Hacked Robot Vaccuum Cleaner: Sux0rs or Rox0rs?

[Pat Logsdon]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.engadget.com/entry/4071977118819522/' target='_blank'>http://www.engadget.com/entry/4071977118819522/</a><br /><br /></div>There are some people in this world who will hack anything. A toaster gets a mini ITX motherboard and becomes <a href="http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/toasterpc/images/toasterpc0004L.jpg">ToAsT0r,</a> a plastic cow becomes <a href="http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/moocowmoo/images/moocowmoo0017L.jpg">uDd0r,</a> and a small box turtle in Wisconsin named Mr. Scootums was turned into a (very slow) mobile hotspot using only a wireless AP, a solar panel, and some glue. Ok, I made up the last one, but the point remains that these people are <i>out there,</i> running amuck and frolicking gleefully with unsavory unions of technology and mundane objects.<br /><br /> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/logsdon_20040718_roomba.jpg" /> <br /><br />The latest project in this vein is a hacked Roomba vaccuum. I'm not sure if this makes it r0oMbA now, but the fact remains that it's in the wild now: <i>"It’s got beefed up monitors on its bump switches, cliff sensors, motors, and encoders; it’s got a Virgin Webplayer with a 200MHz Geode CPU, 64MB RAM, and 802.11b attached to it; it’s pulling from a lead-acid battery strapped on the back. It’s the Mad Max of Roomba RoboVacs — it’s got an IP address, and it’s coming to clean your floor.</i>" :werenotworthy: :mrgreen:

[Jonathan1]

What the bloody hell is that thing suppose to do?!?!? 8O

Roll over to you whenever someone updates their livejournal on your friends list?!?! :D

[calocalo]

I hear Roomba really sucks anyway....

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[Ryan Joseph]

Roll over to you whenever someone updates their livejournal on your friends list?!?! :D

Hee, hee...

Whurrrrrr...r0oMbA drives across the floor, screen flickering to life.
[mechanical voice] "Ryan, a new frontpage article has been posted to Pocket PC Thoughts." [/mechanical voice]

Actually, that doesn't sound that bad. :mrgreen:

[Mitch D]

I have to give him/her/them credit for the skill level needed to mod a robot vacuum that way. I will have to keep an eye on the site for the promised videos.

[Lex]

I put a sticker on our upright vacuum at home "SONY SUCKMAN".

The family was unamused so I'll gladly release the trademark rights to this device above.

:mrgreen:

[lapchinj]

Cool 8) - is the 'r0oMbA' programmable! There's a 'C' api for my Lego RCX. Although it doesn't have a screen and doesn't suck (most of the times) it is way COOL :mrgreen: .

Jeff-

[PetiteFlower]

*blinkblink* 8O

As much as I think the Roomba is the coolest thing EVER invented, I just don't get it.

[Brad Adrian]

I'm not sure I'd be able to sleep well knowing that this thing was in my house.

[Ryan Joseph]

I'm not sure I'd be able to sleep well knowing that this thing was in my house.

Kind of reminds you of that Pepsi commercial (http://mfile.akamai.com/11649/wmv/pepsicoinc.download.akamai.com/11649/mm/pepsiworld/ads_and_history/video/vacuum_hi.wmv), doesn't it? :D

[Janak Parekh]

As much as I think the Roomba is the coolest thing EVER invented, I just don't get it.
It's a W?BIC! hack.

--janak

[T-Will]

I thought for sure this was a pt project when I first glimpsed at it...

[mscdex]

As soon as I saw the picture I immediately recognized the computer & LCD monitor :D. It's all from a Virgin Webplayer (a discontinued Web Applicance). I'm a former Internet Appliance "hacker" (turning them into fully functional PCs), so I caught this one off the bat ;)

That guy did a pretty nice job.

[lapchinj]

Kind of reminds you of that Pepsi commercial (http://mfile.akamai.com/11649/wmv/pepsicoinc.download.akamai.com/11649/mm/pepsiworld/ads_and_history/video/vacuum_hi.wmv), doesn't it? :D
Scary – but still very, very Cool :mrgreen:

Jeff-

[Jonathon Watkins]

Kind of reminds you of that Pepsi commercial (http://mfile.akamai.com/11649/wmv/pepsicoinc.download.akamai.com/11649/mm/pepsiworld/ads_and_history/video/vacuum_hi.wmv), doesn't it? :D

I've obviously not seen that advert before - but it does remind me of it now. :D