Roomba j7
Robot Vacuum
The iRobot j7 project embodies the 'Nucleus' design language, characterized by its iconic circular form that represents the intelligence of the device. The aesthetic emphasizes simplicity and elegance, with careful attention to proportion, surface, and volume. Crafted from premium materials like leather, felt, and metal, the CMF selections balance visual appeal and durability. The modern camera design is minimal and honest, featuring a square shape with polished edges, balancing the round lens and LED, while the textured bumper enhances both function and longevity.
Roomba!
Whether you're into cleaning or not, you most likely heard of 'Roomba' before. Roomba is an autonomous vacuum cleaner and one of the most popular consumer robots in existence. It navigates around clutter and under furniture cleaning your floors, and returns to its charging dock when finished. iRobot vacuum cleaners have established themselves firmly in households, saving residents a lot of work.
Challenge
The goal was to redesign world top leading robot vacuum with groundbreaking camera object detection technology with newly established iRobot design language to create the most smartest and most powerful robot vacuum yet.
Global Research
To have deep understanding functional and aesthetic design preference across different regions, we flew to different part of U.S., Japan, Germany, and France. We also brought competitor products to get different feedback on different design. Most user agreed when they interact with a premium robot they should feel that the brand put care and attention into developing the product, down to the smallest detail. All interaction points are designed to create the best possible experience, even when it is underneath the robot.
iRobot Design Language
'Nucleus' is new design language for iRobot which is the top of the visual hierarchy spectrum. This is first thing you see, and that’s how you recognize them as iRobot products. It is Intended to represent the “brain” or center of intelligence, as it is our primary iconic design element and should be carried through to every iRobot product. The Nucleus should always be treated with a circular form and placed at the center of the device and scaled appropriately to live at the top of the visual hierarchy.
iRobot Design Language
'Nucleus' is new design language for iRobot which is the top of the visual hierarchy spectrum. This is first thing you see, and that’s how you recognize them as iRobot products. It is Intended to represent the “brain” or center of intelligence, as it is our primary iconic design element and should be carried through to every iRobot product. The Nucleus should always be treated with a circular form and placed at the center of the device and scaled appropriately to live at the top of the visual hierarchy.
Optimizing Camera Design
In the early stages of prototyping, the team mounted a camera on the robot to study its field of view (FOV) and experimented with various shapes that could house components like the camera lens, LED light, and IR sensors. They tested different FOV angles to enhance visibility, as a wider FOV improves object detection, which is essential for avoiding obstacles. The goal was to design a simple, geometric form with the camera glass flush against the chassis, potentially using durable Gorilla Glass. These findings guided decisions on whether to protect just the camera lens or both the lens and LED light.
CMF Development
Based on our research, the round form has been picked as the most appealing robot shape and team started to nail down the proportion of surface and volume. Genuine premium material like leather, felt, metal in different color and finish were crafted to be implemented to the porotypes to see how each CMF is visually appealing but also to test its durability.
Blend in Home
People valued a visual aesthetic that matched their home that they would allow the robot to blend in to the environment without having to showcase it. It was challenge to find one CMF that fits all environment however we eventually decided to use these material as part of product tiering stage where aluminum for the premium robot and fabric for core robots.
Camera Design Exploration
We explored how users evaluate robot quality from an industrial design standpoint, with a particular focus on robot shape, bumper style, and CMF (color, materials, and finish).
Minimalist Camera: Balanced and Durable Design
Minimized camera design that shows only essential features which is honest and simple. A square camera balances a round lens and LED recessed within the bumper. Polished edges highlight the technology and specific textured bumper increases the durability.
ODOA
'ODOA' stands for Object Detection Object Avoid which means it uses front facing camera to detect any object and avoid so it doesn't climb over. If there is any object in the dark, it flashes its headlight for camera to detect and avoid object.
Bumper
iRobot bumper design has been guide for many competitors. We completely redesign bumper that now it is just one single PC-
ABS molded plastic with the most scratch resistance based on testing. Sensor window has been minimized and side edge line naturally blends into the surface which smoothly runs through the back side wall. We reduced our parting lines down to a bare minimum which looks & feels more durable to customers.
Precision cleaning with brand accent color
Showcasing precision cleaning engineering, the robot’s dual extractor rollers and side brush are accented in the brand’s signature green, emphasizing iRobot's high-quality design. The green color also makes debris more visible, making it easier to maintain the robot over the long term. High-quality manufacturing ensures the refined parts fit seamlessly together for optimal performance.
