python -c %sx=%s; print x%%(chr(34),repr(x),chr(34))%s'; print x%(chr(34),repr(x),chr(34))"

Re:Video by Reaperducer · 2005-05-23 14:18 · Score: 1

And he pronounces the name of his company "eye-row-butt."

One of my pet peeves is when people say "row-butt" instead of "row-bot."

--
-- I'm old enough to have lived through six different meanings of the word "hacker."
Re:Video by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 14:19 · Score: 0

His last name must be Gates.
Re:Video by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 14:27 · Score: 0

Not everyone can be your hero Steve Jobs dude.
Re:Video by TrippTDF · 2005-05-23 14:33 · Score: 5, Funny

He's not just the president, he's also a member.
Re:Video by MichaelKVance · 2005-05-24 02:47 · Score: 1

They're up in MA (mah) so it's not surprising. I actually know a bunch of their employees from my... uh... World of Warcraft guild (intense shame) and they're good guys. I'm trying to scam a DoD-grade bot off of one of them in exchange for this wicked epic sword drop... uh... anyway...

m.

--
"Sebastian you're in a mess. They called you King of all the Hipsters, is it true or are you still the Queen?" -- B
Re:Video by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-24 04:05 · Score: 0

Actually.... I thought he was a babe. Started the video and got distracted and then saw him come on at the end and thought, Oooh, who is this sweet engineer guy?

A little disapointed on re-running it to find he was the CEO. probably married.

bummer.

yes, i am a girl.
Re:Video by phantomvortex · 2005-05-24 04:34 · Score: 1

He's not just the president; he's also a robot. Introducing the iRobot CEOba.
Re:Video by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-24 11:35 · Score: 0

Colin is an engineer. I knew him through friends at MIT back when he was still there in the late '80s. He was all about the robots then, too.

Nice guy. Last I knew (a decade ago) he was divorced. Maybe you'll get lucky. ;)

New Roomba Owner by superid · 2005-05-23 13:55 · Score: 4, Interesting

We've had our roomba discovery for about 2 months. Bought on a whim, I was skeptical that it would be anything other than a novelty. Not only am I surprised, my *very* skeptical wife approves with two thumbs up.

We are pretty good about vacuuming and even still, when we let the roomba loose he can still pick up a lot of dirt. And watching him seek back home when it's (his?) batteries run low is pretty cool. I'll definitely be looking into this new gadget!

Now if it could only run Apache....

Re:New Roomba Owner by pocketfullofshells · 2005-05-23 14:13 · Score: 1

My roomba broadcasts my favorite MP3's with an FM transmitter.

Just kidding, but this guys roomba has a webcam!
Re:New Roomba Owner by Deadstick · 2005-05-23 14:29 · Score: 1

Same here....Roomba last Christmas and the ol' lady was thrilled. She's dreamed of a cleaning robot since the Fifties and damned glad to get one at last, even if it does need a little help. Scooba this Christmas, fer shure.

rj
Re:New Roomba Owner by Deanasc · 2005-05-23 14:55 · Score: 1

My Discovery refuses to go back to its' base station. I've watched that thing for hours waiting but it just runs down and shuts off.

--
I've hit Karma 50 and gotten a Score:5, Troll... I win!
Re:New Roomba Owner by jht · 2005-05-23 15:58 · Score: 1

Count us in there - we bought a Discovery after the holidays (got $50 off with one of those ubiquitous discount coupons that all the home goods chains send in the mail). With both my wife and I working, and a toddler in the house, we just don't have the time for vacuuming the way we should. Roomba for us was an experiment in time savings.

After almost five months, we love it. It takes care of nearly every room in the house, except for our son's playroom (too many toys on the floor) and the dining room (heavy fringe on the rug). The most we ever do is set it in a room, press the button, and walk away. It's a lot more powerful than I figured it would be, and cleans a lot better. Not to mention our son loves watching it work as well. I'd say it's a close second to our TiVo on the list of Gadgets That Turned Out Way Better Than Expected.

Definitely a good investment on our part. Now we only have to vacuum the house every couple of weeks, and that saves us a lot of time that we can spend together as a family instead. Once Scooba is out, I'll definitely look into it and if the cost is reasonable we just might add it to the home robot collection.

Heck, maybe it and our Roomba can be friends.

--
-- Josh Turiel
"2. Do not eat iPod Shuffle."
Re:New Roomba Owner by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 18:18 · Score: 0

Heck, maybe it and our Roomba can be friends.

Or Lovers
Re:New Roomba Owner by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 23:45 · Score: 0

She's dreamed of a cleaning robot since the Fifties

Damn, that IS old.
Re:New Roomba Owner by Captain_Chaos · 2005-05-24 00:59 · Score: 1

We are pretty good about vacuuming and even still, when we let the roomba loose he can still pick up a lot of dirt.

Why are you still vacuuming, though?
Re:New Roomba Owner by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-24 06:49 · Score: 0

Now we only have to vacuum the house every couple of weeks

ONLY?

and this is groundbreaking? by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 13:57 · Score: 0

sounds similar to the robot that vaccuums or the robot that mows the lawn, just with different accessories.

I can't wait for the Tuuba by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 13:58 · Score: 0

The ability to take a bath anywhere in the house would be awesome.

not very impressed by Rs_Conqueror · 2005-05-23 14:00 · Score: 1

I've seen these things in action, I can tell you I'm less the impressed. They zoom around the room sucking things up at random, there is no orginisation to their cleaning pattern. You get it more for bragging rights then you do for actual cleanlyness...

--
Behold, another webcomic!

Re:not very impressed by Reaperducer · 2005-05-23 14:29 · Score: 2, Insightful

They zoom around the room sucking things up at random, there is no orginisation to their cleaning pattern.

It's not supposed to be organized -- it's supposed to be chaotic so that it doesn't do the same parts over and over. Like a random number generator, run enough times all possibilities are covered.

--
-- I'm old enough to have lived through six different meanings of the word "hacker."
Re:not very impressed by shawb · 2005-05-23 14:53 · Score: 1

Well, that, and it would cost several times as much to get the hardware to get a "proper" cleaning pattern down. And random is fun to watch.

--
I'll never make that mistake again, reading the experts' opinions. - Feynman
Re:not very impressed by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 23:51 · Score: 0

I've seen these things in action, I can tell you I'm less the impressed.

On a similar note, I've seen you in acation and I can tell you I am also less than impressed (or if you prefer, I am less "the" impressed).

Seriously -- look up the term "random walk" -- it's a well-known space-filling algorithm which the Roomba uses to assure full coverage of an artibitrarily-sized and -shaped space. It is very common in robotics.
Re:not very impressed by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-24 10:36 · Score: 0

why the HELL would I care whether it is organized or not???

I'm not particularly organized myself, which is why I bought a Roomba in the first place. Now I have clean floors. I run it every day. I don't care if it finds every spot on a given day -- I never vacuumed every day either. Hell, I was lucky if I vacuumed more than once or twice a month.

How bout Scoopa for pet litter? by RedDragonRider · 2005-05-23 14:01 · Score: 1

How about Scoopa for cleaning up the yard from pets doing their business?

Re:How bout Scoopa for pet litter? by Short+Circuit · 2005-05-23 14:41 · Score: 2, Funny

If I let a Roomba loose in the same area as the cats, you can bet they'd be doing their business all over the place.

--
tasks(723) drafts(105) languages(484) examples(29106)
Re:How bout Scoopa for pet litter? by CuriousKangaroo · 2005-05-23 14:48 · Score: 4, Informative

If you have a cat and a litter box, get the Litter Robot. It changed my life. Seriously. It's expensive, but worth it.

http://www.litter-robot.com/

I'm not kidding.
Re:How bout Scoopa for pet litter? by kylemonger · 2005-05-23 15:13 · Score: 1

The Roomba moves too slowly to threaten a cat. Cats don't care much for the noise, but one of our cats just sits and watches the Roomba go, and moves aside when it approaches.
The larger R/C cars are another matter. They move quickly and generally scare the crap out of any cat that encounters them.
Re:How bout Scoopa for pet litter? by grolschie · 2005-05-23 17:53 · Score: 1

You need Vapoorize!
Re:How bout Scoopa for pet litter? by eclectro · 2005-05-23 18:17 · Score: 1

My cat has a fat ass at 17 pounds and is not a good candidate, along with my other cat that is skitterish. So this won't work for them.

