Tag Archives: irbt

IRobot leaps on bullish report, speculation

Robots are hot now thanks to activity in the sector by Internet giants Amazon.com (AMZN) and Google (GOOG). And pure-play robot maker iRobot is benefiting from the increased attention. IRobot stock jumped as much as 23% Tuesday on a bullish report from Raymond James analyst Brian Gesuale. In afternoon trading, iRobot stock was up 17%, near 37, in heavy volume on the stock market today. On Monday, iRobot rose 6.7%. Gesuale upgraded iRobot (IRBT) stock to strong buy from market perform and set a price target of 39. He says the company’s new Roomba 800 series vacuum-cleaner robots and low-cost Braava floor-cleaning robots will drive sales in 2014. “We see floor care as a two-year bridge that supports upper teen EPS growth until new remote presence, health care and home robots hit the market,” he wrote in a research report Tuesday. “As the latter occurs, we see new products catalyzing.”…

Apple confirms PrimeSense acquisition; Plans unknown

Apple (AAPL) has confirmed its acquisition of PrimeSense, a developer of 3D machine vision technology, but what it plans to do with it remains a mystery. “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans,” Apple (AAPL) spokeswoman Kristin Huguet said in a statement to AllThingsD. Israel-based PrimeSense is best known for providing the technology used in the Kinect sensor for Microsoft ‘s (MSFT) Xbox 360 video game console. That product uses cameras and depth sensors to capture players’ movements and incorporate them into the gameplay. Microsoft reportedly is using homegrown technology for the newest version of Kinect for its just-released Xbox One console. PrimeSense has advanced beyond the large table-top Kinect sensor to create smaller 3D sensors that can work in mobile devices. Its technology is used in devices from 3D Systems (DDD) and iRobot (IRBT). The company’s Capri product can be used in smartphones and tablets…

IRobot’s latest Roomba big leap ahead for cleaning robots

After introducing millions of consumers to home cleaning robots with its Roomba vacuum cleaner, iRobot (IRBT) went back to the drawing board for its latest model. The result is the biggest leap forward in robotic cleaning since the original Roomba debuted in 2002. Bedford, Mass.-based iRobot on Tuesday introduced its top-of-the-line Roomba 880 model, which it says features 50% better pick-up of dirt, debris and hair from carpets and floors. IRobot eliminated the traditional bristle brushes, which often can get tangled with hair. “It’s the biggest thing in cleaning since the first Roomba,” iRobot CEO Colin Angle told IBD. “This is something to be really excited about. And it comes at a very timely point when competition is increasing in the vacuuming robot business.” The heart of the Roomba 880 is the patent-pending AeroForce Performance Cleaning System. The system includes counter-rotating AeroForce Extractors, which break down debris and…