iRobot Unveils the Looj Gutter Cleaning Robot and the ConnectR Virtual Visiting Robot

Yesterday iRobot of Burlington, MA announced the launch of two new domestic robots. The Looj Gutter Cleaning Robot and the ConnectR Virtual Visiting Robot. Both were unveiled Thursday afternoon at the DigitalLife Conference in New York.

The Looj Gutter Cleaning Robot

The Looj Gutter Cleaning Robot comes out just in time for Fall. This miniature tank, according to iRobot, borrows some of the same technology behind military bomb-defusing robots to eject rotting foliage from your gutters safely. It can clean a 60 ft section of gutter in just 10 minutes. Simply place the robot in the gutter and remove the detachable handle/remote. The Looj moves in both forward and backward directions and the 3-stage auger spins in both directions. Using the wireless handle/remote, you can control the direction of the robot and the 3-stage auger to ensure it covers the length of your gutters and propels debris away from your home. Clean-up is easy too. Simply remove the handle/remote and hose off dirt and debris.

iRobot’s ConnectR Virtual Visiting Robot

The ConnectR Virtual Visiting Robot keeps you from missing anything important happening at home, even if you aren’t there. By combining the latest in Internet communications and robot technology, ConnectR lets you virtually visit with your family, friends, even pets anytime you want – seeing, hearing and interacting with them in their home as if you were there in person. ConnectR enables these real-time virtual visits over the Internet. The robot is equipped with high-quality audio and a video camera. The robot is located on-site in the home of the “host” party. Using a computer keyboard, mouse or joystick, the remote (“visiting”) party can drive the robot around and interact with those onsite, virtually participating in activities at home and wherever the device is located.

I’m thinking both sound like pretty good Christmas gifts to me!