iRobot's new 'robust' Roomba - Unlike previous generations, the Roomba 500 series is upgradable. iRobot plans to make firmware upgrades available down the road for different functions and parts. 'There's the ability using this modularity to basically upgrade every major subsystem in this by just ordering that subsystem off the Web...So that allows the purchaser to realize they've got a robot that's going to live with them for a long time, and if we come up with something better they'll be able to ride that,' Preneta said. 'This model is built like a tank, and we are excited about having a long future with this. And then as we create new cool stuff, we can use this chassis as the vehicle to deliver that stuff to our customers,' Preneta said. Angle estimated that the Roomba 500 series robots, if scheduled to clean every single day, could last about three to five years.

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iRobot's new 'robust' Roomba - Unlike previous generations, the Roomba 500 series is upgradable. iRobot plans to make firmware upgrades available down the road for different functions and parts. 'There's the ability using this modularity to basically upgrade every major subsystem in this by just ordering that subsystem off the Web...So that allows the purchaser to realize they've got a robot that's going to live with them for a long time, and if we come up with something better they'll be able to ride that,' Preneta said. 'This model is built like a tank, and we are excited about having a long future with this. And then as we create new cool stuff, we can use this chassis as the vehicle to deliver that stuff to our customers,' Preneta said. Angle estimated that the Roomba 500 series robots, if scheduled to clean every single day, could last about three to five years.