iRobot and Google Collaborate to Advance the Next-Generation Smart Home

BEDFORD, Mass., Oct. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT), the
leader in consumer robots, has announced a collaboration with Google to
integrate robotic and smart home technologies that will advance the
next-generation smart home.

Consumer robots like the iRobot Roomba® i7+ robot vacuum are ideally suited
to enable intuitive and personalized smart home experiences based on an
ability to learn a home’s floor plan. With Imprint™ Smart Mapping, the
Roomba i7+ remembers multiple floor plans and room names so users can
customize cleaning jobs. Using the Google Assistant, users can also direct the
robot to clean a specific room with a simple voice command, like ‚Hey Google,
clean the kitchen‘.

Working together, iRobot and Google will seek additional ways to integrate
their platforms, providing customers with the choice to opt in to new
innovative smart home experiences that leverage a broader understanding of the
home’s space. For example, the spatial awareness of the home that Roomba
maintains may help to simplify smart home setup and enable powerful new
automations.

„iRobot is delivering products that help people keep a cleaner and smarter
home,“ said Colin Angle, chairman and CEO of iRobot. „Robots with mapping and
spatial awareness capabilities will play an important role in allowing other
smart devices in the home to more seamlessly work together. We’re looking
forward to working with Google to explore new ways to enable a more thoughtful
home.“

„Over the past year, we’ve been working hard to make it easier to control all
the devices and appliances in your home with the Google Assistant with just
your voice,“ said Michele Turner, director, Smart Home Ecosystem, Google.
„We’re excited to be exploring with iRobot how its unique spatial awareness
technology can work with the Assistant to offer customers a more intuitive and
personalized experience in their homes.“

About iRobot Corp.
iRobot, the leading global consumer robot company, designs and builds robots
that empower people to do more both inside and outside of the home. iRobot
created the home robot cleaning category with the introduction of its Roomba®
Vacuuming Robot in 2002. Today, iRobot is a global enterprise that has sold
more than 20 million robots worldwide. iRobot’s product line, including the
Roomba and the Braava® family of mopping robots, feature proprietary
technologies and advanced concepts in cleaning, mapping and navigation.
iRobot’s engineers are building an ecosystem of robots and technologies to
enable the smart home. For more information about iRobot, please visit
www.irobot.com.

For iRobot Investors
Certain statements made in this press release that are not based on historical
information are forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe
harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements
relating to iRobot Corporation’s expectations concerning research and
development activities, collaboration with third parties and management’s
plans, objectives and strategies. These statements are neither promises nor
guarantees, but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of
which are beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ
materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements.
Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance
on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.
iRobot undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained
in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events
or circumstances or otherwise. For additional disclosure regarding these and
other risks faced by iRobot, see the disclosure contained in our public
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including, without
limitation, our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K.

SOURCE iRobot Corp.

Museum Speelklok Utrecht – Robots love music

The international exhibition entitled ‘Robots love Music’ reveals that historical and modern-day robots not only have a brain, but also have a heart!

It’s not just the museum that will be showcasing robots; this autumn, the entire city of Utrecht will go robotic. At various locations around town, Museum Speelklok, universities, venues, and musicians will organise a wide variety of robot events.

Robots with a heart and soul?

They certainly exist! Through time musical ‘robots’ have been evolving from simply mimicking human movements to composing music independently and even improvising, just as we do.

Which musical robots?

They will come in all sizes, shapes and varieties from every corner of the world: ancient robots, interactive robots, metal robots, supersonic robots, life-size robots, cabinets with concealed robots and lots of invisible musicians. All of them will play music ‘live’.

Straight from the USA, the ultramodern and amiable music-making robot Shimon will arrive. The impressive man-size 18th-century Clarinet Player of Dutch making, which wound up in the USA, will make a special trip to Utrecht for the exhibition. From the film of the same name, the French automaton Hugo can be admired in its role as the cinematic link between the world of humans and machines.

Can robotic musicians move you? Find out for yourself at the interactive exhibition Robots love Music. Open from the 21st of September 2018 untill 3th of March 2019.

https://www.museumspeelklok.nl/exhibition-robots-love-music/

https://www.museumspeelklok.nl/exhibition-robots-love-music/

 

 

LegoWorld Utrecht 2018 Photos

Maker Faire Eindhoven 2018

Free VEX Coding Studio Youtube Webinars

Ready to transition your coding skills to VEX Coding Studio? Carnegie Mellon University is hosting a free, four week webinar series detailing everything you’ll need to know to transition from RobotC!

