3 ms·

The raw scan data is certainly not uploaded, however the resulting stiched together "map" is uploaded, because there is a cloud side service that turns it into

The raw scan data is certainly not uploaded, however the resulting stiched together "map" is uploaded, because there is a cloud side service that turns it into a more traditional map for end users to see in the app. (And it does a mediocre job of this). The user can make certain limited edits to this map to specify keep away zones, room divisions, etc, which it translate backs to the internal mapping format, and sends down to the robots. Uploaded mapping data is also used to to show an after cleaning report in the app that shows what areas the robot managed to clean, and what areas it was not due to clutter, closed doors, etc. It also show spots where it detected larger amounts of dirt, and information about which areas are carpeted vs not. The actual processing of camera data, pathfinding etc, is done locally. This is actually a necessity, as many houses have areas of terribly poor Wifi coverage, so they simply can't rely on the cloud for this.

neodypsis 4y ago
Thanks, I didn't know you could use that other service. However, this could all be done locally, say by syncing your Roomba on the local network with a local app running on your Desktop or even on your smartphone.
- jsmith45 4y ago
  Not sure about "other service" remark, since I was just describing how the Modern Roombas and app actually work. Sure in theory the Roomba could have been designed to never need to call home, and just share map data locally over wifi with the app, and have the app process the maps. But they did not design it like that. Indeed I suspect they might consider how the internal mapping data works to be a trade secret, in which case, they want to do such processing on their own servers, to avoid people reverse engineering it by reversing the app. For whatever reason, there does not seem to be much effort being made by people to hack the Roomba firmware. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it has a well protected design (e.g. encrypted in flash, using a key stored in the processor or something)?
  - neodypsis 4y ago
    It's been time since I last interacted with a Roomba, so I wasn't aware of these new features (which I perhaps misnamed as services). The Roomba had (has?) a version that was roboticist-friendly, so perhaps that's why there wasn't reverse engineering efforts. I remember reading that a similar machine, the Electrolux Trilobite, was effectively "hacked" by someone.
tzs 4y ago
The map in the app is certainly interesting. It has done a pretty good job with all my rooms. Where it has been weird is the connections between the rooms. My kitchen for example is next to my laundry room, and the correct passage between the two shows up on my Roomba map. My laundry room has a sliding glass door that opens to the back yard. My kitchen is also connected to the dinning room, on the opposite side from its connection to the laundry room. This connection shows up correctly on my Roomba map. But it also shows a connection that goes from one corner of the dinning room to what would be a little bit outside the house, going along the outside toward the laundry room parallel to the kitchen, then taking a jog further into the back yard, then turning and going to the sliding door.

neodypsis 4y ago

Thanks, I didn't know you could use that other service. However, this could all be done locally, say by syncing your Roomba on the local network with a local app running on your Desktop or even on your smartphone.

jsmith45 4y ago
Not sure about "other service" remark, since I was just describing how the Modern Roombas and app actually work. Sure in theory the Roomba could have been designed to never need to call home, and just share map data locally over wifi with the app, and have the app process the maps. But they did not design it like that. Indeed I suspect they might consider how the internal mapping data works to be a trade secret, in which case, they want to do such processing on their own servers, to avoid people reverse engineering it by reversing the app. For whatever reason, there does not seem to be much effort being made by people to hack the Roomba firmware. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it has a well protected design (e.g. encrypted in flash, using a key stored in the processor or something)?
- neodypsis 4y ago
  It's been time since I last interacted with a Roomba, so I wasn't aware of these new features (which I perhaps misnamed as services). The Roomba had (has?) a version that was roboticist-friendly, so perhaps that's why there wasn't reverse engineering efforts. I remember reading that a similar machine, the Electrolux Trilobite, was effectively "hacked" by someone.

tzs 4y ago

The map in the app is certainly interesting. It has done a pretty good job with all my rooms. Where it has been weird is the connections between the rooms. My kitchen for example is next to my laundry room, and the correct passage between the two shows up on my Roomba map. My laundry room has a sliding glass door that opens to the back yard. My kitchen is also connected to the dinning room, on the opposite side from its connection to the laundry room. This connection shows up correctly on my Roomba map. But it also shows a connection that goes from one corner of the dinning room to what would be a little bit outside the house, going along the outside toward the laundry room parallel to the kitchen, then taking a jog further into the back yard, then turning and going to the sliding door.