iRobot 2010 Annual Report Download - page 51

stairs, and also allow our PackBot robots and our other unmanned ground vehicles to accomplish complex missions
such as waypoint navigation and real-time obstacle avoidance.
Real-World, Dynamic Sensing. The degree of intelligence that our robots display is directly attributable to
their ability to perceive — or sense — the world around them. Using specialized hardware and signal processing,
we have developed sensors that fit particular cost-performance criteria. In other cases, we use off-the-shelf sensing
hardware, such as laser scanners, cameras and optical sensors.
User-Friendly Interfaces. Our robots require that users interact and instruct our robots in intuitive ways
without extensive end-user set-up, installation, training or instruction. For example, our Roomba robots require only
one button to have the robot begin its mission, determine the size of the room to be cleaned, thoroughly clean the
room and return to its re-charger, right out of the box without any pre-programmed knowledge of the user’s home.
Similarly, our PackBot robots use intuitive controllers, interoperable between systems, that integrate high-level
supervisory commands from the user into the behaviors of the robot.
Tightly-Integrated, Electromechanical Design. Our products rely on our ability to build inherently robust
integrated electrical and mechanical components into required form factors. For instance, the computer that powers
the PackBot tactical military robot must withstand being dropped from more than ten feet onto concrete. Such high
performance specifications require tight design integration.
Combining these four components, we have created proprietary, reusable building blocks of robotics
capabilities, including mobility platforms, manipulators, navigation and control algorithms and user interfaces.
Our technology building blocks typically allow us to take a known platform and modify it for a new mission instead
of starting from scratch for each application. We believe this allows us to design and develop innovative robots cost-
effectively.
Products and Development Contracts
We design and build robots for the consumer and government and industrial markets. With two decades of
leadership in the robot industry, we remain committed to establishing robot and software platforms for invention
and discovery, building key partnerships to develop mission-critical payloads and creating robots that improve the
standards of safety and living worldwide.
Consumer Products
We sell various products that are designed for use in and around the home. Our current consumer products are
focused on both indoor and outdoor cleaning applications. We believe our consumer products provide value to our
customers by delivering better cleaning solutions at an affordable price and by freeing people from repetitive home
cleaning tasks.
We currently offer multiple Roomba floor vacuuming robots and Scooba floor washing robots with varying
price points and performance characteristics. Our Roomba robot’s compact disc shape allows it to clean under beds
and other furniture, resulting in cleaner floors since the Roomba can access more of the floor than standard upright
vacuum cleaners. Roomba is programmed to keep operating until the floor is clean. In addition, Roomba eliminates
the need to push a vacuum — it cleans automatically upon the push of a button. Our Scooba robot’s innovative
cleaning process allows the robot to simultaneously sweep, wash, scrub and dry hard floors, all at the touch of a
button. Unlike a conventional mop that spreads dirty water on the floor, Scooba will apply only fresh water and
cleaning solution to the floor from a clean tank. Scooba will clean dirt and grime, is safe for use on all sealed, hard
floor surfaces, including wood and tile, and is smart enough to avoid carpet.
Our Verro Pool Cleaning Robot is used to clean a standard size pool in about an hour while removing debris as
small as two microns from the pool floor, walls and stairs. Verro is brought to market under the iRobot brand
through a relationship with the Aqua Products Group companies including AquaJet LLC and Aquatron, Inc., which
developed the pool cleaning robots. There are three models available.
Our Looj Gutter Cleaning Robot was designed to simplify the difficult and dangerous job of gutter cleaning.
The Looj cleans an entire stretch of gutter, reducing the number of times a ladder must be repositioned and climbed
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Form 10-K