Taylor & Francis Ltd Paperback English
Dancing with Roomba
Cracking the Robot Riddle and Building an Icon
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Dancing with Roomba tells the unexpected story of the world’s favorite robot. For five decades, corporations spent millions pursuing a floor-cleaning robot. Legions of engineers toiled, dozens of patents were issued, yet every effort failed. Then came Roomba. Selling nearly 50 million units since its launch, Roomba’s unlikely success sprang from a breakthrough at an MIT robotics lab, an inventor who persevered through years of setbacks, and an inspired team that worked as one to smash every problem. This book provides a rare view behind the scenes, revealing how a revolutionary product came to be, how it works, and how a tiny company was able to best a crowd of corporate giants. Written in an easy, narrative style, Dancing with Roomba is accessible to all. Anyone who owns a Roomba, works in technology, dreams of building a product, or is just curious about the robot that launched a million memes will find much to love.
Dancing with Roomba tells the unexpected story of the world’s favorite robot. For five decades, corporations spent millions pursuing a floor-cleaning robot. Legions of engineers toiled, dozens of patents were issued, yet every effort failed. Then came Roomba. Selling nearly 50 million units since its launch, Roomba’s unlikely success sprang from a breakthrough at an MIT robotics lab, an inventor who persevered through years of setbacks, and an inspired team that worked as one to smash every problem. This book provides a rare view behind the scenes, revealing how a revolutionary product came to be, how it works, and how a tiny company was able to best a crowd of corporate giants. Written in an easy, narrative style, Dancing with Roomba is accessible to all. Anyone who owns a Roomba, works in technology, dreams of building a product, or is just curious about the robot that launched a million memes will find much to love.