RETRO

ROOMBA

Remembering the tech of yesteryear

IMAGE CREDIT: LARRY D MOORE ON WIKIMEDIA

SEPTEMBER 2002

Back in the mid-20th century, every futuristic sci-fi author (as well as cartoon TV series The Jetsons, set in the really not-so-far-away space-age year of 2062 with a 40-year-old protagonist) was convinced that we would one day have robot assistants doing our housework (and flying cars too). We’re not quite there yet, but the launch of the Roomba vacuum in 2002 seemed to hint that we were on the brink of a breakthrough. The first version was a small, circular vacuum cleaner that could operate itself and navigate around obstacles. It was short enough to fit under beds, while its onboard brushes and rollers swept up dirt automatically. You could specify how large your room was and set it to work, where it would learn your layout by gently bumping into obstacles and walls along its way. It was a handy little helper if you didn’t have time to clean. In recent years, iRobot has struggled financially, which culminated in the company filing for bankruptcy and being taken over by Chinese home robotics firm Picea late in 2025. Its future is unknown, but the Roomba’s past as a pioneering home cleaning robot is certain.