Amazon has decided to acquire one of the largest manufacturers in the domestic robotics sector and, thus, the production of the popular Roomba.
Amazon has decided to get involved in the home robot market by signing a purchase agreement with iRobot , maker of the popular Roomba robot vacuum cleaner .
The technology company will buy the firm that develops these devices for US$61 per share, thus reaching a cash transaction of approximately US$1.7 billion.
At the moment, it is not entirely clear how iRobot will be integrated into the technology firm when the deal is approved by US regulators and the transaction is finalized, but Amazon has already announced that it intends to keep Colin Angle as CEO . of the company, a position he currently holds.
“Customers love iRobot products, and I’m excited to work with the iRobot team to invent ways to make customers’ lives easier and more enjoyable ,” said Dave Limp , senior vice president of Amazon Devices .
iRobot and the success of Roomba
The iRobot company has been developing and manufacturing its iconic robot vacuum cleaners since 2002 and has since sold millions of them worldwide. In early 2022, the firm launched iRobot OS , an artificial intelligence-based operating system for its devices designed to differentiate the products it is installed on from the competition. These platforms added additional software features and new capabilities in an increasingly competitive market.
Although Amazon has not yet mentioned the plans that it would have with iRobot after the closing of the agreement, it is clear that the technology that this company possesses will be very useful for its smart home products. In 2021, Amazon released its own home robot called the Astro priced at $999.
Amazon and iRobot could develop the “ultimate Roomba”
The aforementioned robot can do a number of activities, from drawing plans and listening to commands to move to other rooms to recognizing user faces. Similar to how Alexa works , it can answer questions, play music, and give you information like the weather.
With the possibility of integrating iRobot ‘s powerful operating system for Roomba that will allow it to better understand the activities of the home and the smart home itself, the combination of Amazon products will give the firm a greater amount of data about a home. modern smart. Of course, this can create its own set of problems due to family privacy and other factors, but the future for Amazon smart home devices is bright.