JamBot: A hexapod robot based on particle jamming

iRobot has received ample attention for their particle jamming innovations (ie, the "Jamming Blob Robot" and "Jamming Gripper"), created under the now-expired DARPA Chembot program.  However, if you’re like me, their particle jamming actuators and hexapod "JamBot" probably alluded your attention — and they’re stinkin’ cool!   That said, I’d like to introduce you to the "Hexapod JamBot" and the "Jamming Modulated Unimorph (JMU) actuator" created by researchers at iRobot and the Jaeger Group at the University of Chicago.

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Bilibot Robot: Kinect atop an iRobot Create

Perhaps you remember Garratt Gallagher — he’s the ROS / Kinect hacker responsible for 30% of all entries in the recent Kinect / ROS 3D competition, in which he  won first place for Impromptu Buttons (his other entries such as Finger Detection, People Follower, Kinect Minority Report Interface, etc. were also quite impressive).  However  I want to introduce you to his most exciting project to date:  Bilibot.  Started in December and funded with $5,500 through KickStarter,
the Bilibot Project is an open source effort to create an affordable
robotics platform based on the iRobot Create, Kinect, and a computer pre-installed and pre-configured
with Ubuntu and ROS.   The goal is to create a platform for hackers,
enthusiasts, and researchers that works right out of the box without the
(often daunting) challenge of installing and configuring Ubuntu and
ROS.  Frankly, the $150 Kinect may be popular in the gaming industry, but it will completely revolutionize robotics — it is an amazing sensor, and the Bilibot project aims to make it even more accessible. 

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iRobot AVA Telepresence Robot

I would like to introduce you to iRobot’s latest prototype: a new telepresence robot named AVA that was unveiled this week at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2011) — see the video below.  Through AVA, iRobot intends to explicitly leverage the proliferation of tablets / smart phones and their associated app stores.  They intend to furnish actuation (mobile base, pan-tilt unit, telescoping linear actuator spine, etc.), a sensor suite (including sonar, laser, and a depth camera like Microsoft’s Kinect), and basic robot software (eg. obstacle avoidance, mapping, and direct physical interfaces).  Meanwhile, you provide the brains in the form of a tablet (eg. iPad or Android).  In theory, this should open up mobile robot application development to a much broader audience, creating the oft-discussed robot app store.  When combined with the recent announcement of the Scooba 230 floor cleaning robot (which I will certainly purchase), I would say iRobot is still innovating!

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  • Entry-level robotic floorvac with dirt detection and infra-red cliff sensors
  • Auto adjusts to any floor surface; 2-hour continuous cleaning; easy-to-empty debris bin
  • Edge-cleaning sidebrush; stasis sensor; virtual wall for confining to designated area
  • Battery charger, 1 virtual wall, and filter pack included
  • Measures approximately 13 by 4 inches; 1-year warranty

Product Description
Sporting a bold, solid-red exterior, this entry-level robotic floorvac is easy to use and includes an array of convenient features. Simply press the “clean” button and the unit will vacuum the whole floor, adjusting automatically to any floor surface including wood, tile linoleum, and low-to-medium pile carpet. The vacuum’s artificial intelligence determines the room size and adjusts the run time to ensure that it cleans the entire floor. Integrated sensors detect d… More >>

iRobot Roomba 410 Intelligent Floorvac Robotic Vacuum Cleaner, Red

  • Vacuum-cleaning robot automatically adjusts to any floor surface
  • Counter-rotating brushes, effective vacuum, and edge-cleaning spinning side brush
  • Removes dirt and debris from under beds, couches, and other hard-to-reach places
  • Infra-red cliff sensors; rechargeable battery, 3-hour charger, and 3 filters included
  • Measures approximately 13 by 13 by 4 inches; 1-year limited warranty

Product Description
iRobot Roomba’s powerful vacuum and counter-rotating brushes reach deep into your carpet to remove dust, dirt and pet hair. Robot cleans routinely with the push of a button so you don¿t have to…. More >>

iRobot Roomba 400 Vacuum-Cleaning Robot, Orange

IRobot / MIT Chembot from the DARPA Chembot program

Hizook previously covered a number of DARPA Chembot projects, including Dr. Hong’s Whole-Skin Locomotion (aka amoeba robot) and the IRobot Jamming Skin Robot (aka "blob bot").  The original blob bot was rather creepy, but researchers from IRobot, MIT, and Harvard have ameliorated the situation by creating a decidedly non-creepy successor: a Chembot with soft (silicone?) selectively-inflatable body segments for locomotion.  Hopefully a fully-integrated version (power, actuation, and control) is near at hand. Read on for photos and a video of the new prototype.

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  • Robotic, battery-powered floor vacuum and remote scheduling device
  • Remote scheduler sets and changes vacuuming times and zones
  • Artificial intelligence and sensors navigate between walls and furniture legs and adjust for carpet, tile, and wood floors
  • Virtual wall mechanism establishes two invisible perimeters for vacuuming specific zones
  • Low-profile design fits under beds, sofas, and other tight spots where conventional vacuums can’t reach

Product Description
The Roomba 4230 Scheduler Robotic FloorVac will start cleaning whenever you tell it to! Any time of day or night, when you are home or not, once a day, once a week, or three times a day–just tell it what to do. Upon completion of its cleaning mission, it automatically returns to its Home Base to recharge its batteries. The Roomba Scheduler knows what surface it’s cleaning and automatically adjusts to whatever floor surface it’s on…. More >>

iRobot Roomba 4230 Remote Scheduler Robotic Vacuum

  • Entry-level robotic floorvac with dirt detection and infra-red cliff sensors
  • Auto adjusts to any floor surface; 2-hour continuous cleaning; easy-to-empty debris bin
  • Edge-cleaning sidebrush; stasis sensor; virtual wall for confining to designated area
  • Rechargeable APS battery, 7-hour charger, 1 virtual wall, and air filter included
  • Measures approximately 13 by 4 inches; 1-year warranty

Product Description
Roomba Red Robotic FloorVac… More >>

iRobot Roomba Intelligent Floorvac Robotic Vacuum, Red

  • Vacuum-cleaning robot with on-board scheduling for all floor surfaces
  • 2 high-speed, counter-rotating brushes; anti-tangle technology; side brushes
  • Gentle-touch bumper; dirt sensor; built-in cliff sensors; self-charging Home Base
  • Includes bumper extension, cleaning tool, power adapter, rechargeable battery, 3 extra filters, 2 Virtual Walls, and batteries
  • Measures approximately 13 by 13 by 4 inches; 1-year limited warranty

Product Description
The 500 series Roomba cleans routinely… so you don’t have to. 500 Series robots offers the latest innovations from iRobot with unprecedented efficiency, coverage and cleaning performance. Roomba navigates and cleans rooms systematically, then returns to its Home Baseâ„¢ to recharge. Roomba efficiently vacuums the entire floor, under and around furniture and along walls and automatically adjusts from carpets to hard floors… More >>

iRobot 500 Series Roomba Vacuum-Cleaning Robot with On-Board Scheduling

IRobot Stock Price Jump

IRobot posted amazing first-quarter revenue, driving the stock price up 30% in one day to a new 52-week high. The new stock price is hovering right at $20 per share, up 96% from its late-July low of $10.21 per share. I’m glad too see such a positive turn around, though it is somewhat bittersweet — I had been considering a purchase of IRBT shares ever since a prescient analysis by "Robot Stock News" in early December, but lacked funds to make the plunge. I guess meager graduate student salaries are not conducive to investing.

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