View source for Roomba - vacuuming robots

Roomba is a low-cost robot produced by [http://www.irobot.it/ iRobot].
It is intended to be a commercial cleaning robot, however with little to no modification it can become a powerful educational/hobbyist robotics platform. 
[[Image:Roomba_1.JPG|right|Roomba 560]]

=== Sensors & Actuators ===
The Roomba comes with these basic sensors:
# Four IR based cliff sensors
# Two bump sensors
# One wall sensor
# A top mounted IR sensor. Used by Virtual Walls, Docking Station, and Remote Control
# One Dirt Detector (acoustic impact). Some Roombas have two.

The Roomba is sold commercially as a mobile vacuum cleaner, thus it also has these actuators:
# Two wheels drive with differential drive
# One main brush motor
# A side brush motor
# A Vacuum motor.

=== Communication protocol ===

The Roomba proprietary Serial Command Interface is available here: [http://www.irobot.lv/uploaded_files/File/iRobot_Roomba_500_Open_Interface_Spec.pdf iRobot Roomba Open Interface (OI) Specification].

=== Hacking the Roomba ===

To interface with the Roomba Serial Port you need a USB - Serial adapter (for 0-5V signals, NOT RS232 levels!). You can find the schematics and the PCB layout of such an adapter here: [http://airwiki.elet.polimi.it/mediawiki/index.php/Useful_Circuits#USB_-_Serial_adapter_.28iRobot_Roomba_variant.29 USB - Serial adapter (iRobot Roomba variant)]

You can also find other schematics on net as well as ready to use cables: [http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2006/02/how_to_make_a_roomba_seri.html Roomba-serial], [http://todbot.com/blog/2006/07/19/roombongle-a-roomba-usb-dongle/#more-119 Roomba-USB] or [http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2006/02/how_to_roomba_bluetooth_i.html Roomba-bluetooth].

=== Schedule ===

If you need to move a Roomba from the lab, you should first ask to [[User:AndreaBonarini| Andrea Bonarini]], and then fill in the table below. 

{| border="1"
! ID !! Test !! Notes !! Where/Who !! Project
|-
| #1 || OK || || AIRLab || 
|-
| #2 || OK || || AIRLab || 
|-
| #3 || Collaudato (Matteo) || || AIRLab || 
|-
| #4 || OK || + Batteria roomba #6 || [[User:PaoloBelluco | Paolo Belluco]] || 
|-
| #5 || KO (bumper) || || AIRLab || 
|-
| #6 || KO (bumper)|| || AIRLab || 
|-
| #7 || KO (alimentazione)|| || AIRLab || 
|-
| #8 || Collaudato (Simone)|| || AIRLab || 
|-
| #9 || Collaudato (Martino) || || AIRLab  || 
|}

== See also ==

[[Disassembling_a_Roomba_560 | Disassembling a Roomba 560]]

== External links ==

[http://www.robotreviews.com/chat/viewforum.php?f=4 Roomba Hacking Forum]

[http://www.irobot.com iRobot USA]