iRobot 2005 Annual Report Download - page 9

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Technology
We are focused on behavior-based, artificially-intelligent systems developed to meet customer require-
ments in multiple market segments. In contrast to robotic manufacturing equipment or entertainment systems
that are designed to repeat actions in specific, known environments, our systems are designed to complete
missions in complex and dynamic real-world environments.
Our robots rely on the interplay among behavior-based artificially intelligent systems, real-world dynamic
sensors, user-friendly interfaces and tightly-integrated, electromechanical designs to accomplish their missions
efficiently.
AWARE Robot Intelligence Systems. Our proprietary AWARE Robot Intelligence Systems are code
bases that enable the behavioral control of robots. Moreover, the AWARE Systems include modules that
control behaviors, sensor fusion, power management and communication. Our AWARE systems allow our
Roomba floor vacuuming robot and our Scooba floor washing robot to clean an entire floor while avoiding
obstacles and not falling down stairs, and also allow our PackBot robots and the R-Gator unmanned ground
vehicle 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 Ì or sense Ì the world around them. Using specialized hardware and signal
processing, iRobot has 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 Discovery
robot requires 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, interoper-
able between systems, which 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 rapidly and cost-effectively.
Products and Development Contracts
We design and sell robots for the consumer and government and industrial markets.
Consumer Products
We sell various products that are designed for use in the home. Our current consumer products are
focused on floor cleaning tasks. We believe our consumer products provide value to our customers by
producing better cleaning results at an affordable price and by freeing people from repetitive home cleaning
tasks.
Home Floor Cleaning Robots. Over the past four years, we sold more than 1.5 million home floor care
robots. We currently offer five Roomba models that comprise our second generation floor vacuuming robots
with varying price points and performance characteristics as well as the Scooba floor washing robot.
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