Be sure to tune in to Carnegie Mellon’s YouTube stream (almost) every Thursday, from September 13th to October 11th for your introduction to VEX Coding Studio. We’ll cover topics such as updating firmware, configuring motors and sensors, and programming with VEX C++ and Modkit. If you have any additional topics that you want covered on-air, be sure to ask beforehand on Twitter @CMUCMRA !

To set your YouTube reminders or to see a detailed weekly outine of these webinars, visit the Carnegie Mellon University Website.

New iRobot® Roomba® i7+ Robot Vacuum Learns a Home’s Floor Plan and Empties Itself

iRobot Brings Memory and Hands-Free Cleaning to Roomba® i7+ with Clean Base™ Automatic Dirt Disposal

BEDFORD, Mass.Sept. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Imagine a robot vacuum that not only remembers a home’s floor plan and cleans specific rooms by name – but also automatically empties itself. iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT), the leader in consumer robots, today announced the Roomba® i7+ robot vacuum with Clean Base™ Automatic Dirt Disposal. The Roomba i7+ brings a new level of intelligence and automation to robotic vacuum cleaners with the ability to learn, map and adapt to a home’s floor plan. Introducing Imprint™ Smart Mapping, the Roomba i7+ remembers multiple floor plans and room names so users can customize cleaning jobs and direct the robot to clean specific rooms by voice1 or via the iRobot HOME App. When the Roomba i7+ robot vacuum is finished cleaning, it empties its own dust bin into the Clean Base™, which holds 30 bins of dirt, allowing customers to forget about vacuuming for weeks at a time.

Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8234051-irobot-roomba-i7-plus/

„With the ability to learn, adapt to and remember a home’s floor plan, and the introduction of automatic dirt disposal, the iRobot Roomba i7+ represents the most advanced robotic vacuum ever built,“ said Colin Angle, chairman and CEO of iRobot. „This robot delivers on the original vision we had when we embarked on the journey to build a vacuuming robot almost 20 years ago.“

Knows your home’s floor plan. Understands your command.
Ushering in a new era of consumer robots, the Roomba i7+ allows customers to clean specific rooms in the home. Using Imprint™ Smart Mapping, the Roomba i7+ gets to know the home’s floor plan, giving customers total control to choose which rooms are cleaned and when. The robot learns every room – remembering up to 10 different floor plans – so users can carry their robot to another floor or a separate home, where the robot will recognize its location and clean as instructed. iRobot’s patented iAdapt® 3.0 Navigation with vSLAM® technology helps the Roomba i7+ seamlessly and efficiently navigate the home by keeping track of where it’s been and where it has yet to clean. The Roomba i7+ also adapts to changing home environments, so it always knows the best way to clean.

The Roomba i7+ works with Alexa™ enabled devices and the Google Assistant, and is the only robot vacuum that lets users clean specific rooms by name with a voice command1. For example, just say, „Alexa, ask Roomba to clean my kitchen,“ or „Hey Google, clean the living room,“ and the Roomba i7+ will efficiently find its way to the appropriate room to clean. Once finished, the robot will return to its base to charge and automatically empty its contents when paired with the Clean Base™ Automatic Dirt Disposal.

Empties on its own.
The iRobot Roomba® i7+ robot vacuum takes convenience to a whole new level with the first-of-its-kind Clean Base™ Automatic Dirt Disposal, which automatically empties the contents of the Roomba i7+ dust bin into the Clean Base. Doubling as the robot’s charging station, the Clean Base takes the dirty work out of vacuuming, storing debris in an enclosed bag, and trapping dirt and dust so it can’t escape into the air. When the bag is full, the user is notified via the iRobot HOME App. Then they simply pull it out of the Clean Base and replace with a new one. The bag can hold 30 bins of debris, so users don’t have to think about vacuuming for weeks at a time.

