Documenting iRobot's Design Transformation
Geebee Micro — April 18, 2009 — Tech
References: store.irobot & news.cnet
If you’re not in the military, you’ll probably think of the Roomba when the name iRobot comes to mind, but the company has actually had a series of evolutionary steps in relation to robotic design over the last 10-15 years, as shown in these photos I’ve included.
The Roomba is a robotic machine made to clean the floor of a home, but other military robotic designs by iRobot are made to clean the roads of far more dangerous things than dirt.
While Asians like to develop robots that have a similarity to humans (sometimes in a very creepy manner), iRobot CEO Colin Angle says in reality there are too many restraints when attempting to make a practical robot in the image of a human.
Even so, iRobot has dabbled in the area, as it’s obviously a great attention-getter and marketing tool that draws a lot of media attention.
Other robot shapes made by iRobot have been in the form of crabs and insects.
The Roomba is a robotic machine made to clean the floor of a home, but other military robotic designs by iRobot are made to clean the roads of far more dangerous things than dirt.
While Asians like to develop robots that have a similarity to humans (sometimes in a very creepy manner), iRobot CEO Colin Angle says in reality there are too many restraints when attempting to make a practical robot in the image of a human.
Even so, iRobot has dabbled in the area, as it’s obviously a great attention-getter and marketing tool that draws a lot of media attention.
Other robot shapes made by iRobot have been in the form of crabs and insects.
Trend Themes
1. Evolution of Robotic Design - Exploring the transformative journey of iRobot's robotic designs over the past decade, from Roombas to military robots designed to clean roads.
2. Practicality Over Humanoid Robots - Highlighting iRobot CEO Colin Angle's perspective on the limitations of creating humanoid robots and the focus on practicality in design.
3. Non-traditional Robot Shapes - Showcasing iRobot's experimentation with unconventional shapes such as crabs and insects for their robotic creations.
Industry Implications
1. Consumer Robotics - Opportunity for disruptive innovation in the consumer robotics industry through the continuous evolution of designs like the Roomba.
2. Military Robotics - Exploring disruptive innovation opportunities in the military robotics sector, particularly in the development of robots designed for hazardous road cleaning.
3. Marketing and Media - Identifying potential disruptive innovation in marketing and media by leveraging attention-grabbing robotic designs as effective promotional tools.
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