IRobot brings up gutter-cleaning Robot

IRobot Corp., the maker of vacuum-cleaning and bomb-defusing robots on Thursday unveiled its latest machine—the Looj, that would clear desiccated leaves and clean the gunk out of the gutters in homes across America.

The 2.25-inch high Looj is designed specifically to fit in standard household gutters. It cannot turn corners. The short machine will easily fit under most standard gutter brackets though user will need to climb up and down a ladder at least four times -- to place and remove it.

The task of cleaning gutters is currently done manually in most homes. It is a nasty, laborious job, to which Looj can provide easy riddance.

A powerful, replaceable auger at the front of the robot can spin at roughly 500 revolutions per minute (RPM) and has three methods for churning through slush. There are two hard plastic fins, two brushes to sweep and two larger black foam rubber blades.

The forward and backward travel is controlled by a detachable remote control, as is the spin direction of the auger.

The Looj is also easy to locate with its extra long antenna that can be seen sticking out of the gutter. The Looj is waterproof up to 12 inches, so cleaning the robot that cleans your gutters should not be a problem.

The Looj is priced at $99 and iRobot expects it to be a success.

Simultaneously, the company will also launch new telepresence robot, the iRobot ConnectR. It will feature two-way video and audio communication, as well as remote-control access via handheld remote, keyboard, and over the Internet.

Sandra Lawrence, IRobot's consumer division president said that the ConnectR, which is still being tested, might not make it to mass production.

Initially it will sell the machine for $200 and ask the early customers to report bugs, describe their experience with it and let the company know the areas of improvements. If it goes into mass production, the final cost to consumers would be about $500, Lawrence said.