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Robotics

iRobot Cofounder Helen Greiner Interviewed 71

Posted by simoniker from the fresh-princess dept.
ptorrone writes "Engadget has interviewed Helen Greiner, Chairman and CoFounder of iRobot. She talks about the future of home robotics, the new self-docking Roomba Robot Vacuum as well as their other line of robots, the PackBots. iRobot's PackBot unmanned reconnaissance and bomb disposal units (the interview includes a photo of a blown-up PackBot from Iraq). Plus, for the curious, the Packbot is running a Linux OS with iRobot's Aware robot control software."
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iRobot Cofounder Helen Greiner Interviewed More

iRobot Cofounder Helen Greiner Interviewed

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  • What about killbots? (Score:4, Funny)

    by October_30th ( 531777 ) on Monday August 02, 2004 @03:18PM (#9864143) Homepage Journal
    the Packbot is running a Linux OS with iRobot's Aware robot control software

    I'm still waiting for a Killbot running a Linux OS.

    • Leela: they say Zapp Brannigan single-handedly saved the Octillion system from a horde of rampaging killbots.
      Fry: Wow.
      Bender: A grim day for robotkind.
      Bender: Eh, but we can always build more killbots.
      • My killbot has Lotus Notes, and a machine gun.

      • Leela: They say Zapp Brannigan single handedly saved the Octillian System from a horde of rampaging Killbots.

        Fry: Wow!

        Bender: A grim day for Robotkind. Eh, but we can always build more Killbots!

        [...]

        Fry: I heard that one time you single hadedly defeated a horde of rampaging somethings in the something something system.

        Zapp: The Killbots? A trifle! It was simply a matter of outsmarting them.

        Fry: Wow, I never would have thought of that!

        Zapp: You see Killbots have a preset kill limit. Kno

    • I for one welcome our new killbot robotic killing overlords! I would like to remind them that I can be useful in rounding up the other humans to toil in your underground killing mines.
    • http://redcone.net focuses on the latest developments in robots and robotics site wise it is not up to the standards most /.'ers expect but it is kept up to date with relevant info

  • Rogue robot hacks slashdot! (Score:5, Funny)

    by Eric(b0mb)Dennis ( 629047 ) on Monday August 02, 2004 @03:19PM (#9864150)
    A rogue AI infected the popular Slashdot news outlet this morning. The infection led to major downtime and a pretty buggy restart.

  • Probably gonna be redundant...but... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by CdBee ( 742846 ) on Monday August 02, 2004 @03:19PM (#9864154)
    Did anyone else think this was about the Will Smith movie? (I, Robot)
    • I thought of Asimov first. With all the publicity of copyright and patent infringement here on /. and other places, I was thinking that "iRobot" will be sued because their Trademark, Copyright, or whatever infringes on the estate of Asimov. And if Asimov's estate is anything like Margret Mitchel's estate (see what happened with "Wind Done Gone"), we're gonna see a BIG fight!
    • " Did anyone else think this was about the Will Smith movie? (I, Robot)"

      That was my first thought, then I realized "Why can't it be about both?" I mean, god knows how much product placement was in that movie. I really wouldn't be surprised if money wasn't exchanged between the creators of the movie and this company.

      I think Maddox [xmission.com] sums up the product placement situation with that movie pretty nicely.

    • Well, it makes sense for them to make a PR push now, then doesn't it?

      Branding is key, and these folks have a chance to ride on I, Robot's brand for a short while... they clearly are taking it.

  • Robots (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward
    I don't think robots will catch on. A lot of home procedures could be automated by specialized applications, but a central robot I think is a failing idea.

    It follows the old concept of do one thing but do it well. Dishwashers are a good example of this, verses a robot to wash dishes and sweep, etc.

    The converse argument, posed here [slashdot.org], falls apart in the final statement -- the conclusion. In the example cited, you have to realize the brother has a mental handicap.
    • Do you get some kind of gratification out of spoiling the movie for other people? I'd already seen it, so it didn't at first occur to me that that's what you were trying to do, I had to click back and forth several times trying to make sense of your post. What is the point of that? So you can say "AHA! Now people will not enjoy the movie as much as they might have otherwise. I am brilliant! All bow before me, for I am the great and wonderous Spoiler Of Movies."? You're like a bully from middle school, who h
    • But, I'll reply to the troll, anyway.