I tried the littermaid and it failed miserably.

Back to the drawingboard.

--
Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
Re:How bout Scoopa for pet litter? by StarsAreAlsoFire · 2005-05-23 22:22 · Score: 2, Funny

Holy shit does that thing transport the kitty crap to another dimension or what!?
Re:How bout Scoopa for pet litter? by CuriousKangaroo · 2005-05-24 01:37 · Score: 1

I'd say 17 pounds is on the edge of being too big, you're right.

We had two cats, one that was skittish. Both of them got used to it, but it took a week or two (you leave the old litterbox next to it during the transition, but don't clean it... eventually the cats switch).

This is very different from the Littermaid... much simpler mechanically (although from the picture it may not look that way).

Our big problem was that one of our two cats had kidney problems and used the litterbox a LOT. It meant having to empty the Litter Robot every day (or else taking the chance that some cat waste would get gummed up in the works). Of course, that's still better than cleaning a normal litter box two or three times a day. But it doesn't really show off the capabilities of the Litter Robot. Sadly, the ill cat is gone, but with the remaining healthy cat I truly appreciate the LR: I only empty its bin once every week or two now. It's great. And the cat gets a clean box every time it uses it.
Re:How bout Scoopa for pet litter? by Chris+Pimlott · 2005-05-24 04:29 · Score: 1

Could you explain how the litter robot works? The web site seems to be very light on technical information.

Kitchen? I want one by lheal · 2005-05-23 14:01 · Score: 5, Funny

(or several different ones) that will:

mow the yard (i)
in the yard, kill dandelions and other broadleaf weeds without killing other plants
inside, find lego pieces and sort them by shape, size, and color
walk the dog at 6:30am or whatever unGodly cow-milking hour it is
take a constant inventory of my personal belongings as I leave them strewn about, and find my keys, wallet, watch, phone, TV remote, or whatever else I can't locate. Better yet, it should start the car, pay my bills, tell the time, have a phone built in, and change the TV channel by IR link.

--------------
(i) yeah, I know they have these already

--
Raise your children as if you were teaching them to raise your grandchildren, because you are.

Re:Kitchen? I want one by lordofthechia · 2005-05-23 14:23 · Score: 1

"mow the yard (i)"

Wow, if they released a robot with a giant spinning blade...(drool). It would be fun just to unleash your mower bot on the neighbors roomba and watch the plastic pieces fly! Finally battlebots at home!

Then again... could you imagine the beowulf cluster of lawsuits that would follow that kind of potentially lethal product?

--
Georgia Tech, the leader in Chia(tm) technology.
Re:Kitchen? I want one by lheal · 2005-05-23 14:28 · Score: 1

> that kind of potentially lethal product?

That kind of depends on the design. It would have to be designed to work very slowly, shutting off rather than cutting up a stick or a foot.

There is more than one way to skin a cat ... hey, that should have made the original list!

--
Raise your children as if you were teaching them to raise your grandchildren, because you are.
Re:Kitchen? I want one by fungus · 2005-05-23 14:31 · Score: 2, Informative

http://www.robomowerusa.com/
Re:Kitchen? I want one by bill_mcgonigle · 2005-05-23 15:18 · Score: 2, Funny

You need a servant and a gardener, not dumb robots. Of course, unlike upper-middle class folk of the last century and before who used to commonly employ such workers, you're probably paying 50% of your income (directly and indirectly) to the government so you can't afford them.

The 'patriotic' thing to say at this point is, "stop being lazy and do it yourself".

--
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
Re:Kitchen? I want one by bobbagum · 2005-05-23 19:50 · Score: 1

No, he needs a wife
Re:Kitchen? I want one by zero_offset · 2005-05-23 23:55 · Score: 1

Those suck. So does the iMow, the MowBot, and pretty much everything except the Ambrogio -- which unfortunately is extremely expensive.

--
Slashdot quality declines as the number of hot grits posts decreases. - Provolt's Law, Apr-09-2005
Re:Kitchen? I want one by NardofDoom · 2005-05-24 01:12 · Score: 1

Last century, there were far fewer upper-middle class people, and their servants and gardeners and the people who allowed them to live as upper-middle class (factory workers and farmers) lived in squalor. Anyone who thinks that the late 19th and early 20th centuries were a picnic for everybody is ignorant of the fact that the majority of the population is and has historically been poor.
However, I find a lot of parallels between the last century and this century. With rapid industrialization a lot of people got extremely wealthy and powerful and widened the gap between them and the rest of the population. At the same time, technological innovations such as the electric motor and light bulb solved the labor crunch that was happening in the service industry.

Now, rapid technological development has widened the wealth and power gap, and with the Roomba and the Internet we're seeing people solving the problems of the high cost of labor.

--
You have two hands and one brain, so always code twice as much as you think!
Re:Kitchen? I want one by 53cur!ty · 2005-05-24 01:54 · Score: 1

The Ambrogio suffers from the same problem as all the rest...it uses a perimeter wire.
Re:Kitchen? I want one by lheal · 2005-05-24 02:57 · Score: 1

>upper-middle-class ...
>stop being lazy and do it yourself

Ha. You don't know the power of the Middle Side.

I will raise a droid army! Join me and together we will rule the entire suburb!

--
Raise your children as if you were teaching them to raise your grandchildren, because you are.
Re:Kitchen? I want one by Emetophobe · 2005-05-24 04:56 · Score: 1

They've had a robot mower for years now. Look here here or here

The first link says the RoboMow was first released in 1998. The only problem is it doesn't leave nice rows in the lawn when you do it yourself.

ROBOMOW RL500 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

Dimensions: 89x66.5x31.5cm (35" x 26" x 12.4")
Weight: 19kg + 13kg (Battery Pack) 421b = 291b (Battery Pack)
Cutting Width: 53cm width using 3 Blades 21" width using 3 blades.
Typical Lawn Size: Cuts 250 m2 on a single charge
Battery Pack: 2 x 12V Sealed lead acid gel batteries, maintenance free.
Charging Time: 24 Hours
Operating Time: Approximately 2 hours.
Noise Level: Below 82 dB (A)
Mowing Positions: 6 positions at the front and 3 positions at the rear.
Blade Speed: 5800 RPM

5800 RPM of pet/kid slicing power!
Re:Kitchen? I want one by Subrafta · 2005-05-24 05:29 · Score: 1

You need a wife... ;-)

--
Vuja De: That sinking feeling that this is going to happen again. Often occurs in meetings with Product Managers.
Re:Kitchen? I want one by jred · 2005-05-24 05:42 · Score: 1

You must not have ever been married...

--

jred
I'm not a mechanic but I play one in my garage...
Re:Kitchen? I want one by zero_offset · 2005-05-24 07:23 · Score: 1

I'm not fond of the perimeter wire approach either, but the Ambrogio gets a whole bunch of other important things right. For my needs, two in particular are outstanding: it can operate fully autonomously (NONE of the others can do this that I have found), and it has the power needed to operate in a real-world environment. Those factors are more than enough to make up for the one-time need to bury a perimeter wire, in my book.

I do lament the fact that I have no electronics knowledge worth mentioning, however. I'd love to take a stab at the problem myself. Not that I have any reason to believe I could do it better, but it can't hurt to try, right? (Given that we're talking about robot lawn mowers, I recognize that's an opening for some obvious bad jokes.)

--
Slashdot quality declines as the number of hot grits posts decreases. - Provolt's Law, Apr-09-2005

Still waiting for the roomba to do stairs by mark-t · 2005-05-23 14:02 · Score: 1

Because in a small footprint townhome, it's virtually useless unless it can do stairs too.

--
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'

My poor mom... by TheOtherAgentM · 2005-05-23 14:04 · Score: 1

She's being replaced on task at a time. At least she's still got cooking!

Re:My poor mom... by Reaperducer · 2005-05-23 14:32 · Score: 1

"Get the door. It's Domino's."(tm)

--
-- I'm old enough to have lived through six different meanings of the word "hacker."

