BURLINGTON, Mass. – Nov. 21, 2005 – iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT) today announced TIME Magazine named the iRobot Scooba™ Floor Washing Robot among its Most Amazing Inventions of 2005. Scooba's innovative cleaning process allows the robot to simultaneously prep, wash, scrub and dry hard floors, all at the touch of a button.
TIME spent more than six months surveying diverse fields like electronics, sports equipment and clothing to create its fifth annual list of the newest and most inspired ideas of the year. Inventions chosen are profiled in a 43-page cover feature in the TIME issue, on newsstands until Nov. 21 and on www.time.com.
"The TIME editorial team of tech, science and health writers get together every year and pours over amazing inventions from a range of industries, including medicine, aeronautics, transportation and food," said Joshua Macht, TIME.com, the editor who directed the Most Amazing Inventions of 2005 package. "Together, we pare it down to a list of breakthroughs that we think could have huge impact."
Scooba is the first floor washing robot designed for home use. Unlike a conventional mop that spreads dirty water on the floor, Scooba applies only fresh water and cleaning solution to the floor from a clean tank. Scooba can clean wet spills in addition to dirt and grime, and it is safe for use on all sealed, hard floor surfaces, including wood and tile. Scooba will be available at retail outlets in the first quarter of 2006 and can be pre-ordered online at www.irobot.com.
“We feel honored TIME Magazine selected the iRobot Scooba as one of the most innovative technologies of this year,” said Greg White, executive vice president and general manager, iRobot. “This recognition is a testament to our engineers, as well as our robots, Scooba and Roomba Vacuuming Robot, as they usher in the new era of home robots.”
About iRobot Corp.
iRobot (NASDAQ: IRBT) is a provider of robots that perform dull, dirty or dangerous missions in a better way. The company's proprietary technology, iRobot AWARE Robot Intelligence Systems, incorporates advanced concepts in navigation, mobility, manipulation and artificial intelligence. This proprietary system enables iRobot to build behavior-based robots, including its family of consumer and military robots. For additional information about iRobot, please visit www.irobot.com.
| Contact: | |
| Parna Sarkar iRobot Corp. psarkar@irobot.com (781) 418-3135 |
Laura Taylor A&R Partners for iRobot Corp. laura.taylor@arpartners.com (202) 271-8216 |