Robot Stock News

Wild ride for IRBT as all-time high looms

2011-03-30T07:46:00.001-04:00

It seems like just yesterday I was buying scoops of IRBT at $7 a share. Actually it was more like 30 months ago - but iRobot has been on an absolute tear since then. Despite the recession, the company's revenues and profits quickly rebounded and then hit all time highs, and the stock has followed nicely, roughly matching AAPLs performance in that time (without introducing an iPad I might add).

iRobot Noted for Pushing Kinect-Style Technology at CES

2011-01-10T09:24:00.000-04:00

iRobot's new robots are getting noticed as early home implementations of Kinect-style technology. Reuters has the story from CES.

iRobot introduces AVA telepresence robot at CES (!!!)

2011-01-07T09:43:00.004-04:00

Didn't expect this so soon: iRobot unveiled its telepresence robot, AVA. The telepresence robot is compatible with iPads and Android devices and is designed to be ready for APPs. iRobot CEO Colin Angle: "If you can program an iPad, you can program a robot." The new robot has sonar and mapping, and Microsoft Kinect-style technology. Here's PC Magazine's interview on YouTube: Exciting stuff!

NEW Roomba 700 Series, Scooba 230 Announced by iRobot (!)

2011-01-03T23:24:00.000-04:00

iRobot Corporation (NASDAQ:IRBT) announced today that it will introduce all new models of its Roomba and Scooba lines at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The new Roomba 700 Series robots feature AeroVac II vacuum bin with more power, HEPA filtration, 50% better battery life, and improved dirt detection. The new 700 Series models will cost about double the $249 starting price point for the 500

Heartland Robotics snagged $20 million in funding

2010-12-27T10:40:00.000-04:00

The robotics field is heating up. Heartland Robotics, the company founded by iRobot godfather Rodney Brooks, announced Nov. 30 that they have secured another $20 million in funding. Can't wait for them to show off their supposedly amazingly cheap and useful products and have an IPO.

Colin Angle disses Neato's XV-11, hints at lawsuits

2010-12-27T10:35:00.000-04:00

iRobot CEO Colin Angle gave an extensive interview to GetRobo.com where he praises Neato Robotics as a company and calls their laser rangefinder interesting, but ultimately dismisses the Neato XV-11 robotic vacuum, saying that it does not do as good of a job of cleaning as Roomba, because it treats such things as couch skirts as walls and doesn't then clean under the couch. Angle also said that

iRobot Stock Nears $24 IPO price as Roombas selling out, SUGV begins shipping

2010-12-16T08:52:00.000-04:00

A couple of pieces of excellent news appears to be juicing iRobot's stock, which has come very close to the initial $24 IPO price, which would be a nice milestone for the company. Boeing, the company that markets iRobot's SUGV product to the military, announced that it has started delivering SUGVs under the low rate initial production phase of the brigade combat team modernization program, with

Will iRobot be a takeover target?

2010-11-24T17:03:00.000-04:00

Reuters has an article that points out big defense contractors are buying smaller ones to find growth in a tight funding environment. Boeing, iRobot and Northrop Grumman are mentioned as focusing on unmanned systems, an area prime for growth. Link.

What are you getting for Christmas?

2010-11-24T16:16:00.001-04:00

Roomba, or Neato?

Paging IRBT analysts: Why do you ask such terrible questions?

2010-10-28T10:35:00.001-04:00

iRobot's conference call this morning was very, very boring, almost tedious, and I blame the analysts. All they seemed to care about were vague questions about "color" for next year's numbers. Nobody had a truly insightful question, including the obvious ones: 1) How concerned are you about the threats from Neato Robotics, Mint Cleaner, Samsung, and are you worried that they are taking share in

iRobot Posts Earnings Call Transcript

2010-10-28T07:46:00.001-04:00

iRobot (NASDAQ:IRBT) posted the script for the start of its earnings call on its website. The actual call takes place at 8:30. The text has a bunch of positives, including growth in South America, strong military orders, strong Roomba orders, and a stronger balance sheet. Thx, Potts

iRobot Reports Strong 3rd Quarter Results, Ups Guidance Again on Strong Roomba Sales

2010-10-27T22:04:00.000-04:00

iRobot Corporation (NASDAQ:IRBT) reported its third quarter earnings after the close, and it was another stellar report, blowing away profit estimates with 27 cents per diluted share and upping full year estimates significantly to 80-82 cents a share, far above consensus estimates of 57 cents. Even that could be too low, given that the company has started making a habit of blowing away estimates.

Colin Angle: "Many, many, many hundreds" of PackBots Killed in Action by Roadside Bombs; Sees Growth in Military Robotics Despite Defense Cuts

2010-10-27T08:25:00.001-04:00

Colin Angle iRobot CEO Colin Angle told Forbes magazine that he sees opportunities for continued growth in military robots even with future budget cuts in Defense spending. The company's robots cost a lot less than other military items (ed: like people), and are proven to save lives. Angle said he doesn't have a precise number of how many PackBots have been killed in action by roadside bombs,

iRobot Names Human Resources VP

2010-10-27T08:08:00.000-04:00

Russell J. Campanello has been tapped as iRobot's new VP of Human Resources. Perhaps this is a sign they expect more growth?

