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After more than ten years of making military robots, iRobot launched the Roomba, its first robot for the home.
A dated step forward on the record
What the source says
“After more than a decade of offering military products, iRobot debuts its first domestic robot -- the Roomba.”
What it means
iRobot (Roomba), from iRobot, is at stage 5 of 5 on our ladder: regulator-cleared or mass market. Its stage is set by other milestones on its record; this one adds to the history.
Human help: Our sources report it working without human help.
More on iRobot (Roomba)
- iRobot launched the Roomba Mini, its smallest Roomba, in the UK and Europe, after a February launch in Japan.
- Picea completed its takeover. iRobot left bankruptcy as a private company wholly owned by Picea and kept its headquarters in Bedford, Massachusetts.
- iRobot's CEO Gary Cohen told TechRadar that the Roomba app keeps working and warranties will be honoured after the takeover.
- iRobot filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware, in a deal to be taken over by China-based Picea. Shareholders were set to get nothing. iRobot blamed tariffs on imports from Vietnam, among other things.
- iRobot warned there was substantial doubt it could stay in business, and its shares fell 35% in a day. It hired advisers to look at a sale or refinancing of its debt.
- Amazon dropped its plan to buy iRobot, first announced in 2022 at about $1.7 billion, after the European Commission opened a probe. The companies said there was no path to approval.