When most people of iRobot (IRBT  ), most people think of its Roomba, an automatic vacuum robot that cleans the house by itself. But what most people don't realize is that iRobot is more than just a gimmick, it's the future of household appliances.  

    Started in 1990 by MIT graduates, iRobot has developed many robots for military and home applications. Its military robots were commissioned by the US Military and were used for search and rescue operations, bomb disposals, and surveillance. It's most visible and famous development is the Roomba, released in 2002, has since been improved to the point where it has far better sensors, navigation, and smartphone integration compared to the original model, with over 8 million units sold since its introduction.

    iRobot has a variety of robotic product lines. Household robots include the Scooba, a floor washing robot, the Braava, a floor mopping robot, the Verro, a pool cleaning robot, and the Looj, a gutter cleaning robot. Recently, iRobot announced it was developing a new robotic lawnmower to add to its household robotic lines, after receiving approval from the FCC.

    iRobot's household robotic lines have been very successful, to the point where iRobot decided to spin off its military robot lines off into Endeavor Robotics in April 2016. With its military line spun off, Endeavor Robotics is now America's largest supplier of ground-based robotics, and a leading supplier to the security, industrial, energy and international defense markets.

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    iRobot is currently performing very well, with a $1 billion market cap, over 340 US Patents, and a 66% share of the home vacuum cleaner robot market, with its closest competitors having only a 10% share. Analysts have predicted double-digit levels of growth in the near future, with iRobot being poised to stay in the lead in the household robotics market. Adding to this, iRobot is currently developing advanced artificial intelligence for its robots, adding an array of sensors to each robot to allow it measure temperature and humidity levels throughout the house. This is one of iRobot's first step towards integrating the popular "internet of things" into its products.

    As the world trends towards an increasingly automated world, the importance of iRobotics' products will start to become apparent. As quality of life improves for everyone around the globe, so will the demand for automation at home. With iRobot at the forefront of household robotics, they stand ready to take advantage of the upcoming robotic opportunity.