Coal Fired Computers, Steam Engine, Out of the Ground, STUK, Artefact, Leuven, Belgium

bnr#13 => Coal Fired Computers, Steam Engine, Out of the Ground, STUK, Artefact, Leuven, Belgium

Roomba

Object: 52

Roomba

Date of origin: Introduced in 2002
Author/inventor/context: iRobot

A 13” diameter, 3.5" high, autonomous vacuum cleaner equipped with sensors that detect obstacles, dirt, recharging points, airflow, malfunction and impassable staircases. A central processing unit controls power to fans, brushes, an audio speaker, motors, and wheels. It employs an algorithmic cleaning pattern that spirals, follows walls and randomly selects direction. If a Roomba gets stuck, humans are instructed to “Lift and move Roomba to a new location” by a firm yet comforting female robot voice. Designed to fight dirt and grime, they are built by iRobot, one of the largest manufacturers of military robotics in the US.

Tom Keene