Too much water? by Agelmar · 2005-05-23 14:05 · Score: 2, Insightful

The nice thing about the "roomba" is that you really can't vacuum too much. Going over the same spot five times (which mine certainly does) doesn't really hurt when you're vacuuming. Going over the same spot five times with soapy water, however, is not necessarily the best idea. You might get excess water deposits if the device crosses its path too often, leading to splotches or worse yet actual water damage.

I think I will stick to washing my hardwood floors (and drying them) by hand, for the forseeable future.

Re:Too much water? by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 15:03 · Score: 0

The 4 step animation seems to indicate that it would leave the floor dry after it passes.
Re:Too much water? by bill_mcgonigle · 2005-05-23 15:13 · Score: 1

And you have to fill and drain the thing.

Maybe if it could do that at a toilet with some kind of telescoping boom - then it might be useful. But most people think toilets are full of bacteria so that would be a hard sell.

--
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)

Funny name by mpupu · 2005-05-23 14:07 · Score: 2, Interesting

Scooba sounds like escoba in spanish, which means broom.

Scooba Mark II by isny · 2005-05-23 14:07 · Score: 5, Funny

"Remove your shoes before you enter the kitchen. You have 20 seconds to comply."

Re:Scooba Mark II by stienman · 2005-05-24 04:36 · Score: 2, Funny

You have encountered a beligerent floor scrubbing bot. Do you
A) Obey, and leave your +10 leather boots behind
B) Leave
C) Disable the bot
D) Ignore the bot

:D

*WHIRRRRR*
You are in a dungeon kitchen. A cleaning bot appears to be polishing your boots. Exits are N, W , S.

:_

-Adam

Comment removed by account_deleted · 2005-05-23 14:07 · Score: 4, Funny

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Scooba! by lordofthechia · 2005-05-23 14:09 · Score: 2, Insightful

From TFA (the F'n ad) - "It uses a specially formulated Clorox® cleaning solution"

Also great for bleaching out that carpeted area next to your hardwood floors! (Warning please follow instructions carefully if you do not intend to bleach whiten your carpets too).

--
Georgia Tech, the leader in Chia(tm) technology.

New Target for Dean Kamen? by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 14:09 · Score: 0

Finally, a more skilled opponent to go up against the wheel of a Segway. Maybe this one won't get crushed like the Roomba, as I'm sure the new models have anti-segway missiles that pop out from the top.

not so cute? by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 14:10 · Score: 0

iRobot may be cute, but they also make some scary military stuff.

Re:not so cute? by zero_offset · 2005-05-23 23:57 · Score: 1

Your attempt to trick me into visiting a site called "ache wood" has failed.

--
Slashdot quality declines as the number of hot grits posts decreases. - Provolt's Law, Apr-09-2005

Woomba by bombadillo · 2005-05-23 14:15 · Score: 1

Don't forget the Wooomba. It cleans your girls business!

Just a nod to Saturday night Live

Re:Woomba by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 14:20 · Score: 0

by far the funniest SNC commercial in a long time! GG tina fey!

It should be... by murph · 2005-05-23 14:17 · Score: 1

a pool cleaner.

--
I don't care about your karma, I don't care about what's hip. --Weird Al

iRobot by The+Hobo · 2005-05-23 14:25 · Score: 1

Vintage 2005 *rim shot*

--
There is another kind of evil which we must fear most, and that is the indifference of good men. -- Boondock Saints

Rugs by bombadillo · 2005-05-23 14:28 · Score: 2, Interesting

What does this thing due when it hits rugs? Seems pretty useless if you anything on the floor as most rooms do. As soon as the can invent a vacumm in an intelligent pattern then I will be impressed. Most houses just have to much clutter or corners for these things to work.

I am thinking a few sensors that map out your house layout to a PC. And a bluetooth connection to the vaccum. Then maybe triangulation so the PC knows where the unit is....

Re:Rugs by deanj · 2005-05-23 15:41 · Score: 1

Not sure what the Scooba does, (obviously, since the thing isn't out yet), but the Roomba doesn't a pretty good job. You have to pick up the papers you might have on the floor, but you can leave things like books (well, books that are thick) and larger objects. Not sure why you would want to do that, if you really want the whole floor vac-ed.

So, this is just a guess, but given how the Roomba works, I imagine that Scooba works nearly the same way. There's a gizmo under the Roomba that can tell when the "elevation" (for lack of a better word), changes. That keeps it from falling down staircases. When the Roomba moves onto a rug, the front of the thing gets a little higher than the rest, and I would bet this is enough for it to back off, if it were programmed to do so. The Scooba probably does this. The cleaning solution is probably back far enough so that the rug wouldn't be harmed.

The Roomba comes with gizmos you can set up as "invisible walls" so the Roomba won't move into the area. I'm guessing that the Scooba uses the same sort of technology to keep it off the regular carpets.

I had my doubts about this thing before I got it, but I have to say, I like it. Lets me keep things vac-ed a lot more often than before. ;-)

Funny, that also perfectly describes... by NineNine · 2005-05-23 14:29 · Score: 0, Offtopic

Microsoft.

As worthless as the Roomba by Sir+Holo · 2005-05-23 14:29 · Score: 2, Informative

This is a Roomba with different floor-cleaning head, but the same random-walk navigation system.

We have a Roomba. The thing inevitably gets stuck under a chair within 20 minutes. These things only work properly if you have a huge space and almost no furniture. It takes 5 minutes to sweep 1300 sqft of wood floor.

Why oh why did I waste my money on a Roomba?

Re:As worthless as the Roomba by Sir+Holo · 2005-05-23 15:07 · Score: 1

It takes 5 minutes to sweep 1300 sqft of wood floor.

I meant that it takes 5 minutes with a big handheld dustmop if you have no furniture, in which case a Roomba is pointless. The Roomba would take all day if it didn't get stuck.
Re:As worthless as the Roomba by 5n3ak3rp1mp · 2005-05-23 17:05 · Score: 1

I have a Roomba Discovery and it works great, actually. I do have to pick up one carpet with long fringes, and make sure there are no cords dangling on the floor or socks or whatever, but I see this as "roomba makes me help clean up", small price to pay.

It navigates my chairs just fine, it must just be a peculiarity with yours.

It does sometimes get stuck under the oven, but it makes a funny attempt to wiggle itself out which sometimes works.

When I put it in the bedroom and leave it there for a while (after cleaning up clutter first), the carpet/floor is always cleaner than I could have thought possible.
Re:As worthless as the Roomba by jpkunst · 2005-05-24 01:05 · Score: 1

The Roomba would take all day if it didn't get stuck.

Yes, but the point of the Roomba is that it does its job while you are away, so it hardly matters that it's slower.

JP
Re:As worthless as the Roomba by TheJohn · 2005-05-24 07:39 · Score: 1

You must sweep faster than I can. Our Roomba does a better job, and with way less effort than I can sweep.

It did get stuck on a few things at first, but some minor rearrangements on our part (and me finally getting off my butt and tacking down / burying some cabling) did the trick. Now it rarely gets stuck, and if it does, so what? I'll find it when I come home from work, and try again the next day.

Re:I work in this industry, don't waste your money by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 14:29 · Score: 0

I'm so sorry... :(

>>I'm sure there will be the nut out there that says I'm wrong about everything. Vacuums are my business, it's what I do, every single day, for many years.

Re:But... by ImaLamer · 2005-05-23 14:30 · Score: 1

Yeah, I got one too!

--
Get your Unix fortune now!

inkjet company model by SuperBanana · 2005-05-23 14:35 · Score: 5, Insightful

not-too-expensive fashion

Uh- no, they just figured out the inject company model:

"It uses a specially formulated Clorox® cleaning solution"

...which will probably cost significantly more than, say, a bottle of regular floor cleaner- which costs a buck or two and lasts months. What's so "specially formulated"?

Thanks, I'll pass. The roomba made sense- it replaced noisy, expensive vacuum cleaners (seriously, vacuum cleaners are expensive) and eliminated the work. This little bugger uses special, expensive consumables, and replaces two items which aren't particularly expensive (mop, bucket). Nor does it take very long to mop a floor- 2 minutes, if you include filling the bucket with warm water.

--
Please help metamoderate.

