The original Roomba was the first robot vacuum in the US, and the second ever made, following Electrolux’s Trilobite the year prior. A basic bump-and-roll bot with bump and cliff sensors, the Roomba rolled randomly around your home, sucking up dirt, bumping from wall to wall, and generally trying not to fall down stairs.

Tech company iRobot ( IRBT 71.06%), the maker of household vacuums and cleaning robots that include Roomba and Braava, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sunday, less than two years after a $1.7 billion buyout by Amazon ( AMZN 0.82%) fell through.

It was a stunning turn of events when iRobot canceled its fourth quarter meeting in March, saying the company has had “substantial doubt” about its ability to stay afloat. It was a far cry from the glory days of the Bedford, Massachusetts-based ...

We independently review everything we recommend. We may get paid to link out to retailer sites, and when you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more› By Liam McCabe iRobot filed for bankruptcy in December 2025 and expects to be ...

Named chief executive officer of iRobot back in May 2024, Gary Cohen has a 25 year history of leading successful turnarounds – good news for the robot vac company! Previous roles were at Qualitor Automotive, Timex, Energizer and Gillette. In this interview he talks to us about making iRobot swim, his love of tech and being a Boston boy.