„iRobot is addressing a long-standing customer call by giving Roomba the ability to empty its own bin after each cleaning,“ said Christian Cerda, COO of iRobot. „This enhances the customer experience by eliminating the dusty and dirty mess often associated with emptying vacuum canisters. With the ability to remember the home, clean specific rooms and empty itself when its finished, the Roomba i7+ with Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal quite literally frees customers from every aspect of vacuuming – from start to finish – for weeks at a time.“

Introducing the Roomba® e5 Robot Vacuum.
iRobot also introduced the Roomba® e5 robot vacuum. Starting at $449, customers can enjoy the luxury of automated cleaning at a more accessible price. The Roomba® e5 is packed with innovative technologies that work together for a clean home every day. It starts with the premium 3-Stage Cleaning System and Dual Multi-Surface Rubber Brushes. The specially designed Edge-Sweeping Brush focuses on dirt that accumulates around edges and corners. Smart navigation and Dirt Detect™ technology work together to cover a floor and focus on the areas that need it most. And because it’s Wi-Fi® connected, users can control and schedule cleanings on the Roomba e5 with the iRobot HOME App, or using their voice when paired with Alexa™ enabled devices or the Google Assistant.

Powerful performance, intelligent clean.
iRobot is the only leading robot vacuum brand with robots that have two Multi-Surface Rubber Brushes that work together to effectively clean both carpets and hard floors2. The Roomba i7+ and Roomba e5 robots will automatically adjust the height of the cleaning head so the two brushes can directly engage with the floor. One brush loosens and agitates dirt and the other moves in the opposite direction to extract and pull dirt in. And instead of bristles, which can bend and miss dirt, the flexible rubber brushes hug the floor to clean everything from small particles, like dust and dirt, to hair and large debris.

Featuring a low-profile design to clean under furniture and along toe kicks, the Roomba i7+ and Roomba e5 robots use a High-Efficiency Filter to capture 99 percent of pollen, mold, dust mites, and cat and dog allergens.

Leveraging Dirt Detect™ Technology – an iRobot patented feature – the Roomba i7+ and Roomba e5 robots are always looking for the places that need the most attention. Sensors in the robot recognize particularly dirty areas, such as sand near a doorway entrance, and prompt the robot to clean them more thoroughly. Once the Roomba i7+ robot is finished cleaning, users can view Clean Map™ reports in the iRobot HOME App to see where the robot cleaned and other details3.

Pricing and Availability
The Roomba i7+ robot vacuum with Clean Base™ Automatic Dirt Disposal is available for pre-sale immediately in the U.S. and Canada starting at $949 USD on www.irobot.com, with shipments beginning Wednesday, September 12. The Roomba i7+ will be available at select retailers beginning in October. The Roomba i7 robot vacuum can also be purchased without the Clean Base™ starting at $699 USD on www.irobot.com. The Clean Base™ Automatic Dirt Disposal sold separately will retail for $299 USD. Additional Dirt Disposal Bags can be purchased for $14.99 for a pack of three bags. The Roomba i7+ with Clean Base™ Automatic Dirt Disposal is expected to be available in certain international markets in Q1 2019.

The Roomba e5 robot vacuum starts at $449 USD and will be available on www.irobot.com in the U.S. and Canada beginning Wednesday, September 12.

Sony Announces Limited First Litter Edition Release of aibo in U.S.

NEW YORK, Aug. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Electronics Inc. today revealed plans to offer a special First Litter Edition of its acclaimed aibo autonomous robotic „puppy“ companion in the United States. Following the recent reintroduction of aibo in Japan, Sony’s First Litter Edition for the U.S. will be a limited, all-in-one aibo bundle that includes the aibo1, a three-year AI Cloud Plan2, a fun assortment of aibo toys, and an individually numbered commemorative dog tag.

First introduced in 1999, the latest design of aibo is the sixth generation of Sony’s beloved companion robot. Unlike previous versions, it pairs cutting-edge robotics with a new, cloud-connected artificial intelligence (AI) engine and advanced image sensors, giving aibo the ability to learn and recognize faces. As aibo interacts with people over time, it develops its own unique personality through everyday interactions, enabling it to remember what actions make its owner happy and form a deep bond with members of the household.

No two aibo companion robots are the same. Each owner’s approach to raising their aibo shapes its personality, behavior and knowledge, creating a unique environment for growth. In fact, aibo is able to learn new tricks through owners‘ interactions, experiences with changing seasons and different events. Not content to sit and wait to be beckoned, aibo will actively seek out its owners and can recognize their faces. It can also detect words of praise and smiles, as well as react to being petted or scratched on the head.