Re:inkjet company model by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 14:49 · Score: 0

And how long will it be before someone figures out a way to use regular floor cleaning solution (cartridge refill kit, or whatever)?
Re:inkjet company model by PeaceTank · 2005-05-23 14:54 · Score: 1

"...it replaced noisy, expensive vacuum cleaners" Yes, with a noisy, fairly expensive little vaccuum cleaner. My dad got one of these for my mom, and let me tell you it's still fairly loud, and at $100+ its just as expensive as the low end vaccuums you'll find at target or wal-mart. I love the little bugger, though :)
Re:inkjet company model by ikeleib · 2005-05-23 15:14 · Score: 2, Informative

Nor does it take very long to mop a floor- 2 minutes, if you include filling the bucket with warm water.

Wow. You can mop really fast. I used to live in a place with 1250 square feet (138 sqm) of hard floors. It took me much longer than two minutes. I could have used your services.
Re:inkjet company model by NardofDoom · 2005-05-23 15:24 · Score: 2, Insightful

It's the Gilette principle: Give away the handle and sell the blades at a 200% mark-up. Heck, I got a Mach3 razor (with two blades) for free when I turned 18.
I've seen the same thing with Swiffers. They do the same job as a broom or mop and bucket about as well, but the handle is significantly cheaper than a mediocre broom, and you get a free five pack of cloths. What they don't tell you is that the "special cloth" is only good for about 300 sq. ft. of floor space, and than a large pack of them costs $8 for what is essentially 15 paper towels.

--
You have two hands and one brain, so always code twice as much as you think!
Re:inkjet company model by bgog · 2005-05-23 15:27 · Score: 3, Informative

Uhhh. Frankly I couldn't care less that it uses special solution that's more expensive. I have ~1400 square feet of hardwood floors and two children under 4 who manage to make it require almost daily mopping. There are a lot of other things I'd like to do than spend the time it takes to vacuum and mop that much space. This sounds like a lovely invention that will be cheaper than the cleaning service I've been considering.

However If I only had one room I probabbly wouldn't do it.
Re:inkjet company model by chill · 2005-05-23 15:37 · Score: 3, Informative

Read the article and find out. They specifically had issues with regular cleaning solutions because they were too slippery and the robot lost traction.

--
Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
Re:inkjet company model by Alcimedes · 2005-05-23 16:19 · Score: 0

Read the article and find out.

You're obviously new here.
Re:inkjet company model by devilspgd · 2005-05-23 16:20 · Score: 1

Exactly -- Same price, some noise, less work.

That's a major benefit.

--
Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day, but teach a man to phish...
Re:inkjet company model by Spezzer · 2005-05-23 16:36 · Score: 1

I wonder how hard it would be to just put water/your own mix in it instead.

Assuming they are 'smart,' they would follow the lead of the inkjet companies like you said, and use a proprietary solution cartridge system that forces you to use their solution.

If they do the latter, then I won't even consider this product. I really hope they don't screw this up :)
Re:inkjet company model by IntelliTubbie · 2005-05-23 16:53 · Score: 2, Insightful

Nor does it take very long to mop a floor- 2 minutes, if you include filling the bucket with warm water.

But how long does it take, including moving all of your things out of the way because you can't mop around them? Anyone can mop or vacuum an empty room in no time flat ... the real pain is working around stuff, which these products (supposedly) do painlessly.

Cheers,
IT

--
Power corrupts. PowerPoint corrupts absolutely.
Re:inkjet company model by Yer+Mom · 2005-05-23 20:22 · Score: 4, Funny

"It uses a specially formulated Clorox® cleaning solution"
...also known as Scooba Snacks.

--
Never mind Spamassassin. When's Spammerassassin coming out?
Re:inkjet company model by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-24 00:49 · Score: 0

34294 398213
Re:inkjet company model by zippthorne · 2005-05-24 01:16 · Score: 1

Yeah, but you never have to deal with a wet mop (regular or sponge) that is covered in yucky. Swiffer may not be great if you have a lot of floor but for apartments it is very convenient. As an added bonus you don't need a special closet to store it in because you throw away the yucky part and the handle breaks down to fit under the sink.

--
Can you be Even More Awesome?!
Re:inkjet company model by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-24 01:49 · Score: 0

By "special closet", I presume you mean "bucket"?
Re:inkjet company model by zippthorne · 2005-05-24 02:24 · Score: 1

Where do you keep the bucket then?

--
Can you be Even More Awesome?!
Re:inkjet company model by Lumpy · 2005-05-24 02:32 · Score: 1

Not to mention that their "claim" that mops just push around the dirt is eradicated by simply using the carpet steam cleaner on the kitchen floor with the hard floor attachment that comes with all of them.

if the new product does not have scrubbers under it then it will do a crappy job. you MUST agistate the surface of a hard floor when cleaning it to actually get it clean. simply spraying and sucking it up does almost nothing... like those "touchless" car washes.. worthless and does not really clean the car.

--
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
Re:inkjet company model by dptalia · 2005-05-24 02:37 · Score: 1

Most of my house is carpets, and I adore my Roomba, although I probably have less than 200 sqft of tile floor, I'll be buying a Scooba - I have two dogs and live where it rains alot. I have to clean up muddy footprints everyday. Well no more! I hate cleaning my tile floors and this finally gives me a way out. My friend and I we're giggling like schoolgirls over the idea. Neither of us care about "special" solutions - we just want to not mop any more.

--
Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration, which is why engineers sometimes smell really bad.
Re:inkjet company model by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-24 06:36 · Score: 0

I'm using Clorox's new spot-mopper, wich also uses "a specially formulated Clorox® cleaning solution." It costs about two dollars a bottle and lasts months.

According to Clorox, my mop meeds a "specially formulated Clorox® cleaning solution" so the little squirt holes won't clog. I'm guessing they'll use the same stuff for the robot for the same reasons.
Re:inkjet company model by M-G · 2005-05-24 07:19 · Score: 2, Insightful

Swiffers are great for floors, especially if you have pets. I've never seen a paper towel suck up dog hair like a Swiffer does. Nor does it do as good a job dusting surfaces, especially on electronics.
Re:inkjet company model by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-24 07:32 · Score: 0

Maybe you should just potty train your kids.

Lousy navigation by Animats · 2005-05-23 14:35 · Score: 2, Informative

Until those guys make a unit that detects obstacles before it crashes into them, I can't take them too seriously. And if it runs over a cord, it winds the cord around its working parts, then jams.

Yes, they sell a reasonable number of them. But then, the Sharper Image makes most of its profits from an air cleaner that doesn't work.

Re:Lousy navigation by zerbot · 2005-05-23 18:10 · Score: 1

I bought one of those Ionic Breezes out of desperation trying to fix my sinus problems, and it has worked very well for me.

If it doesn't clear particles out of the air, then what is the gunk I am cleaning off of it every week? It picks up way more stuff than any filter style air cleaner I've ever had.

The end of janitors by crypto55 · 2005-05-23 14:36 · Score: 1

This is great- I've been waiting for iRobot to release a mop version. But really, what is the point of the really short subject information of this post? Great, it mops. Are you going to offer us any more info? Shesh...
The problem here is what happens if the software crashes and the thing cleans all night? You'd wake up and the floor would be so bright that you'd need sunglasses to see your kitchen... followed promptly by falling on your ass on a few dozen layers of shine. Now that's what I call OSS!

--
Due to financial difficulties, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off.

Mine is a little different. by MTO_B. · 2005-05-23 14:37 · Score: 1

I have one, take a look and see.

Re:I work in this industry, don't waste your money by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 14:38 · Score: 0

What's there to be sorry about? It pays better than working in the computer industry, as the market is flooded with techs here. Engineering isn't generally underpaid, or outsourced. So don't lose any sleep. :)

Re:But... by RichardX · 2005-05-23 14:41 · Score: 1

Boy did you get ripped off. Here's mine

--
Curiosity was framed. Ignorance killed the cat.

The technical problems with Roomba and Scooba by CuriousKangaroo · 2005-05-23 14:43 · Score: 5, Interesting

I own a first-generation Roomba.

