Roomba Vacuum Robot modified to see stuff as it works, to help you find things Wael Chatila, One on my many legions of fans* sent me an email about a Roomba hack he made that mounts a computer and camera inside - so you can index any text the Roomba encounters as it goes about its vacuuming. Hopefully, that way you can find lost things in the real world! Neat! As a bonus, you can also control the Roomba across the internet connection, and see the images from the camera - a spybot for you to check on your own home while you are out. I think one of the coolest things about this Roomba hack is that it leaves the vacuuming function fully functional, and all the added parts are inside the case. Nice work! A suggestion, Wael (or anyone else who wants to build it): I wonder if it is possible to index the images themselves and do a reverse image search? That way you could feed in an image of a lost object in, and find it in context. There are formidable challenges, for sure, but it would be very cool. :) Now, where did I leave my keys? * for very, very small values of ‘legion’.

Roomba Vacuum Robot modified to see stuff as it works, to help you find things

Wael Chatila, One on my many legions of fans* sent me an email about a Roomba hack he made that mounts a computer and camera inside - so you can index any text the Roomba encounters as it goes about its vacuuming. Hopefully, that way you can find lost things in the real world! Neat!

As a bonus, you can also control the Roomba across the internet connection, and see the images from the camera - a spybot for you to check on your own home while you are out.

I think one of the coolest things about this Roomba hack is that it leaves the vacuuming function fully functional, and all the added parts are inside the case. Nice work!

A suggestion, Wael (or anyone else who wants to build it): I wonder if it is possible to index the images themselves and do a reverse image search? That way you could feed in an image of a lost object in, and find it in context. There are formidable challenges, for sure, but it would be very cool.

:)

Now, where did I leave my keys?

* for very, very small values of ‘legion’.

Mar 3 2010

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