„This is truly a one-of-a-kind product designed to connect with its owners on an emotional level,“ said Mike Fasulo, president and chief operating officer of Sony Electronics North America. „aibo’s charming personality, dog-like behaviors and ability to intelligently interact with family members help to create a personal bond. Bringing aibo back to the U.S. reflects Sony’s broader commitment to provide consumers with products that not only entertain them, but also enrich their lives.“

To create such a loveable, expressive and life-like robo-puppy, Sony integrated a wide range of sensors, cameras and actuators to bring aibo to life. Ultra-compact 1- and 2-axis actuators give aibo’s body the freedom to move along a total of 22 axes. Its adaptable behavior is made possible through deep learning AI technology in the form of built-in sensors that can detect and analyze sounds and images. aibo’s whimsical body language is expressed through a combination of eye, ear, and tail movements, as well as different voice sounds. In addition, two OLED displays are utilized for aibo’s eyes and give the appearance of blinking and closing, allowing for diverse, nuanced expressions.

Like any pup, aibo enjoys playing with a variety of toys. Sony’s First Litter Edition aibo will arrive with a pink ball, an „aibone,“ paw pads and charging station. Users can also take their aibo experience to the next level with the „My aibo1 2“ app.  In addition to accessing system settings and owner information, the app’s handy user interface allows owners to check out and share their aibo’s pictures, as well as add „tricks“ to its repertoire. The app is packed with fun-filled features—even for people who don’t have an aibo of their own.

The three-year AI Cloud Plan2 included in the First Litter Edition bundle enables aibo to upload its day-to-day life experiences to Sony’s leading-edge AI engine. This database of memories is accessed to form each aibo’s unique personality, which grows and evolves over time. The aibo AI Cloud Plan also enables users to enjoy the full range of aibo features via Wi-Fi connection at home or a mobile connection on the go.

Sony’s latest generation aibo is one of the products of the Company’s broader commitment to technology innovation, particularly in the areas of AI, robotics and image sensing. This commitment has enabled Sony to achieve other innovations in these areas, such as its Neural Network Console, an integrated software development environment for creating deep learning programs for artificial intelligence; Sony’s recent agreement with Carnegie Mellon University to collaborate on artificial intelligence and robotics research; and the introduction of a compact CMOS image sensor with resolution rivaling SLR cameras.

By looking for new ways to bring joy to people’s lives through technology innovation, such as with aibo, Sony is staying true to its philosophy of Kando – creating an emotional connection with Sony’s customers. Similarly, the company has designed aibo’s packaging from 50 percent post-consumer recycled plastic as a reflection of its commitment to environmental sustainability.

aibo First Litter Edition with accessory bundle and three-year AI Cloud Plan will be available for purchase in September 2018 at a suggested retail price of $2,899, with delivery in time for the holidays. Additional details will be announced in the coming weeks. To get the latest aibo updates via email and find additional information on fun aibo features and accessories, visit us.aibo.com

aibo will be exhibited at Sony Square NYC from August 24th to October 14th. The exhibit is open to the public and is the only place to experience aibo before it goes on sale.

About Sony Electronics Inc.
Sony Electronics is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America and an affiliate of Sony Corporation (Japan), one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the world, with a portfolio that encompasses electronics, music, motion pictures, mobile, gaming and financial services. Headquartered in San Diego, California, Sony Electronics is a leader in electronics for the consumer and professional markets. Operations include research and development, engineering, sales, marketing, distribution and customer service. Sony Electronics creates products that innovate and inspire generations, such as the award-winning Alpha Interchangeable Lens Cameras and revolutionary high-resolution audio products. Sony is also a leading manufacturer of end-to-end solutions from 4K professional broadcast and A/V equipment to industry leading 4K Ultra HD TVs. Visit www.sony.com/news for more information.

__________________________________
1 „My aibo“ will be available at Google Play and the App Store from the day on which the aibo is shipped. A web browser version is also available at the same time. Network services, content, and the operating system and software of this Product may be subject to individual terms and conditions and changed, interrupted or discontinued at any time and may require fees, registration and credit card information.

2 aibo and aibo AI Cloud Plan subscription required to fully enjoy all features of „My aibo.“ App

World’s first smart dancing robot speaker, dancebot, gets funded just 2 hours from launch

Expressive robot speaker connects with any Bluetooth-capable device and converts any type of audio played in real time into motion using intelligent algorithm to drive the feet of the robot using bionics technology.

