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60 Modern Robotics

and power-charging systems. But the most interesting advances
make Roomba smart enough to change its cleaning pattern accord-
ing to the size of the room and the amount of dirt it collects, as
well as using an infrared beacon to home in on its docking station
when a recharge is needed. Other companies, such as Applica and
Sharper Image, have come out with competitive cleaning bots. The
household robot, at least in specialized form, seems to have won
consumer acceptance.

Robots on the Front Lines

Military and law enforcement agencies are intensely interested
in using robots to perform tasks that are difficult or dangerous
for humans, such as disarming an improvised explosive device or
approaching a suspect in a hostage situation safely. iRobot has
developed a machine called the PackBot for these functions.
The PackBot weighs about 50 pounds (23 kg), so it can be easily
transported in the trunk of a police car or even carried by its opera-
tor. The robot has tracks like a tiny tank, but its rotating flippers
enable it to clamber over rubble and even climb stairs. Specialized
versions are equipped with different types of sensors, cameras, and
attachments for a particular task.
Greiner has noted with pleasure the letters she receives from U.S.
soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan whose lives have been saved by one
of the more than 150 Packbots that have helped them search for and
disarm explosive devices found in buildings and caves.
In July 2005, iRobot introduced the PackBot Explorer. This
model was designed for a variety of surveillance missions. It has
three separate cameras and can be fitted with specialized sensors.

Future Household Robots

Angle and the crew at iRobot believe the future for consumer
robots is promising. They believe that while many household tasks
are much more complex than vacuuming floors, it should be pos-
sible to eventually build robots to do them. As entrepreneurs, their