2024-11-21T13:09:03-05:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/150019394/roombas-have-been-mapping-out-our-houses-and-big-tech-is-eager-to-buy-that-data Anastasia Tokmakova 2017-07-25T17:46:00-04:00 >2021-10-12T01:42:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/q0/q04rwstpygnxc33p.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>The Roomba robotic vacuum has been whizzing across floors for years, but its future may lie more in collecting data than dirt. That data is of the spatial variety: the dimensions of a room as well as distances between sofas, tables, lamps and other home furnishings. To a tech industry eager to push &ldquo;smart&rdquo; homes controlled by a variety of Internet-enabled devices, that space is the next frontier.</p></em><br /><br /><p>Most of the available on the market 'smart home' devices, including lighting, thermostats and security cameras are still quite primitive&nbsp;when it comes to understanding their physical environment.&nbsp;<em>All robovacs use short-range infrared or laser sensors to detect and avoid obstacles, but iRobot in 2015 added a camera, new sensors and software to its flagship 900-series Roomba that gave it the ability to build a map while keeping track of their own location within it.</em></p> <p><em>Colin Angle, chief executive of Roomba maker iRobot Corp, said iRobot would not sell data without its customers&rsquo; permission, but he expressed confidence most would give their consent in order to access the smart home functions.</em></p> <p>Apple, Google and Amazon have already heavily invested in iRobot.</p>