David Pierce is editor-at-large and Vergecast co-host with over a decade of experience covering consumer tech. Previously, at Protocol, The Wall Street Journal, and Wired.

Back when Roombas first appeared, these robot vacuums were quite basic. They would randomly navigate through your home, vacuuming whatever they encountered, until the battery ran low or the bin was full. Despite the simplicity, owners often grew attached and gave their devices names.

In this Version History episode, the tale of Roomba unfolds, revealing how it transformed vacuums into beloved gadgets. The Verge’s David Pierce and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy speak with iRobot’s co-founder and ex-CEO Colin Angle. They explore the beginnings of the robovac era, starting from engineers aiming to create any robots possible. The discussion covers nearly ten years of Roomba’s development at iRobot, the close calls with failure, and the unexpected factors behind its success. It also examines the expansive market that emerged and iRobot’s challenges in staying ahead.

This marks the second installment in the fourth season of Version History. Catch up on the prior episode about the Harmony remote if you have not already. Discover how to access all episodes and additional content:

As a Verge subscriber, you gain ad-free access to Version History along with other podcasts by adjusting your account settings.

To learn additional details on Roomba’s extensive history, consider these resources:

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David Pierce