The news that the maker of the Roomba robot vacuum, iRobot, filed for bankruptcy this week came as no surprise. Its CEO, Gary Cohen, had been warning investors all year that the company could run out of cash unless a buyer was found. When its last potential deal fell through, bankruptcy became inevitable. But Cohen […]
For many, iRobot’s Roomba robot vacuum was their first experience with a home robot. When I got my Roomba in 2005, I felt like I was a step closer to my dream of living in a Jetsons-style home where a robot did my chores for me. It was expensive, around $300 for a small black […]
iRobot, the owner of the Roomba robot vacuum, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, stating that it will be acquired by its contract manufacturer, Picea Robotics. The Chinese-based company assumed iRobot’s $190 million loan earlier this month and, under the terms of iRobot’s restructuring, will waive that debt, along with the $161.5 million iRobot owes […]
After 35 years, the maker of the Roomba robot vacuum filed for bankruptcy protection late Sunday night. Following issuing warnings earlier this year that it was fast running out of options, iRobot announced it will enter Chapter 11 protection and plans to be acquired by its contract manufacturer, the Chinese-based Picea Robotics. The company says […]
As I’m sitting in my office writing this review, delicious, cheesy, garlicky scents are wafting up the stairs. I can hear whizzing and whirring, and the occasional clunk, as a robot chef in my kitchen is making macaroni and cheese. Its app tells me there are three minutes left in the process, and based on […]
Among a sea of new TVs, robovacs, and smart glasses, Yukai Engineering’s Mirumi was a unique standout at CES 2025 earlier this year. The tiny robot has no practical purpose other than looking adorable and bringing a smile to people’s faces by simulating an inquisitive personality. The company planned to release the companion bot sometime […]
A humanoid robot bubble could be brewing, warned China’s leading economic planning agency on Thursday. The alert comes amid growing fears that a bubble in a related industry — AI — is about to burst. Speaking at a press briefing, National Development and Reform Commission spokesperson Li Chao said China’s humanoid robotics industry needs to […]
Things continue to look bleak for the original robot vacuum maker. iRobot’s third-quarter results, released last week, show that revenue is down and “well below our internal expectations due to continuing market headwinds, ongoing production delays, and unforeseen shipping disruptions,” said Gary Cohen, iRobot CEO, in a press release. This meant they had to spend […]
Robot vacuums are amazing machines, but they can also be a pain in the arse. In my home, testing a new robot vacuum often means digging it out from under my living room couch or unhooking it from the legs of my lounger. Then there’s being woken at 3AM by a cheery “resuming cleaning,” getting […]
The most striking moment of Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting Thursday wasn’t when Elon Musk won a impossible-sounding pay package worth nearly $1 trillion. That was a foregone conclusion, given Musk’s popularity with retail shareholders and his ability to vote his own extensive holdings. To me, the more illuminating moment was when the gathered crowd of […]