iRobot 2015 Annual Report Download - page 89

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Navigation. Our mobile robots navigate through their environment in a variety of ways. Some do it simply by reacting
to encounters with obstacles. Others use more sophisticated means that make use of maps to plan out paths, track their travel,
and determine their location in the environment. Intelligent navigation empowers our robots to operate autonomously with
purposeful intent. Autonomous navigation is the key enabler for our latest products.
Cloud Robotics. Connectivity and cloud services are important because they can leverage additional computational
resources and capabilities. Cloud robotics refers to cloud-based shared services that solve robotic challenges and enhance
robots’ capabilities. By using the power of off-board computing and storage, it is possible to develop algorithms that aid with
object recognition, post-process and store large maps, and share data between multiple robots operating in the same
environment. Cloud robotics will allow our robots to plan more intelligently, be more productive and keep getting smarter as
they are used.
Manipulation. Manipulation means physically interacting with the world to move or control objects. It is ultimately
what sets robots apart from any other technology.
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 quickly and cost-effectively.
Products
Historically, we have designed and marketed robots for the consumer and defense and security markets. Upon completion
of the divestiture of our defense and security business unit, we will be primarily focusing on the consumer market. With over
two decades of leadership in the robot industry, we remain committed to establishing robot and software platforms for
invention and discovery and creating robots that improve the standards of 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
a better way to clean and by freeing people from repetitive home cleaning tasks. In order to ensure the continued acceptance of
our robots we will continue to invest in technology necessary to further improve their cleaning capabilities.
We currently offer multiple Roomba floor vacuuming robots with varying price points ranging from $375 to $899 based
upon features and performance characteristics. Our Roomba robot's compact disc shape allows it to clean under kick boards,
beds and other furniture, resulting in cleaner floors since the Roomba can access more of the floor than standard upright
vacuum cleaners. In addition, Roomba eliminates the need to manually vacuum -- it cleans automatically upon the push of a
button or through scheduling. In September 2015, we launched our newest robot, Roomba 980, our first connected robot.
Roomba 980 delivers entire level cleaning through smart navigation, recharging as needed and resumes until finished. The
iRobot HOME App allows consumers the ability to conveniently schedule cleanings at anytime from anywhere. The Roomba
600 series robots offer a three-stage cleaning system which thoroughly vacuums every section of the floor multiple times, as
well as AeroVac technology and improved brush design enabling the robot to better handle fibers like hair, pet fur, lint and
carpet fuzz. The Roomba 700 series robots offer improved debris pick up, a larger debris bin that vigorously pulls debris and
hair off brushes into the bin, and dual air filters that capture dust particles as fine as 0.3 microns. The Roomba 800 series robots
offer our AEROForce technology which incorporates brushless, counter-rotating extractors that amplify suction for superior
performance over bristle brushes, while requiring less maintenance than previous Roomba models.
We currently offer the Braava automatic floor mopping robots designed exclusively for hard surface floors with a price of
$299. These robots provide a different cleaning approach than our Roomba products. The Braava automatically dusts and
damp mops hard surface floors using popular cleaning cloths or our specially designed reusable microfiber cloths, and includes
a special reservoir that dispenses liquid throughout the cleaning cycle to keep the cloth damp.
Our Scooba 450 floor scrubbing robot has a price point of $599. 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 Mirra
Pool Cleaning Robot is used to clean residential pools and removes debris as small as two microns from pool floors, walls and
Form 10-K