iRobot In The Gutter

Roomba maker iRobot has introduced a new household robot, the Looj, made for cleaning rain gutters.

You just drop the small Looj into you gutter and it "augers" it way through and ejects the crappy buildup out and away. Just in time for the fall season.

The price range from US $100 to $170 depending on the options you get. Available now from the iRobot web store. I would guess that it will be available in suburban Home Depots soon. And also available to clear the rain gutters in your third world countries.


I like the belt holster. I can help you to climb the ladder sure, but also wearing it around the yard would make you the coolest guy in the 'hood.

iRobot Corporation: About Looj

Korean Home Robot

Another entry into the race for the perfect Korean home companion robot. This one is from Korean start-up KornTech.

Rogun is a 1-meter tall humanoid who can walk and communicate wirelessly with the Internet and cell phones. It is designed to play with kids and entertain them through a small video screen on his chest.

Through a cell phone the parents will be able to watch their kids and send commands to them and the robot.

KornTech says they have spent US $1 million developing the first unit. They will build more to order for $100,000 right now. In the future the plan to sell the cuties for as little as $5000.


Robot Keeps Home Safe(The Korea Times)

New Robots Clean Pools

Home vacuum robot maker iRobot (NASDAQ: IRBT)has launched two new pool-cleaner robots for home use.
The two robots, Verro 300 and Verro 600, are available now for $800 and $1200.
The 300 model uses water jet and vacuum to suck up debris from the pool. The Verro 600 uses brushes along with the vacuum and filter.

Drop the robot into the water and it will clean the pool in 60 to 90 minutes. The robots require a power umbilical plugged in but do not need any hose connection to the pool's pump.
They will also not gawk at your sunbathing teenage daughter.

Will pool robots put pool service companies out of business? No. There is a lot more to maintaining a pool than sweeping up the leaves.

Pool cleaning robots are not new by any means.
iRobot worked with the Aqua Products Group companies to develop their robots.
Another maker of pool cleaner robots is Maytronics in Isreal.


iRobot Corporation: Press Release

Anybots Walking Robot Dexter

Dexter, a walking robot that is dynamically balanced like a person. He won't fall over when pushed.
Monty is on segway wheels and has a working hand.

They are being designed to work around the home.


From anybots:

Dexter balances dynamically, walks and will be able to run. Monty has one fully articulated hand driven by 18 motors and one gripper. Dexter's legs and Monty's arms are driven by compressed air. Driven remotely by a human operator, they can perform a wide range of industrial and household tasks.

The video says, "Walking improves with practice." I'll bet it does. so do their evil designs on world domination. Looks the most like a Cylon of any robots I have seen lately.
see the video here:
Anybots

Order Your Pleo Now. Not!

Well it seems that there was some confusion with Ugobe. (see the comment to this post) They are not allowing any pre-orders yet. They are not quite sure of the price, maybe, or possibly they do not really have a firm date for deliveries, or maybe, they have not figured out why anyone would want to buy this thing anyway.
They have been taking a huge risk by making all kinds of fantastic claims about the wonder of their robot Life Form and the potential market for it.
The hype was more for the benefit of investors rather than users of the product but now they have painted themselves into a corner by trying to perform up to the expectations that they created. We shall see.



Matt Trossen has announced that Ugobe has given Trossen Robotics permission to start taking pre-orders for the wildly hyped dinosaur robot Pleo.

The cute little monster will set you back US $350 and has an 'estimated' ship date of July 2007. (My guess is that they may trickle out in August and September but they will not be widely available until Q4)
This may be your best opportunity to be the first on your block to have a Ugobe Life Form pet.

Here are some of mechanics behind the magic:
- 32 bit Atmel ARM 7 microprocessor - The main processor for Pleo
- 16 bit sub processor - The processor dedicated to the camera system
- (4) 8 bit processors that provide the low-level motor control for the servos
- (35) Sensors including a camera custom designed to fit into Pleo's very compact body.
- (4) foot-switches to detect footfalls and being picked up - assists with spatial orientation.
- (12) capacitive touch sensors (4) legs, (4) feet, back, shoulder, head, chin
- (2) microphones for directional sound detection
- (14) "Force" sensors, one per servo, to recognize abuse through force feedback joints.
- Orientation/tilt sensor
- IR transceiver for bidirectional data communication with other Pleos.
- IR interrupter for detection of objects in Pleo's mouth
- (14) motors. Standard low voltage DC motors
- (150) gears and clutches
- Rechargeable NiMH battery pack
- USB port with mini USB connector
- SD/MMC memory card slot

---All kinds of cute and cuddly built in all over the place

order it here:
PLEO #TY-20-PLEO

Become Robot Master At Home

Japanese company DeAgostini has launched a way for everyone to get into the japanese robot craze piece by piece.
Each week the subscriber to Robozak will get a magazine with lessons and instructions and parts to build a portion of their own humanoid robot slave.

When finished in 80 weeks, the robot RZ-1 will be able to play soccer, wrestle, do gymnastics or any other favorite robot trick. And, presumably, the human assembler will be an expert in 'future' robot technology.

The cost spread out over 80 weeks will be a total of around US $1400.
According to one one google translation, "Performance of the surprise is drawn out!"


Can't wait that long? For a limited time get $100 off HiTec Robonova 1 kit at Roboteria!



ROBOZAK RZ-1 Japanese Robot in your home | Weird Asia News

VEXplorer Robot Kit

Model kit maker Revell Monogram and VEX robot supplier Innovation First announced more details of their new consumer robot kit today.

The VEXplorer robot kit is an direct descendent of the VEX robot kit that is the basis for student robot design competitions. It designed and marketed to "bring robotics creation outside the classroom taking the consumer robotics category to new heights."

VEXplorer includes all the parts, motors and wheels to make a remote controlled rolling robot with a webcam and a claw arm strong enough to pick up a can of soda. The kit, of course, can be used to build any kind of robot imaginable.

VEXplorer is the product of a partnership between the two companies that was announced last year. Revell will handle the marketing while Innovation First will provide the engineering and technical design.

The VEXplorer kit is expected to be in stores by September 2007 and will sell for US $250.


Revell:www.revell.com-The leader in replica plastic kits since 1945.

Start Buying Batteries Now

An you thought that all there was to home entertainment robots was rubber baby dinosaurs, pygmy ponies and robot plastic puppets?

Don't overlook the monkey head!

If it is as entertaining as this commercial looks then I hope it comes with a sledge hammer to put it out of your misery.

$150 suggested retail.