Robotic Revolutions

Above: Even the Scooba is no match for LOLCATS

Yesterday we discussed how the Roomba is fulfilling Ray Kurzweil’s prediction that household robots will emerge by 2009. Today, we’re taking a look at another member of the iRobot family, the Scooba. (Which ironically does not vacuum pools)

Released in 2005, the Scooba is a floor washing robot similar in appearance to the Roomba, although it is bulkier and heavier than its vacuuming cousin. The Scooba uses a proprietary Clorox formula, refered to by some as “Scooba Juice,” to prep, scrub and vacuum hardwood and tile floors until clean. Reports from enthusiasts claim the Scooba gets floors far cleaner than traditional methods because it perpetually uses fresh solution and clean water.

The Scooba shares the same software as the Roomba to navigate a room, which means it also suffers from the same lack of intelligence. Both of these robots simplify a necessary chore, but are equally simple in their approach. They have the potential to make life easier, as long as the proper steps are taken to prepare rooms for cleaning and the dustbins, water tanks and filters of the robots are frequently maintained.

In PC Mag, Lance Ulanoff provides a reasonable review of Scooba, explaining the challenge it has in market penetration:

At $399.99 list, the Scooba isn’t as obvious a purchase as the Roomba vacuum cleaner. Although consumers are used to paying a few hundred dollars for a good vacuum cleaner, most spend under $20 for a mop and bucket. Plus, the Scooba has consumable costs. The 8-ounce Clorox solution lasts for a few cleanings and then you have to buy more, at $17.99 for a three-bottle package. You can’t use anything else, because it could damage the Scooba and void the warranty. (I envision people trying to use the mop with water alone.) It does a better job of mopping the floor than you would do with just about any other standard bucket and floor mop, but since I know few people who actually scrub their floors, will anyone be willing to pay $400 plus consumable costs for this benefit? The Scooba can also clean sealed wood floors, but, again, most people I know sweep these and only occasionally damp-mop them.

iRobot has something here. This is a smart, powerful, effective solution for cleaning tile floors, but selling it to the American public could be a more uphill battle than they faced with the Roomba floor vac.

Owning a Roomba, this was exactly the thought process that kept me from buying a Scooba. However, I am very happy with my little robotic vacuum and impressed by the innovations of iRobot - so much so that I may still buy a Scooba someday. As such, if robots do become popular appliances, then expect iRobot to become a household name.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 12th, 2007 at 12:00 am and is filed under Robotics, Robots, Household. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.