Background and Identification
The Roomba 700 series is a line of robotic home vacuum cleaners that is produced by American technology company iRobot. The Roomba was first released in 2002. These devices are unique because the company doesn’t closely guard the technology that makes these little robots. Instead, they actively seek audience input, and make the Roombas easy to hack and modify. This is all done with the goal of allowing customers to experiment and improve the device.
Roombas operate on two independent wheels, which allow it to turn in place. They also feature several sensors that help them to detect obstacles such as walls or stairs. The cleaning devices and sensors on a Roomba vary from model to model. Earlier models needed to have the size of the room programmed into them and got stuck on thick carpet, but later ones used sensors to judge distances to a wall and were compatible with all kinds of flooring. To identify the model number of the Roomba, turn it over. The number should be written on the underside, near the left wheel. The first digit in the model number refers to the series that the Roomba is a part of (for example, the 770 is part of the 700 series).