iRobot 2009 Annual Report Download - page 39

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Form 10-K
designed to carry payloads. For example, our robots are designed to allow third-party designers to add sensors and
other functionalities, such as acoustic sniper detection and explosives detection.
Develop Employees and Culture of Accountability. We intend to continue to hire only top talent and to invest
in our employees through training and on-the-job experience. We will develop innovative people plans to become
the employer of choice. In addition, we will foster a culture among our employees of accountability, trust and
mutual reliance by closely tracking important employee milestones and metrics, expanding rewards and recognition
for top performers, and better leveraging our stock grant program.
Technology
We are focused on behavior-based, artificially-intelligent systems developed to meet customer requirements 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 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. We have the exclusive right from Advanced
Scientifics Concepts, Inc. to use its LADAR technology for unmanned ground vehicles and robots. This LADAR
technology is a next-generation solid state sensor that marks an important advancement for navigation and mapping
applications for all autonomous vehicles. Additionally, we have an agreement with ICx Technologies to integrate its
explosive-detecting technology into our PackBot platform. The payload, called the ICx Fido for iRobot PackBot
500, can detect explosive vapors emanating from Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
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.
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