Beyond Roomba: iRobot’s Diverse Robot Portfolio Through the Years

As iRobot Corp. navigates Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings expected to conclude by February 2026, it’s worth reflecting on the company’s rich 35-year history of robotic innovation that extends well beyond its famous Roomba vacuum cleaners.

iRobot’s Early Beginnings

Founded by MIT roboticist Rodney Brooks and colleagues, iRobot’s journey began with Genghis in 1991, a six-legged robot designed for space exploration. This insect-like machine demonstrated how complex behaviors could emerge from simple, decentralized controllers rather than centralized systems.

Military and Defense Applications

Before selling its military division in 2016, iRobot developed several defense-oriented robots. The underwater mine-detecting Ariel (1996) moved sideways like a crab on the ocean floor. More notably, the PackBot series (1998) became widely deployed for reconnaissance and explosive ordnance disposal, with over 2,000 units serving in Iraq and Afghanistan by 2009. PackBots also assisted in search operations after 9/11 and gathered data at the Fukushima nuclear disaster site.

Consumer and Home Robots

Surprisingly, iRobot’s first home product wasn’t the Roomba but My Real Baby (2000), an animatronic infant toy developed with Hasbro. Following the Roomba’s success, iRobot expanded into floor washing with Scooba (2005-2016) before acquiring the Braava line, which was eventually discontinued in 2025.

The company’s home portfolio also included specialty robots like Dirt Dog (2006-2010) for workshop cleaning, Verro and Mirra pool cleaners (2007-2014), and the remote-controlled Looj gutter cleaner (2007-2017).

Educational and Research Platforms

iRobot embraced educational robotics with the Create series (2007), programmable mobile robots for hobbyists and students. The company later acquired Root, an educational coding robot, in 2019.

Specialized and Professional Applications

The company ventured into underwater research with Seaglider, developed with the University of Washington. This autonomous underwater vehicle could operate for months on a single battery charge and helped monitor the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.

In healthcare, iRobot partnered with InTouch Health to create the RP-VITA Remote Presence Robot (2012), which received FDA clearance for hospital use in 2013. Similarly, the Ava 500 video collaboration robot was developed with Cisco before Ava Robotics spun out as a separate company in 2016.

Unrealized Potential

Not all iRobot projects made it to market. Most notably, Terra, a robotic lawn mower unveiled in 2019, was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and never commercially released.

The Legacy Continues

While iRobot’s future remains uncertain amid bankruptcy proceedings, its diverse portfolio demonstrates the company’s significant contributions to robotics across military, consumer, educational, and professional applications over more than three decades.