Roomba serial port control info to be released

Ever wish you could dispatch a robot to grab you a beer? That day might soon be here, thanks to an as-yet-unannounced decision by iRobot. In early July the company will post instructions for controlling its Roomba vacuum cleaner via the built-in serial port, so programmers can modify it however they want - from equipping it with a camera to, yes, adding an arm and training it to retrieve brewskis. iRobot hopes the move will foster the development of Roomba accessories - like the ecosystem of add-ons that has sprung up around the iPod - thus driving sales.

 

 I for one, can't wait for all the hacks that will happen because of this. Also, check out the NEW Roomba Scheduler that you can program to start at a certain time. Think: late at night.