We reported last week that iRobot was planning on releasing a new product at CES this year. I speculated that it might be something related to the Create, the ConnectR, or even possibly a lawn mower. But I was totally, completely wrong: it’s the second generation Looj, an updated and improved version of the Looj gutter cleaning robot. We got ourselves a video demo at the CES Pepcom event tonight, and it does look like it works better than the original (with fake leaves, anyway):

Now, this is not simply a Looj with a bigger battery and a fresh coat of paint. To their credit, iRobot paid a lot of attention to their customers, and made a whole bunch of changes and improvements to the Looj based on user feedback. The augur has been redesigned, the antenna is now internal, the battery is easier to remove, and the Looj moves slower, making it more efficient and gutter cleaning.

The second generation Looj goes on sale this spring starting at $129.99.

For the record, after seeing the Looj demo, I asked iRobot about three things: the future of the Create, when we’re going to see a robotic lawn mower, and what’s going on with the ConnectR. iRobot said that they are generally happy with how the Create is going, that it’s a good educational tool, and they have no immediate plans for hardware updates any time soon. They wouldn’t speculate on a lawn mower, but we know they’re working on it.

As for the ConnectR, based on feedback that they got from their beta testing, iRobot has decided that the ConnectR basically needs a total hardware and software redesign, and will likely reemerge on a non-Roomba based platform. It’s also been more or less shelved for the time being, primarily because iRobot wants to make something that operates like the Roomba or Looj: you push one button, and it just works. The ConnectR was too complicated, and they need to rethink it, but iRobot also said that they feel telepresence is going to be big, and they’re still planning on making something happen with that… They’re just not sure yet what it’s going to be.

Full press release on the second gen Looj, after the jump. (Read more…)

While I’m off scouring 1.7 million square feet and nearly 3,000 exhibitors at CES looking for robots, you can sit at home, put your feet up, and enjoy this video:

[ Rani Naamani ] VIA [ Suicide Bots ]

This week, I’m at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show. “Consumer Electronics” most certainly includes robots, but we’re wading through a mess of press conferences today and tomorrow and most of the bots are going to be on the show floor proper. Oops, did I say today and tomorrow? I meant yesterday and today… It’s 3am and I’m a little bit loopy. Anyway, there’ll be robot news a’plenty starting Thursday (I hope!), but if you’d like some proof that I’m not just slacking off, check out our CES coverage over on OhGizmo.

[ CES 2009 @ OhGizmo ]

I’m always a little bit hesitant to write about “robot” toys that aren’t actually robots (as I define them, anyway). But I guess this thing is interesting enough to make the cut, especially since I’m having fantasies of using it for some kind of cyborg project. Anyway, it’s a mechanical hand that plays piano music (not for real, just through a speaker), and as the music plays, the fingers articulate along with it. The hand plays an assortment of classical compositions followed by fake applause, and costs $13, AA batteries not included.

There aren’t many details as to how the hand works internally, but it looks like it might just be a simple system of linked gears actuated by a single motor. It’s too bad the fingers aren’t independently controllable, and it doesn’t look like it can actually grasp, but for just over 10 bucks it would be hard to pass up if you’re looking for a cool looking gripper that’s cheap enough to rip apart for your latest project.

[ Stupid.com ] VIA [ RGS ]

The Boston Globe is reporting that even though iRobot is feeling the economic pinch and will have a smaller booth at the Consumer Electronics Show (where BotJunkie will be as of Tuesday!), they’ve still got some kind of product release planned:

Angle said iRobot has never spent too lavishly at CES. “We’ve always done a modest presence there,” he said. “We don’t break the bank.” Even so, Angle said the company would cut its show expenditures even more this year.

IRobot plans to unveil a product at CES, but Angle refused to provide details. He said the company also sells a substantial number of its robot vacuum cleaners to business people at the show.

Well, thanks a bunch, but I already have a Roomba… Also, I don’t have a pool or a shop, and I do the kitchen floor and the gutters the hard way. What I’d really like would be something to help me mow the lawn, but what we’re probably more likely to see is a commercial release of the ConnectR, which has been languishing in the test phase for a looooong time. However, what with the present availability of other telepresence robots for sorta cheap (or less so), I’m still hoping for something a little more exciting, like maybe a consumer version of this. Worst case would probably be some kind of lame Roomba version with a slightly longer battery life and different color scheme. Or an accessory pack, ugh. Whatever it is, we’ll be bringing it to you this week, live and in person at CES.

[ Boston Globe ] VIA [ RSN ]

A rice planting robot developed by the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization in Japan is the grand prize winner of the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry 2008 Robot Awards. There were some other hardware awards, but the only other really interesting winner was (I’m pretty sure) this little guy. Anyway, the ricebot is the first one in the world to be completely automated, using GPS and gyros to figure out its position in the field and keep the rice planted in nice, tidy lines.

Production is probably 10 years away, because of cost and “safety performance,” whatever that refers to… 10 years seems like a long time to me, especially based on the level of automation that many other areas of farming currently enjoy. Basically, everything is largely automatic (if all goes well) besides the actual driving of the machines, which is still left up to humans. But the nice thing about farms is that they’re generally laid out in reliably geometric shapes on flat ground with confined boundaries and very little in the way of unknown obstacles or variables. Extremely robot friendly territory. And, it has the potential to save a lot of hours of boring labor where the problem solving skills of humans are being wasted. Not that I wouldn’t mind trying my hand at driving a combine sometime… Those things look like fun.

[ NARO ] VIA [ DigInfo ]

The desire for easy access to booze is clearly an important motivator for roboticists. Jamie Price, one of those people who is able to somehow able to build anything they put their mind to, constructed Bar2D2 (a beer and shot serving robot) in mere months.

Jamie takes pains to explain that he is not, in fact, much of a roboticist. More like, he’s a hobbyist who decided he wanted to build a robot, and then did it. He put together an Instructable page on how Bar2D2 was built, and if you have some basic knowledge woodworking and electronics, you can build your own. Seriously! And then, free robot booze for you. Yum.

[ Instructables ] VIA [ Suicide Bots ]

Building a combat robot is probably easier and more fun than you think; all you really need is the proper motivation. And what better motivation could there possibly be than having Lagunitas Beer sponsor you? Enter Beer Bash:

[ Edit- the Current.com video is f***ing up our WordPress, so you'll have to click here to see it. Sorry :( ]

We saw Beer Bash compete at RoboGames last year. Yeah, it wasn’t the most successful robot in the ring, but it was definitely a crowd favorite. It’s a little bit of a cliche, but it’s true: when you’re fighting with robots, it’s even fun to lose. I think what happens at 3:00 in the video pretty much sums it up… Trying to use a tiny little beer keg robot as a battering ram is not in the least bit effective, but it’s damn funny.

VIA [ Robots-Dreams ]

This is an ad for a German electronics chain… It’s sort of steampunk/robot mashup with a sexy chick at the end (and we don’t get enough of those around here, for sure). Oh, and a ROBOT BEE!

I don’t know what she’s telling me to do, but I feel oddly compelled to do it. Anyone speak German?

VIA [ Love The Machine ]

Heh.

I’m not gonna buy one, but it makes you wonder about the whole technology/design being cyclical thing, doesn’t it?

[ Conkershop ] VIA [ Fashionably Geek ]