Coffee Balloon Robotic Hand Co-Developed by iRobot

2010-10-27T08:04:00.002-04:00

Coffee-Filled Hand This latest invention is, frankly, amazing. iRobot and researchers at Cornell and the University of Chicago with funding from DARPA developed a powerful robotic hand using a simple vacuum, a balloon, and coffee grounds. Here's how it works — the coffee-filled balloon is lowered onto an object that needs picking up. The balloon deforms around the object. Then the vacuum is

BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman, iRobot Partner on Ground Combat Vehicle

2010-10-27T07:32:00.000-04:00

With earnings due today, iRobot's been coming fast and furious this week with the press releases. Yesterday, BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman announced they are partnering with iRobot on the new Ground Combat Vehicle. From the press release: "iRobot Corporation (NASDAQ:IRBT) will serve as the unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) integrator and enhance the capability to detect pedestrians and obstacles

iRobot gets $1.82 million in Seaglider contracts

2010-10-25T10:01:00.000-04:00

Seaglider, iRobot's chief ocean-monitoring robot, has received two contracts worth $1.82 million combined, iRobot announced a few minutes ago. While any contract here is good news, to date the company's multi-million-dollar investment in oceangoing robots has yet to pay off. The company lost out on a major Navy contract a while back. I think there is still potential here, given the Seaglider's

Colin Angle interviewed by Wired

2010-10-23T07:36:00.000-04:00

iRobot CEO Colin Angle was interviewed by Wired this week and expounded on several topics, including his friendship with Google co-founder Larry Page (Angle was at Page's wedding), who he credits with Google's "gratuitous" robotic vehicle venture, his vision for providing most health care in the home via telepresence robots and sophisticated sensors, and his disdain for robotic toys. Worth a

iRobot Playing Key Role Developing Advanced Robotic Arm for DARPA

2010-10-20T09:27:00.000-04:00

DARPA's reference robot IEEE Spectrum has a well-done, in-depth report on DARPA's advanced robotic manipulator arm project at this link. The project includes various teams competing to provide the best hardware and software on the project, but iRobot Corporation (NASDAQ:IRBT) is the only private company competing, and one of just two teams competing in both hardware and software categories.

Gold-Plated Roomba Robot Shown during iRobot CEO Colin Angle's Visit to Japan

2010-10-18T08:59:00.000-04:00

Bling is back, I guess. I never thought I'd see a 24K-gold Roomba, until now. I mean, it's a vacuum cleaner people! Aren't we supposed to be in a recession? Isn't gold at like $1,400 an ounce? 24K Gold Plated Roomba The pictured gold-plated Roomba, which looks like a modified Roomba 560, was shown during a recent visit by iRobot CEO Colin Angle to Japan (Google translated Japanese page). The

Next Generation EOD Robots Planned by Navy to Fight IED Threat

2010-10-17T10:08:00.002-04:00

The Navy just posted a presolicitation notice that they will be posting preliminary requirements for a key competition for part of the Advanced Explosive Ordnance Disposal Robotic System (AEODRS). According to the notice, they see a family of three robots all sharing the same controllers and software. There will be three variants — a 35-pound "dismounted" one, i.e. soldiers walking without their

iRobot Packbot Video Shows Aware 2 Software and Hardware Upgrades

2010-10-16T16:35:00.000-04:00

As iRobot announced a $14 million order for upgrades to its FasTac line of PackBots last week, the company released a video on YouTube detailing the many upgrades they have developed, including the Aware 2 software, controllers, various arms, grippers, cameras, lights, and more. Take a look:

iRobot's Maryellen Abreu's run-in with TreeHugger

2010-10-16T16:24:00.000-04:00

Maryellen Abreu, iRobot's director of technical support, impresses in this YouTube clip from a customer service forum in which she discusses how she dealt with the infamous TreeHugger fiasco. An iRobot customer service rep told a caller, who happened to write for TreeHugger, to throw a nonworking Roomba in the trash instead of recycling it. She tells the story starting at around 4:07 in this clip

Roomba Sumo Wrestling — in the Baltics

2010-10-16T16:05:00.000-04:00

Roomba wrestling in Tallinn, Estonia, via YouTube: Yes, the Roomba phenomenon is global.

Evolution Robotics CEO talks Mint Cleaner with Botjunkie

2010-10-15T09:04:00.002-04:00

Evan Ackerman at Botjunkie interviewed Evolution Robotics' CEO Paulo Pirjanian about the Mint cleaner, the company's vision for the future, and iRobot's Celestial Navigation Patent for its dominant Roomba line of robotic vacuums. The Mint Cleaner from Evolution Robotics Pirjanian talked with Evan about his idea for building a simple, quiet Swifferbot with advanced navigation capabilities, his