A QUICK HISTORY OF THE ROOMBUD
Not so long long ago and in a galaxy not so far away (aka Acton Massachusetts), four kids, Tyler, Niles, Isabelle and Griffin, were cleaning their rooms with the two Roombas that their father brought home when Griffin, the littlest kid, asked, "When is it my turn to play with the roombud?" The eldest, Tyler, thought that was just way too funny and decided to tape some ears, eyes, and a tail onto the Roomba and turn the little vacuum into YAP (yet another pet). Trying a few different costumes, a few different animals, a few different technical designs, the four kids finally had a cover for their Roomba that looked cool and was totally functional. Welcome Zeb the Zebra.
Fast forward to the holiday season
The four kids wanted to buy a pair of cowboy boots for Mom but didn't have enough money. Tyler and Niles thought a bit and the answer hit them like a bolt of lightning. THE ROOMBUDS. With a little help from their mom and dad, the kids went out and bought some more cloth, made up a few more RoomBuds, created a web page, put out a press release, and began selling the RoomBuds on eBay.
Fast forward to today
With over 1.5 million Roombas out there, and the majority of their owners naming them, it is only natural for Roomba owners to want a bit more. The four kids saw this opportunity and built the company now known as myRoomBud. RoomBuds have generated a worldwide buzz being written up in USA Today, the Boston Globe, Yahoo News, and too many blogs to mention. The kids even have been invited to iRobot headquarters by co-founder Helen Greiner. The RoomBud pet adoption rate continues to grow and with a bit of luck, the RoomBud will become as common as that cute little puppy, kitten, fishy, or rodent found in every home.
What the world is saying about RoomBuds
engadget.com - "The way it scoots around the floor with seeming intelligence, feeds on scraps, and doesn't require daily walks to do its business, the Roomba would seem an ideal alternative to a house pet; all it's missing is a cute, cuddly visage. Now you can give your Roomba the face you always thought it should have with RoomBuds"
USA Today says "...this is just out of hand. I'll allow that the RoomBud is a clever idea, but you're starting to scare your friends."
Gizmodo says "Many users have already named and spoken to their Roombas, so it's really no surprise that they would be interested in these absolutely ridiculous (and somewhat sick, if I may add) animal covers, making these household cleaners seem even more alive."
From Shinny Shinny a girl's guide to gadgets - "I'm already hugely guilty of creating anthropomorphic dramas based around my little Roombie's activities around the flat. But rather than discouraging this foolish behaviour, it seems people out there are only intent on having me treat my robot hoover even more like a real creature by coming up with these animal covers."
And that's just the beginning.
Mooba - co-founder myRoomBud
http://www.myroombud.com