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[DPRG] Re: Roomba subsumption
Subject: [DPRG] Re: Roomba subsumption
From: Chris Jang
cjang at ix.netcom.com
Date: Fri Dec 15 08:22:24 CST 2006
>At RBNO, I mentioned how Roomba traps itself under furniture, and
>Will mentioned how the bump sensor ought to be straight edged to
>prevent that problem. Hmmm. Roomba has a rounded bump sensor that
>allows it to compress its suspension and get permanently stuck
>under furniture. Seems to be a Robotics 1.01 freshman mistake.
This is my guess. Aesthetic appeal to the consumer market probably
drives product design. Blended forms and curves have been popular
for a while. So while a straight bumper may be more functional, the
product might not sell as well. Money drives everything except for
boutique market segments.
Most engineers have a very hard time with this viewpoint. I know
that I do. Sometimes, I watch my parents or other people who are
not engineers. What is important to them is different. Sometimes it
is surprising. What has helped me is working as an engineer inside
a marketing department for several years. It is a little easier to
think like an end-user or customer after this experience.
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