Jacob Newberger is a mechanical engineer from Pennsylvania with experience in robotics and automation systems. He is interested in trends in domestic robotics and home automation. Popular home robots like the Roomba vacuum cleaner use mapping and zigzag patterns to thoroughly clean rooms on a schedule. Electrolux's Trilobite uses ultrasound sensors for navigation, while iRobot's Looj is designed for gutters and Friendly Robotics' Robomow is a battery-powered automatic lawn mower. These products are changing how daily home maintenance tasks are done.

1. By Jacob Newberger

2.  Based in Pennsylvania, Jacob Newberger has experience in
mechanical engineering, with a focus on robotics and
automatic control systems. Jacob Newberger is particularly
interested in fast-evolving trends in domestic robotics, which
center around home automation.
Rather than the human-like androids of science fiction, the
current wave of home robots tend to have mundane functions
as appliances. One of the most popular of these is the disc-
shaped automatic vacuuming device Roomba by iRobot. After
mapping out a room or area to clean, the Roomba travels
across the space in a zigzag pattern and thoroughly cleans it.
The latest models can be scheduled to perform tasks
independently, at specified times. iRobot additionally has a
Scooba device on the market, which washes floors as it
vacuums.

3.  Electrolux has improved on this technology with the
Trilobite, which employs advanced ultrasound sensors
for navigating the home environment.
Other innovative devices from iRobot include the long,
narrow Looj, which is specifically designed for clearing
outside rain gutters. Also focused on the outdoors,
Friendly Robotics’ Robomow is an automatic lawn
mower that runs on batteries and has an anti-theft
system in place. These and other leading-edge
products are revolutionizing the way in which daily
home-maintenance tasks are performed.