Roomba: How a Robot Vacuum Started a Revolution
The Verge's podcast explores the history of Roomba, from a simple bump-and-suck machine to a beloved household helper that sparked a robovac market.
The Dawn of the Robovac Revolution
Early Roombas were fairly unsophisticated machines. They would bump around the house, sucking up dirt until the battery died or the small dustbin filled up. Yet owners often loved them, even giving them names.
In a recent episode of "Version History," The Verge’s David Pierce and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy are joined by iRobot co-founder and former CEO Colin Angle to trace the robot vacuum revolution back to its origins. The story begins with a group of engineers desperately trying to build a business around robots of any kind.
Angle explains how iRobot developed the Roomba over nearly a decade, the many times it nearly fell apart, and the surprising reasons the product ultimately took off. The episode also examines the vast market that grew around Roomba and how iRobot struggled to keep pace.
This is the second episode of the fourth season of "Version History." Last week’s season premiere focused on the Harmony remote control.
