iRobot is likely to collapse within 12 months.

I'm pretty sure somebody will buy the data iRobot robots collected during their cleaning time :-)

https://valetudo.cloud/pages/general/supported-robots.html

iRobot not even on the list despite being the original de facto vacuum robot OEM

I'm just going to leave this here: https://github.com/awesome-vacuum/awesome-vacuum

The movie wasn't very good either

Oof, as an American company the rest of the world is boycotting them too.

Yup, they are toast. I dont think the Americans have realized how much permanent damage Trump has caused.

Well obviously, they need to get into the lucrative back alley robot vacuum cleaner fight rings. Strap on that knife iRobot vacuum, and lets go!

We need decent European alternatives for robot vaccuums.

Will certainly be a bummer if they do go under, I really appreciated their serviceability. Have several in the immediate family that have been going for over 7 years at this point though all kinds of calamities. Each time can I just pop out all the components clean/replace as necessary and get it back in service, good as new.

So the Roomba I bought in 2021 is gonna stop working come 2026... Guess I need an open source vacuum now too 😩

Haha. Ofc with these prices and features compared to some other good Chinese and other brands roomba is doomed. Like check vacuum wars on YT. Middle model roombas are on par with your typical Chinese brand robots but price is double. Basically, you pay for a brand 🤷.

It would be great if more smart devices had a LAN-only control mode like my 3D printer, TV and AV receiver.

I would be perfectly happy if my iRobot phone app only worked from inside my network.

So my vacuum will likely not work in 12 months. Niiiice.

Their products are like 5 years behind their competitors. It's inevitable.

I'm glad I waited to replace my old Eufy one. I definitely will not be replacing it with Roomba now.

(I know I didn't contribute shit & just complain but) ... isn't it a bit weird how after all this time there arent any good open sauce diy robot kits?

Like, materials, sensors, brushes, filters, batteries, etc are all cheaply available, a basic board could literally be just cut plywood with the rest is the things mounted on top (who even needs a cover?). And ofc one could mount various weapons mod on it.

Their products require their app, would this effectively turn their devices useless when the servers die?

I know it supports a single button to start cleaning, but I wonder if that will work properly without being able to call home.

Might be time for people to look for alternatives.

Another company squandering their patents and market advantage. Reminds me of TiVo.

my first thought was aren't they a part of the Military Industrial Complex, how could they possibly go bankrupt? It turns out they sold off that part of their business in 2016 to private equity. Oops.

Tried several of those vacuums but none really worked that well

Slightly off topic but how are y'all at replacing the parts that get worn out?

I'm still on the 2nd filter it came with and I haven't replaced any of the brushes, etc.,

I kind of wish I had a maintenance schedule where I just had the parts delivered and replaced them at set intervals rather than having to guess when it's worn out.

But I also don't want to overspend.

I’m glad my old, non-smart one still works fine. It slams into things and says, “Roomba needs help” or something when it eats a sock or wire I missed. But at least it will outlast the company’s servers.

Any European alternatives?

I rarely use mine, but can I block them from using the Internet and they'll still work?

Do you not see the logic of my plan?
Yes, but it just seems too heartless.

Not trying to make this sound like nyah, nyah or anything...

But here's where I'm glad I never got into that genre of "robotic" assistants. Happy to clean my floors by hand, thank you.

Wonder what kind of illumination this situation might be shining on the current "AI assistant" craze...?? 🤷‍♂️ 🤷‍♂️