It doesn't talk about small rocks and pebbles which can also accumulate in a garage and patio.
 
At least based on the info, it sounds like a smart product to market at that price.
 
I like the IRobot history.  No whinning.  Having suffered through the vacuum market for 14 years without a profit it finally hit pay dirt with the Rhoomba sweeper.  Going public has given the company a source of funds to expand into other floorcare markets.  I'm happy to see it.
 
The Rhoombas are everywhere now in just a few years and sell a million or more each year nationwide.  The prices are very reasonable for household use.
 
THanks for the info on the new product.  I'll be watching out for it.
 
Carmine D.

The January 2007 edition of Maxim magazine features the iRobot Dirt Dog for $130.  Under "Upgrades-Because you deserve the best.  Do it yourself.  Shop.maxim.com  Get the goods here!
 
Here's the scoop word for word:
 
"Counter rotating brushes spinning at 1,000 rpm let iRobot's newest robomaid suck gunk off your garage floor that would make a regular vac puke, so you can get back to what you do best: run random objects through the chipper."
 
irobot.com
 
Carmine D.

Hello Venson:
 
My sense is that there is not as much demand for a garage robotic sweeper as household robotic sweepers.  And the requirement for large open floor areas for the sweeper to be used effectively.  Most garages are storage and clutter areas that preclude robotic technology.  Less demand, lower the price.
 
The same with the Scooba floorwasher.  Originally priced at $600, they sell now for $300.  Less demand for the robotic floorwashers than the robotic sweepers.  
 
BTW, the Rhoomba Red Robot is priced for $150 before discounts and rebates.  To iRobot's credit the Rhoombas have been selling in increasing numbers every year since October 2002 when they were first launched in the USA.  Their sales numbers easily top ONE MILLION every since since 2002.  
 
Carmine D.
 

One of the funnier sights at this year's CES was a video of a hamster ball. It wasn't any old rodent workout – this one was steering a robot. The hamster seemed to be having fun, and the developer was having a ball too...
 
Behind it all was iRobot's Create, which takes the familiar Roomba and Scooba cleaners, and turns their common hardware into the core of a robotics development kit. Unlike many other kits, Create is ready to go as soon as you take it out of the box, with the familiar trilobite shape of the Roomba. Instead of a vacuum cleaner, there's a spacious payload bay, with standard fittings so you can add your own hardware to your robot. A fourth, rear, wheel has been added to make sure your creations stay stable.
 
http://www.regdeveloper.co.uk/2007/01/17/create_robot/