Problems:

Battery has nasty memory-effect... didn't use the Roomba for a while, and now it will only keep a charge for 10-15 minutes.
Can't return to base station to charge itself. This apparently was fixed in later generations.
Pet and human hair clogs it too easily. I need to remove the wheels and brushes after EVERY use and clean them. The charging station should also have a "clean" cycle, like some electric razors have these days.
Collection bin is too small. It needs to be able to empty its collection bin at the charging station (into, say, a larger recepticle that only needs to be emptied once a week) and set onto a daily program so that you can completely forget about it. Each day it vacuums, charges and empties itself and then you empty the main bin on Sunday afternoons. This would make the whole system totally automatic, and would probably solve the battery memory-effect problem, too, since it will get consistent usage.

When they get all this fixed, let me know and I'll get another one. Not until then.

Re:The technical problems with Roomba and Scooba by mark-t · 2005-05-23 15:10 · Score: 1

You should address these concerns to the manufacturer. I'm not saying they'll do everything you want, but the consumer feedback certainly can't hurt.
It's not like complaining about it on slashdot has a chance of helping any.

--
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
Re:The technical problems with Roomba and Scooba by kylemonger · 2005-05-23 15:23 · Score: 3, Informative

All but #4 was fixed in the next generation model. Roomba is quite nice for carpets, probably not worthwhile for wood floors since they are swept so easily.
Current problems are that the Roomba is poor at cleaning carpets at the baseboard and corners, and that it just can't figure out how to escape from under some office chairs. To me these problems are offset by its ability to vacuum under the bed and the fact that I can be doing something else while it works.
Re:The technical problems with Roomba and Scooba by SewersOfRivendell · 2005-05-23 18:07 · Score: 1

When they get all this fixed, let me know and I'll get another one.
All of this is fixed in the latest generation ("Roomba Discovery") line. Go for it.
Re:The technical problems with Roomba and Scooba by StarsAreAlsoFire · 2005-05-23 22:15 · Score: 1

A lot of replies say that #2 has been fixed.

They have small rooms.

The new version only knows that the base station exists if it crosses in the path of the IR beam from said station -- same way it knows to avoid the invisible walls (different modulation, I would assume, for the base station). So, it will only 'see' the station and return to it if it is in front of and within about 15 feet of the base station, or manages to cross said area during its 'seek home' routine.

Which for most people probably works great. Large rooms or multiple room Roomba users need not apply.

Not saying I'm not happy with it! Bloody great device for those living in the desert SW -- sand seems to reproduce on the floor, even with doors and windows closed.

Cheers,
Re:The technical problems with Roomba and Scooba by Hollinger · 2005-05-23 23:43 · Score: 1

Its possible for the robot to keep a map of its current position relative to the base station. For example, it knows that it turned right 30 degrees, proceeded forward 10 feet, turned left, etc. The IR homing mechanism is most likely to guarantee that the device finds its way home every time. This is needed because the machine has no feedback mechanism to know its true position, so the error in its position relative to the base will become increasingly wrong with each moment the robot is moving.

Now, if iRobot happened to include some sort of positional feedback mechanism like the works found on Sebastian Thrun's page, then you'd get a lot of the features people are wanting (i.e. intelligent route planning through a room instead of a "random walk," collision avoidance instead of apparently getting stuck under the same chair every time it runs, etc.). Check the link for some nifty videos of AI learning applied to robots. The problem with these technologies is not just the software, but the expensive sensors (relative to the Roomba) that would be needed. You may want to watch the FastSLAM videos to see a robot discover a map of its environment.

--
Michael C. Hollinger
Re:The technical problems with Roomba and Scooba by zero_offset · 2005-05-24 00:09 · Score: 1

A quick check of the website shows that at least three of the problems he's listed have been addressed. Years ago, in fact.

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Slashdot quality declines as the number of hot grits posts decreases. - Provolt's Law, Apr-09-2005
Re:The technical problems with Roomba and Scooba by zero_offset · 2005-05-24 00:18 · Score: 1

Of course, Sebastian Thrun's robots tend to be about the size of a large microwave oven (and those are the small ones)... not something you want lumbering around in your living room. Granted this may be something which can be overcome but even the early R&D Roombas were very small (there used to be pix on the iRobot site; not sure if they're still around).

I've been reading up on robotic lawn mowers lately -- these tend to cost at least ten times what a Roomba does -- and honestly they aren't any better, so I wouldn't hold my breath for those types of advances in a small affordable household vac bot.

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Slashdot quality declines as the number of hot grits posts decreases. - Provolt's Law, Apr-09-2005
Re:The technical problems with Roomba and Scooba by CuriousKangaroo · 2005-05-24 01:30 · Score: 1

Is the next generation model the "Discovery"? Or is something else coming? I see that the Discovery has a better battery and a larger bin, but I didn't find anything about whether it's better at picking up hair without it getting all wound up around the brushes or not (my #3 item)... my upright vacuum doesn't have that problem.
Re:The technical problems with Roomba and Scooba by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-24 01:39 · Score: 1, Informative

I seem to remember reading about how the brushes were redesigned to not get clogged with hair as badly. However, I also got a tool from them last week when I got new treads - it's essentially one of those plastic-with-a-small-metal-blade letter openers, but it works like a frickin' charm on cutting the hair - I was able to clean mine in 3 minutes, where usually it's half an hour and requires dissassembly of the unit.
Re:The technical problems with Roomba and Scooba by pz · 2005-05-24 01:46 · Score: 1

Collection bin is too small.

I've often wondered about this because a normal sized vacuum cleaner has a pretty big bag that still needs to be renewed often. Same with the new scrubbing robot: the resevoir can be at most 1/2 the internal volume (source AND drain need to be enclosed, ignoring all other things like motors, wheels, batteries, electronics, etc) making it pretty paltry. Sure the video shows it working on a 2 sq ft test surface, but what about my 250 sq ft eat-in kitchen?

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Put my fist through my alarm clock with its ding-dong death inside my ear. - The Blackjacks.
Re:The technical problems with Roomba and Scooba by 955301 · 2005-05-24 02:39 · Score: 1

This is extremely difficult to do. Each turn or curve or long distance run introduces an error which, after several movements accumulates into "I have no idea where I am". People and animals get around this with landmarks and chemical trails. And since this is a vacuum cleaner expected to cover the entire surface, the latter doesn't make much sense. The landmark is the IR beacon.

As oppose to mapping, I'd suggest setting up other "landmarks" which point the way to the charging station. The general direction of the charger will do. In other words, the charger is attractive and the pointers are directionally repulsive.

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You are checking your backups, aren't you?
Re:The technical problems with Roomba and Scooba by dptalia · 2005-05-24 02:42 · Score: 1

I have a Roomba Discovery and most of those problems have been solved. I have no issues with the battery and it always returns to it's home station. The colection bin is 3 times the size of the first generation - adequet for my needs. I do agree about the pet hair - having a long-haired double-coated dog means that not only do I have to continually clean the brushes, but the hair ends up destroying the rubber brush. A self cleaning docking station would be wonderful!

--
Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration, which is why engineers sometimes smell really bad.
Re:The technical problems with Roomba and Scooba by jbrandv · 2005-05-24 04:04 · Score: 1

I had similar problems with the first gen battery. I called iRobot they said the battery charger was a known problem. They sent me 2 new batteries for FREE and gave me a discount on a quick charger. I have had no more problems. These guys are great to deal with! If my first Roomba dies I WILL buy a new one. It is way cool.
Re:The technical problems with Roomba and Scooba by fieldmethods · 2005-05-24 15:20 · Score: 1

Their service is indeed excellent. I had a tire split and they mailed me a replacement kit free of charge.

They also tried to sell me some more of the little filters over the phone, but whatever -- I just spray those clean once in a while with canned air.

*sniff* I heart my Roomba.

Re:I work in this industry, don't waste your money by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 14:46 · Score: 0

These things are a waste of money. They are expensive garbage. I have worked in this industry for a very long time. I've had these things on my workbench and seen their insides. They are not worth a dime. They won't even give off a sound that's clean, the bass is terrible and all it does is stir up dust.

Your average speaker you find in box stores pulls about 100 watts of power through it. Cerwin Vega, for example, tends to have one of the lowest signal-to-noise ratio as their circuitry is about half to 1/3rd the quality of standard speakers, including the size of their direct bass ports. Here's a VERY VERY good rule of thumb, if you see a speaker brand advertised on TV, it is almost a sure guarantee that it is an overpriced rip-off, and there are other, better products out there that do the job for half the cost. JVC, Pioneer, Sony, Harmon Kardon... They all can get very loud, you bet, but they are all trash. All of these companies get off trying to sell you a product you don't understand, by using buzz-words like Ohms and Watts. They are all banking on the fact that you will be back in a year or two to buy yet another one. Go talk to someone that works in the business, like your local speaker shop. I absolutely guarantee you, you don't know half of what you think you do, and probably not even a quarter of what you SHOULD know about keeping your home theatre sounding good.