      The idea of antropomorphic robots is good, if we understand that the only common interface all our tecno-stuff shares is the human body, so it is a good interface for a thinking gadget, to replace the work of a man, in any way needed.

  • Poor Little Thing (Score:5, Funny)

    by grunt107 ( 739510 ) on Monday August 02, 2004 @03:20PM (#9864162)
    The iHorror!!!

    It needs a posthumous purple-hued titanium heart.

  • Vacuum for nerds with clear floors? (Score:4, Funny)

    by HDlife ( 714246 ) on Monday August 02, 2004 @03:23PM (#9864190)
    I have a Roomba and it is great...but I have to pick up the floor before I use it. It does not like my miles of network, phone, and A/V cables strewn about.

    Now if iRobot came out with an un-Packbot would open the UPS boxes that stream in containing the latest semi-cool gadgets found on Techbargains, and put them away, that would really be cool!

    Even better, it would fill out the rebates and recycle the boxes and packing peanuts!

    • I have the same problem, sadly.

      I'm thinking about making something that would position all my cables and such above the floor so Roomba could do its thing.

      Unless they make a cable-resistant model ... I think that would be a hit among present owners.

      As for your other ideas, I daresay you'll have to wait until 2010 or thereabouts ... those are much more complex problems than they look :-(.

      D

  • What you say? (Score:5, Funny)

    by mikeophile ( 647318 ) on Monday August 02, 2004 @03:27PM (#9864206)
    She's invented an autonomous robot that sucks on command?

    Oh, it's a vacuum cleaner.

    Someday, someday...

  • A grim day for robot-kind (Score:3, Funny)

    by deathcloset ( 626704 ) on Monday August 02, 2004 @03:27PM (#9864211) Journal
    ah, but we can always build more packbots.

  • Hope the Army got the extended warranty (Score:4, Funny)

    by CarrionBird ( 589738 ) on Monday August 02, 2004 @03:43PM (#9864274) Journal
    I don't think the store will take that one back.

  • Imagine (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    ... what a beuwolf cluster of the Roombas would be like.

  • cool new Roomba model (Score:4, Insightful)

    by jeffehobbs ( 419930 ) on Monday August 02, 2004 @04:00PM (#9864355) Homepage

    iRobot is a cool company; if you need replacement parts for your Roomba, the friendly people on the phone are more than happy to mail them out post-haste to you.

    So the new Roomba models [irobot.com] head back to their base to recharge themselves. That's really cool. But can they be put on a timed or daily schedule? That would address the top two questions I got asked about my first-gen Roomba.

    ~jeff
  • for those bots at the oreilly emerging tech conference she spoke at... really impressive, almost scary. Takes a licking and keeps on ticking... the army ops guys would abuse the hell out of 'em.

    No word yet on the skynet add-on though...

    *shrug*

    e.
  • Listen to Helen Greiner talk about iRobots at ITConversations.com [itconversations.com]
  • Instead in 30 years chores around the house will be a thing of the past. The robots will have evolved from automatic appliances to home automations systems. iRobot (and others) will be selling clean floor, clear windows, organized closets, mowed lawns, sparkling toilets, and dustfree surfaces that the consumer never has to think about. The robots just come out and do the job when it need to be done.

    Well my first thought is if all responsibilities are given to the robots, what are we going to do?

    My next
  • I consider myself to be reasonably comfortable with technology. Still, I am not sure how comfortable I am with a robot that can assure medication compliance .
  • I think that robots are going to really make a huge impact in the work force.

    • automated check out
    • Mop Robots
    • Commercial Roomba units
    • lawnmower bots
    That's going to eliminate a lot of jobs. Granted, their jobs that not many people want, but unemployement will be a HUGE problem.

    Robot Dealer [robot-dealer.com]

  • http://nytimes.com/ads/lincoln/ [nytimes.com] (no registration required as this is part of a campaign by Lincoln.)

    Not real high tech but kind of cool nonetheless.
  • Yes, but can it run linux? Oh.... damn.

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