HOUSTON – Aplus Drones is pleased to announce the launch of Dancebot, a smart dancing robot speaker designed with intelligent algorithm technology, today on Kickstarter. Dancebot reached its funding goal of $10,000 in just 2 hours.

Dancebot is the world’s first smart dancing robot speaker. Connect your device to Dancebot via Bluetooth and use it as a speaker. Dancebot will move to the audio it plays.

Aplus Drones has developed an algorithm to analyse audio input on the fly to string together movements that best express the sound played through Dancebot. It moves to the rhythm and tempo of music in its adorable expression of the songs. It taps its feet and jives to upbeat tunes. It slides in silky sleek movements to bring out the sexy in slow pieces.

Dancebot is designed with two joints in each leg. A motor drives each joint through 360 degrees of motion. Aplus Drones engineers have been creating a database of movements Dancebot is capable of. The variation of speed and degree of motion at each joint creates multiple permutations of possible moves that can be achieved with the four joints. The large library of movements and on-the-fly analysis means Dancebot has a different dance routine each time it jives to the same song.

The movement expressed by Dancebot depends on the audio it plays. Besides playing music, Dancebot can be used to play audiobooks, videos, podcasts or even voice messages.

This makes Dancebot the perfect companion for children. Play a children’s audiobook or nursery rhymes with Dancebot and it will move to the narration of the story and dance along to the nursery rhymes. Dancebot’s animated movements makes learning more engaging and a whole a lot more fun.

The startup sound for Dancebot can be customized into a personalised message, making it ideal as a gift.

For more information or to purchase Dancebot at a special discount during crowdfunding, visit the Dancebot Kickstarter campaign page.

About Aplus Drones

Aplus Drones is an entrepreneurial technology company focusing on artificial intelligence and robotic technology development. The company provides award-winning product design, product development, manufacturing, marketing, logistics and shipping services. Full control over the whole supply chain makes Aplus a one-stop solution for clients.

About Dancebot

Dancebot is a smart dancing robot speaker that is a fun audio companion. It moves to the rhythm and tempo of the audio played through it. Play music, audiobooks, podcasts, videos or even voice messages

My Best-friend ARTIBO

Introducing Cubroid’s second robot project: ARTIBO! Cubroid originally launched in 2017 with its AI educational Coding Blocks and is back with a new robot for coders, non-coders, kids and adults all alike. Only having been showcased at trade fairs such as The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and The Mobile World Congress (MWC) so far, Cubroid will now make Artibo available to general consumers.

Currently robots trendy among those with interest in such technology. However, going forward, robots will have a huge influence on people’s daily lives as a whole. “We put our best effort forward to make everyone who is interested in robotics have an opportunity to easily enjoy this robot. That’s why being well-designed and functional is key in how Artibo was created” says CEO and Founder, Mark Shin.

Artibo is your very own AI best-friend, designed to make daily life that much more simple. An at-home assistant that is small enough to fit anywhere and also efficient enough to go anywhere you go.

Artibo comes with an AI block (which houses the camera, microphone, speaker and LED screen), a motor block, a connector block (to join the AI and motor block) and silicon wheels.

When all the pieces are connected, Artibo stands at approximately 97mm tall and weighs less than a pound (240g) – with the AI block weighing less than half a pound

With separate (but buildable) parts, you can separate the AI block and place it on your desk while you work or connect all the parts and have Artibo follow you from one room to the next. With Artibo, buying multiple to have one in every room is unnecessary.

The features you would like your Artibo to display are customizable from a list of features such as walkie-talkie, scheduler, music, voice recognition, and many more. Each feature having a corresponding display that is shown on the LED screen.

Keeping with the core of what Cubroid does, you can also code Artibo for even more personable interactions and functionality. Kids can also continue their coding education from coding with Cubroid Coding Block to now coding with Artibo.

On Kickstarter preorder of Artibo will be available from July 31st 2018 to September 30th 2018. With Super Early Bird prices starting as low as US$79. Artibo’s prices are set so low to give as many people as possible the opportunity to afford and experience such a robot. After achieving the set goal, Cubroid estimates manufacturing and delivery to be completed by the end of November 2018. We proudly introduce you to your own AI robot: Artibo!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cubroid/my-best-friend-artibo