The signal-to-noise ratio on the new JV-2600 and WX-311? Almost none. It does have a decent tweeter but relies more on an unclean woofer. Regularly used cheap speakers stop working after about a year, just about all of them. Either due to mechanical failure, or because the internal wiring fuses up, and most people won't spend the time replacing it. /waves hand "These are not the speakers you are looking for"

Hell, I'd do a technical review of these things for free if someone sends me one. Yes, I will even send it back at my own expense. You would probably never see an article like this appear on Slashdot ever again, if you knew what I knew. That would be worth it enough for me.

I'm sure there will be the nut out there that says I'm wrong about everything. Speakers are my business, it's what I do, every single day, for many years. I seriously doubt anyone refuting me will have any experience whatsoever other than pluging their product into the wall and listening to their CDs. I'm perfectly happy knowing I'm right without convincing you. Go back to reading Consumer Reports, and believing the things they tell you. That's right, be a good lemming.

My point?

1) It's easy to be elitist.
2) Next time, try to spend some time construcively suggesting other brands instead of spending that same amount of time looking down on everyone at Slashdot who hasn't made a career out of vacuum products.

Scooba by sp1nm0nkey · 2005-05-23 14:48 · Score: 3, Funny

For all of those underwater houses.

Re:Scooba by jabber01 · 2005-05-24 03:33 · Score: 1

With a name like Scooba, I expected it to be a Roomba for your pool. Now THAT I'd pay money for.

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The REAL jabber has the user id: 13196
What you do today will cost you a day of your life

And how will SNL parody this one? by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 14:49 · Score: 0

Last week they parodied the Roomba.
How will they send up this one?

Dammit Jim, it says I'm not human. The c in http://images.slashdot.org/hc/39/eec52e8dcf1f.jpg looks a lot like an e.

Dog Walker by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 14:50 · Score: 0

There is a device for walking the dog. See "Wrong Trousers" for a product demonstration.

Edges by Deanasc · 2005-05-23 14:52 · Score: 1

I find that the middle of my floors stay pretty clean but the edges under the kick board are filty. This machine doesn't have an edger attachment. I don't see this thing doing a very good job where it's needed most. Which is too bad. I seem to be their target market. I have three Roombas.

And if you're wondering who would win in a fight, Roomba or Aibo Robot Dog. That Roomba takes the dog out at the knees every time.

--
I've hit Karma 50 and gotten a Score:5, Troll... I win!

Re:Edges by aXis100 · 2005-05-23 17:01 · Score: 1

Same here.

Im betting that if my floor were cleaned every day though, the dirt (dog hair) wouldnt have time to spread to the edges.

And coming soon... by RichardX · 2005-05-23 14:53 · Score: 1

Doomba.
It's just like the Roomba, but armed with a shotgun, and if you DARE tread mud on it's nice clean carpet.....

--
Curiosity was framed. Ignorance killed the cat.

Re:And coming soon... by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 15:38 · Score: 0

Wouldn't the Doomba rid your house of hellspawn? Or maybe even overhyped video games?

Venture Brothers by theguru · 2005-05-23 14:54 · Score: 1

Hank: So what super-cool adventure are we goin on today? Should I get my SCUBA gear?
Brock: We're not goin' anywhere. Your father's workin' on this thing.
Hank: SCUBA. SCUBA. SCUBA SCUBA SCUBA SCUBA SCUBA. Say SCUBA.
Brock: SCUBA.
Hank: SCUBA. It sounds funny. SCUBA.
Brock: SCUBA. Yeah it does.

Re:Woomba? by Deanasc · 2005-05-23 15:01 · Score: 1

They just re-ran that commercial last weekend.

It cleans my lady business.

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I've hit Karma 50 and gotten a Score:5, Troll... I win!

Re:I work in this industry, don't waste your money by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 15:04 · Score: 0

I hate to tell ya, if i saw your post as a result of some top level article on Slashdot, I would be inclined to listen to you, rather than the 200 up-modded "funny" posts. Even though I like those almost as much. :)

Maybe you feel it's elitist because you realize how uneducated you are about this industry, and you prefer to know it all? I'm humble to those that know more about something than me, and ask questions when I don't understand. I don't tell them they're elitist for talking down about something I originally brought up.

puke by ta+ma+de · 2005-05-23 15:05 · Score: 1

If it will clean cat puke .... well then I'm there.

Chaotic or random by pbhj · 2005-05-23 15:05 · Score: 1

So, which is it?

Is it chaotic or is it random (or maybe arbitrary??) ... I have my suspicions (as I don't think a programmed item can be truly random).

My head hurts.

not necessarily by jesterzog · 2005-05-23 15:16 · Score: 1

The roomba made sense- it replaced noisy, expensive vacuum cleaners (seriously, vacuum cleaners are expensive) and eliminated the work. This little bugger uses special, expensive consumables, and replaces two items which aren't particularly expensive (mop, bucket). Nor does it take very long to mop a floor- 2 minutes, if you include filling the bucket with warm water.

It's a bit hard to say without more information, but if you're paying someone to do all of this then it might make sense, if it's reliable and autonomous enough, and particularly if the cleaning solutions can be bought more cheaply in bulk.

There are a lot of large buildings around for public and office use, with large amounts of floor space. Most of them get cleaned and vacuumed every night, although this may not be obvious unless you're either a cleaner or work a lot of night shift.

Is it still loud and noisy? by antdude · 2005-05-23 15:18 · Score: 1

Roomba was loud and noisy. I wonder if Scooba is quieter.

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Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).

Re:Is it still loud and noisy? by zero_offset · 2005-05-24 00:23 · Score: 2, Funny

Wow, loud AND noisy? That must suck twice.

--
Slashdot quality declines as the number of hot grits posts decreases. - Provolt's Law, Apr-09-2005

Re:I work in this industry, don't waste your money by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 15:22 · Score: 0

There are no battery operated vac products that are worth buying, for regular household use. Maybe for a mobile home, that you use a few times a year. Or a little one for cleaning out the car, but overall you'll find their abilities lacking. So, the point is, there really are none.

Roomba was meant to go out and clean once every day or two. Batteries last about 30 minutes, give or take, then you have to pick it up and plug it back in. It really only works on bare floors, not carpet. If you use it as often as that, expect to buy a new one in a year. That's $150 - $250 a year, year and a half perhaps. Now imagine your cost in the highest quality dust mop you can find. Perhaps $50 or $60 for a good one, and it will last perhaps 5 or 6 years under regular use.

So in 5 years, you've spent $60 on a dust mop, versus about $1000 on Roombas. Or say $750 if they last a bit longer. Or go for broke, and say $500 if you get lucky and they last two years each.

I'm just suggesting practicality. The best alternative suggestion? Dust mop! Then donate money to charity, you will probably feel better and certainly waste less.

um, about that name... by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 15:38 · Score: 0

Next time *I* introduce an ostensibly high-tech product, I won't be naming it after some podunk town in Mississippi: http://www.city-data.com/city/Scooba-Mississippi.h tml/ What's next, a Kiln-er robot? What a Picayune company!

How does it get the corners? by roystgnr · 2005-05-23 15:40 · Score: 5, Funny

I can't see how that round shape is going to be able to clean the corners of my kitchen tile. If a vacuum misses the corners of the carpet, that's not a big problem - they don't get much foot traffic anyway. But in the kitchen? The corners are where every little spill accumulates!

No, I'm going to stick with my original mopping plan: waiting until one of the stains attains sentience, then negotiating with it to defend me against the others.

Re:How does it get the corners? by Deanasc · 2005-05-23 16:15 · Score: 1

Around my house the stains aren't a problem it's the clean spots when we spill bleach that we worry about. That is until I got married. My wife would be horrified if she ever saw my first apartment.
Corner goo is definately this things achiles heel. Well maybe it won't destroy it but it has no defense against it.

