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Roomba's Next Big Step Is Selling Maps of Your Home to the Highest Bidder (gizmodo.com)

Posted by msmash on from the let-the-bidding-begin dept.

The maker of the Roomba robotic vacuum, iRobot -- which we have talked about several times in the past -- has found itself embroiled in a privacy row after its chief executive suggested it may begin selling floor plans of customers' homes, derived from the movement data of their autonomous servants. From a report: While it may seem like the information that a Roomba could gather is minimal, there's a lot to be gleaned from the maps it's constantly updating. It knows the floor plan of your home, the basic shape of everything on your floor, what areas require the most maintenance, and how often you require cleaning cycles, along with many other data points. [...] If a company like Amazon, for example, wanted to improve its Echo smart speaker, the Roomba's mapping info could certainly help out. Spatial mapping could improve audio performance by taking advantage of the room's acoustics. Do you have a large room that's practically empty? Targeted furniture ads might be quite effective. The laser and camera sensors would paint a nice portrait for lighting needs that would factor into smart lights that adjust in real time. Smart AC units could better control airflow. And additional sensors added in the future would gather even more data from this live-in double agent.

4 of 123 comments (clear)

  1. OH man...I don't like this... by cayenne8 · · Score: 3, Interesting
    I actually have the advanced version of the Neato Botvac..that makes maps of my house after it runs..which I thought was nice to visually ensure it hit everything.

    I hope THEY don't start selling this info....!!!

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  2. Re:the real question is... by gnick · · Score: 4, Interesting

    My SIL showed me the app for her unit over the weekend. She seemed particularly excited over being able to order a cleaning cycle from the restaurant. She was also proud of the map she could pull up and show us of the floor plan and cleaning results, but it was the remote control that seemed to be the selling point. As long as these types of features excite people, they'll be available.

    --
    He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
  3. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  4. Re:How can I fuck with the data being sent? by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Our local Costco has started carrying Roombas recently, and the price is decent. The last two times I was there, I toyed with getting one.

    Now I am not going to buy one under any circumstances. I don't care if the CEO backtracks later - he's just proven why these sorts of devices should not be owned by anyone with any sort of intelligence.

    --
    #DeleteChrome