--
I've hit Karma 50 and gotten a Score:5, Troll... I win!

Still waiting ... by kabz · 2005-05-23 15:56 · Score: 1

I'm still waiting for ...

"a mechanoid with an over-active guilt chip and a head shaped like a novelty condom (http://www.thekeep.org/~kunoichi/kunoichi/themest ream/red_dwarf.html#3Kryten)"

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-- "It's not stalking if you're married!" My Wife.

What would Napolean Dynamite say? by Quiet_Desperation · 2005-05-23 16:07 · Score: 1

"Gosh! Where's the sexbots already? Everything they need has been in place for, like, a thousand years! What are they waiting for? Ugh! Retards!"

WORST - PRODUCT - DEMO - EVER by DumbSwede · 2005-05-23 16:14 · Score: 2, Insightful

Seriously these guys yammer on and on about how high tech and advanced the robot is for what seems like an hour, then set the stupid thing down to make one 3 second pass without even demonstrating it turning or navigating in any way -- it might has well have been a wind up toy.

--
Letter To Iran

iLegal by IntergalacticWalrus · 2005-05-23 16:29 · Score: 1

It's only a matter of time before they get iSued by Apple.

This was iRobot's first product by po8 · 2005-05-23 16:36 · Score: 5, Interesting

The odd thing about the Scooba is that iRobot's first product was also a floor-cleaning machine. I've heard Rod Brooks tell this story in person a couple of times, and it cracked me up.

PC Magazine, for example, says:

...the company first partnered with JohnsonDiversey (formerly Johnson Wax Professional) in 1998, with the goal of producing a robot floor cleaner. Commercial floor cleaning is roughly a $50 billion business. Angle says that any floor-cleaning system involves three things: sweep, scrub, and polish. No machine on the market did all three at once, but since iRobot developers didn't want to build three separate robots, they set about creating one that could do all three. The end result was the NexGen Multi-Function Floor Care machine. The success of that project led them to Roomba.

If you read between the lines here, you get the real story: they spent a lot of time building this three-function janitor-bot with a big computer in the middle to drive it around the building. They then started showing it to potential customers, every one of whom said the same thing: "A 3-function cleaning machine? That's fantastic! Take that computer out of the middle of it and put a handle on for the janitor and we'll buy a bajillion of 'em!"

So they did. The hole where the computer had been made nice storage. Better yet, iRobot had learned a valuable lesson about disruptive technologies: small steps.

Dont forget the by Some_Llama · 2005-05-23 16:53 · Score: 1

WOOMba!!

Keep that special place nice and tidy...

Rugs and Roomba by 5n3ak3rp1mp · 2005-05-23 17:08 · Score: 1

I have a Roomba Discovery.

Works great on my rugs, except for the one with the long fringes, which I have to pick up (not a big deal). It handles transitions from hardwood-rug and back, just great. I have no shag carpet and I figure it wouldn't like that either. It handles "clutter and corners" just great, also. Just be sure to lift up socks and cords lying on floor. Really, no big deal. Seems to cover everything in its pseudo-random pattern, too.

The Real Question Is by woot+account · 2005-05-23 17:28 · Score: 1

Will it run Linux?

--
By what name do you wish to be mourned?

Hint to iRobot: FIRE YOUR MARKETING TEAM! by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 17:45 · Score: 0

My god, who is the nitwit that decided having a wooden CEO and near-equally wooden engineer talking stiffly to the camera would make good sales copy?

Re:Hint to iRobot: FIRE YOUR MARKETING TEAM! by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-24 01:13 · Score: 0

Probably, the CEO himself. Becha he decided that he wanted some of the glory.

been awhile since I saw notions like this.. by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 18:27 · Score: 0

I FOR ONE welcome Scooba, our new robotic floor washer overlord.

Can't wait... by Emperor+Tiberius · 2005-05-23 18:47 · Score: 1

I bought a Roomba, I wasn't disappointed. It may get stuck every now and then, but it saves me the time of having to deal with cleaning the house. For ~$200, it does everything my vaccum does, with the exception of not dragging me along. It hasn't clogged, and it's battery life is decent for a four-bedroom house.

I fully intend to buy Scooba when it comes out. If you're worried about it bleaching your rugs, use the two invisible wall units that come with their products. Need more? They're ~$30 at the most. I think /.'s expectations are too high, iRobot has brought us something incredible and all people can do is whine about its flaws.

And what is so new about it ? by holle2 · 2005-05-23 18:49 · Score: 1

Not only have I read about this thing before, no, I have already seen it one tv before (it had a different coloring though -- black).

A quick glance at google showed an announcement from September 2000: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2002/sep/30/houseclea ning_robot_would/ and another one from June 2003: http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,59237, 00.html.

And electrolux is offering it in a nice red color: http://www.electrolux.co.uk/node40.asp?benefit=3&p rodid=14315

Freidnss of mine already disassembled that beast (longer time ago) to figure out if they could use it for their own, robotics, purposes. Yes, they are doing robotics more often :-)

... so what's the fuss ?

iRobot by Nf1nk · 2005-05-23 19:02 · Score: 1

iRobot, thecompany that makes the Roomba, also makes the packbot for the army which can interface with a shotgun or other firear, so in a sense it already exists.

--
I used to have a cool sig, back when I cared

think about it by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-23 21:12 · Score: 0

And if it runs over a cord, it winds the cord around its working parts, then jams

hmmmm, choice one: vacuum the house yourself all the time and use your own brain (which from your comment I can see can't be put to much better use anyway) to navigate around chords or

choice two: roomba-proof your house by moving a few chords around once.

I've already made my choice. All the chords are taped to the bottom of desks and my shoe laces are tucked into the boots before I vacuum, that is to say, push a button.

Screw that... by StarsAreAlsoFire · 2005-05-23 22:08 · Score: 1

... where's Rosie when you need her?

the "i" thing by metroplex · 2005-05-23 22:22 · Score: 1

Shouldn't Apple have copyrighted the "i" in front of a capital letter in technological products' names long ago?

--
"Words of wisdom: drop that zero and get with the hero" -- Vanilla Ice

hmmm by mrselfdestrukt · 2005-05-23 23:13 · Score: 1

hehehe. I can already see myself filling the thing with piss and letting it loose somewhere in a shopping centre.

--
"I used to have that really cool,funny sig ,but it got stolen."

ow zing by amcdiarmid · 2005-05-23 23:53 · Score: 1

Nice call. You could have emailed it to me though. Now if only DataStates.net was allowing me access to my domain, instead of hijacking it...

How's the "specially formulated Clorox®" on m by ahfoo · 2005-05-24 00:01 · Score: 1

I'm big on floor cleaning because we've got some nice floors where I live including a living room and dining room with marble floors. And being the main caretaker of those floors I know for damn sure you don't use anything like bleach on marble unless you're looking to do permanent and freakin' expensive damage.
The same goes double for decorative concrete which is often even more expensive than marble tiles because of the labor involved in the installation. The same goes for stained and etched polished concrete. Those are all very sensitive to discoloration from the use of any strong acids of bases.
This seems like a major potential liability. I can't see how bleach would be good for nice hardwood floors either. Especially, on a continuous daily basis for years on end.
Tile I can see, but the typical floor I would associate with being particularly bleach compatible is so-called linoleum which is typically composed of polyester resins these days. But even in the case of linoleum I'd definitely insist on a wax finish. Linoleum is actually not a bad flooring option when it is waxed regularly. Unfortunately, there's no way this thing does waxing so I guess it's really only good for tile floors.
So, I think they should market this as a the Tilebot or whatever rather than as a general replacement for a mop because there is no general way to use a mop for all kinds of flooring and there's no way in hell you can generalize that Clorox Bleach is the best cleanser for all types of flooring. That sounds like a dangerously negligent approach to a potentially very costly liability.
They should do it right and not oversell the product. After all, specialized tasks just opens the market all the more. Later they could introduce the Waxbot for wood and linoleum floors and a Bufferbot for polished stone floors. Indeed, the latter already exist and are in use all over the world and have been for years. They just tend to be a bit too big and pricey for the home market.
But I think it's a mistake to market something like this as a general purpose mop machine when different floors require different methods of cleaning. Bleach is great for linoleum, but for stone a very mild soap solution is about as far as you want to go. For wood, I'd also avoid bleach and stay with a mild regular soap.
This seems like a case, where being more open about the details could save them from some costly lawsuits down the road even if it ruins the "Gillette" business model.

Re:I work in this industry, don't waste your money by zero_offset · 2005-05-24 00:03 · Score: 1

The point is, you wasted a bunch of time telling us what a bunch of losers we are, but didn't expend even a moment's effort to make useful recommendations. Worse yet, you've responded several times to this criticism and have still failed to actually help anyone with this enormous storehouse of homecare wisdom you claim to posesses. Oh, we're supposed to ask questions first? Tell us mighty Oracle, how shall we vacuum our floors? How have we failed in our mission to achieve maximum household cleanliness? Dispense your wisdom. We grovel and beg for your enlightened forgiveness.

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Slashdot quality declines as the number of hot grits posts decreases. - Provolt's Law, Apr-09-2005

Linux ? by logik3x · 2005-05-24 00:30 · Score: 1

can we get linux on that? :P

Bad nerd, bad nerd! by The+Creator · 2005-05-24 00:34 · Score: 1

Don't you see that it is your chance to build a roomba elevator? The kind old ladies in wheelchairs use seem like a good template to start from.

--

FRA: STFU GTFO

Removing items from the floor by revco_38 · 2005-05-24 01:12 · Score: 1

With the original Roomba you dont have to remove anything off the floor that shouldnt be there to begin with. Roomba does some type of spiral pattern and "bumps" around things but usually comes back later to hit places it misses. I have two small boys and we simply pick up misc. toys and let Roomba do its job. I wouldnt say it gets that floor thoroughly clean but it definitely makes it look clean which is all any other vacuum would do (except for the super high priced ones).

DAMN you!!.. by My_$0.02 · 2005-05-24 01:32 · Score: 1

Scooba Steve!

Womba! by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-24 03:01 · Score: 0

The little robot that cleans your noony.

RE: Swiffer by King_TJ · 2005-05-24 03:06 · Score: 1

Yep! I purchased a Swiffer "power broom" not too long ago, because I needed a new mop anyway, and the ads made it look like a Swiffer did a better job than a mop at collecting debris. (Was hoping to avoid a 2-step process of vacuuming AND mopping in my kitchen to get the floor clean.)

I knew, going into the purchase, that supplies were costly. I priced them before buying the handle, and even stocked up on some of the supplies at the time of initial purchase.

What I didn't know was how quickly it went through said supplies! The "special cloth" you affix to the bottom of the Swiffer is the whole reason the thing really works at all. It's designed like a strong, thick version of a Kleenex, with folded-over edges that act to trap dirt underneath them as you run the Swiffer over particles. The overpriced cleaning solution smells nice, but doesn't seem as good as something like Armstrong floor cleaner, really.

Re:How's the "specially formulated Clorox®" o by bonehead · 2005-05-24 04:09 · Score: 1

The robot uses a "cleaning solution" that happens to carry the Clorox brand name. That doesn't necessarily mean it contains bleach.

Re:How's the "specially formulated Clorox" by lloydtesterman · 2005-05-24 04:16 · Score: 1

It does not say "specially formulated Clorox" bleach solution. It says, and I cut and paste "It uses a specially formulated Clorox® cleaning solution" I would maybe read the label of the "specially formulated Clorox® cleaning solution" to determine what was in there and decide if it was suitable for the 3748 square feet of floors in my house. But I guess that means I will not have a chance to spread FUD about a product that will be coming out in time for my holiday shopping........ Oh, wait!! It will eat your children!! and hide your keys!!! DO NOT BUY THIS ROBOT!!

I have the mower. I LOVE IT! by DebianDog · 2005-05-24 04:28 · Score: 1

I bought the RL1000. My Amazon review:

I bought a new house and saw that everyone else in the neighborhood had a riding lawnmower. Having a small yard with not much to mow, in the past, I was not looking forward to spending at least 2 hours a week sitting on my [back] driving around in circles. I started looking for "high speed" riding movers but the cost was astronomical.

(...)
The mower and docking station arrived, from Amazon, in 2 large boxes. Installation and set-up was easily enough and I was "mowing" the front yard the next day. I had the mower set to MAX time but the lawn looked pretty well mowed after about 2 ½ hours. Now in the back yard (much larger area) the grass was long, wet, and has a long slope in it so the mower ran less than 3 hours before it returned to its dock. The lawn looked about 90% done. I was fairly satisfied with that being it is going out again today at 4:00 PM to finish up. "It mows, you don't". Love that!

The only thing I did that took a bit more time for the initial set-up was bury the perimeter wire, in high visibility areas. I did not like looking at the green line. I found this to be quite easy once I taped the "robo ruler" to a lawn edger I already own. I could then easily look down at the ruler and use it as a guide for the 1 inch deep little trench I dug with the edger.

Things that impressed me: There are no "clumps" of grass even when it was mowing during the rain storm. It mows in the rain. :-) It even pulled itself out of a little mud puddle that had formed once it realized it had no more traction in that direction. The speed at which the blades come to a complete stop ( 1 second) if it runs into something while you are manually mowing or you pick up the front.

Negative comments: If you like pretty "lines" in your lawn, this mower is not for you. All your friends and neighbors will ask you questions and/or make fun of you. I suggest you tell them what I tell them, "You do not manually was your clothes. You probably do not hand wash all of your dishes. Why would you WANT to mow your lawn?"

Re:How's the "specially formulated Clorox" by ahfoo · 2005-05-24 06:02 · Score: 1

Yes, but that's my point. You don't know either. Nobody knows. It's not on the lablel. This isn't a food product. They won't tell what it's composed of because it's not a food product and there are no regulations that force them to tell you. You can only guess. And with a brand of Clorox on a floor cleaning product I'm guessing it would have strong chemicals. You think that's a far flung conclusion?
This is the whole "Gillette" business model. You intentionally don't make it easy for people to refill for one tenth the price. That's not how the game is played. And that's all fine and good. What I'm saying is that this policy of not telling people exactly what is going onto their floors can be a major liability because certain types of floors are very sensitive to staining and discoloration from harsh cleansers and that damage could be extremely costly.
Just think, some kid buys one of these for his mom while she's on vacation. Mom happens to have a salmon marble tile floor with white limstone inlays. Whoa, after a week of scrubbing with Clorox special formulated linoleum scrubber you've got yellow streaks in this fifty grand worth of tiles. It happens man. People fuck up nice floors all the time.

What you want is a wife by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-24 06:41 · Score: 0

Unfortunately, being a nerd, you can't have one. It's the law, you know.

Re:How's the "specially formulated Clorox" by Johnboi+Waltune · 2005-05-24 06:46 · Score: 1

So you have to spot test the cleaning solution in an unobtrusive place. That's S.O.P. for any type of cleaning product, whether it be for clothes, carpets, floors, upholstery, or whatever.

I think you are making something out of nothing here.

--
"The advanced societies of the future will be driven by competing systems of psychopathology." -JG Ballard

Re:How's the "specially formulated Clorox" by ahfoo · 2005-05-24 07:49 · Score: 1

I think you're just jealous because I've got a marble floor.

I was waiting for someobdy to respond just so I could say that.

I Really Want One by SkinnyGuy · 2005-05-24 09:52 · Score: 1

I saw a great article about the Scooba. It had some interesting details on how the thing actually works. Check it out: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1818914,00.as p

Wow, I already know... by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-24 10:07 · Score: 0

...what I'm getting for christmas and it's not even june!

No, do piss there. by jonskerr · 2005-05-24 10:24 · Score: 1

The uric acid conquers stinkfoot. And you nerds stink bad enough as it is.

--
O~ Him that studies revenge keeps his own wounds green. -- Francis Bacon

It's a good thing they've got a new gadget... by macraig · 2005-05-24 17:10 · Score: 1

... because even discount store Big Lots is selling Roombas for next to nothing.

Comming Soon..... by whib · 2005-05-25 09:30 · Score: 1

Announcing the planned features of a product set is basically useless. By the time the product will hit the shelves (or vitual shelves), the product will have gone through enough changes that showing any features at this point is a waste of time.

Hey, guess what, I've got this new thing comming out, it does some cool stuff, you should buy it.

--
-- www.WhereHaveIBeen.com

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