LC-3 · Consumer Risk Bulletins

KRCB 2015 09

# LrrK Kinematic Consumer Risk Bulletin

**LRRK Watch / Open-Source Intelligence** — Signals across consumer systems that sense, move, and act in homes and yards.

**Issue type.** Monthly KRCB (calendar reconstruction). LC-3 / Consumer. Not the weekday 24–48h poll.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Window | 1–30 September 2015 |
| Collection cutoff | 30 September 2015 |
| Compiled Date | 19 August 2026 |
| Platform | Quiet Systems |
| Data label | Open-source intelligence // LRRK analytic product // retrospective monthly filing |
| Handling | Public-source material. Image rights require separate verification before publication. |
| Scope | Consumer kinematic electronics only (home, yard, companion, educational). |
| Classes in frame | Robot vacuums / mop combos · robotic lawn mowers · window-cleaning robots · pool-cleaning robots · robot pets / companion animals · social / desk companions · educational / programmable kits · robotic litter boxes · security / home patrol robots · consumer robotic arms · elder-care / assistive companions · kitchen / food-prep robots · toy / entertainment robots · niche outdoor / garden robots · emerging general-purpose or humanoid home robots |
| Spine | Reputable channels for injury, death, incidents, and safety recalls (CPSC, Health Canada, EU Safety Gate / RAPEX, UK OPSS, manufacturer recall pages, named newsrooms, dockets). |
| Color | Message boards, consumer forums, and Reddit — annotated context only. Never Fact without a reputable primary. |

## Executive read

### BLUF

September is the year’s US camera-and-maps file. iRobot announces Roomba 980: first consumer Roomba with vSLAM, an onboard camera, and the cloud HOME app. US/Canada sale starts 17 September at $899. Treat as a trust/maps signal, not as a leak. No CPSC Roomba recall.

### Key judgments

1. **[Assessment — High confidence]** iRobot’s 16 September release is the dated announcement: vSLAM / iAdapt 2.0 Visual Localization, first consumer use of that stack, Wi-Fi HOME app, US/Canada from **17 September** at **$899**.
2. **[Assessment — Hi`è confidence]** MIT Technology Review the same day records an iRobot representative: maps “are not transmitted from Roomba, and they are deleted after the robot finishes cleaning a room.” That is a contemporaneous privacy claim, not a regulator finding. Do not import 2017 map-sale copy.
3. **[Inference — Moderate confidence]** A shipping camera-on-vac with a cloud app is the 2015 US trust baseline. Neato’s 1 September Botvac Connected (Wi-Fi + laser, $699, Q4) is connectivity, not a camera/surveillance primary, and was not graduated.

### Analytic labels
- **Fact** — verified reporting or primary record
- **Assessment** — analytic judgment
- **Inference** — reasoned but not directly observed
- **Uncertainty** — unresolved information gap

### Source grades
- **A1** — authoritative primary record / directly confirmed
- **B1–B2** — generally reliable and corroborated
- **C3** — useful but requires caution (typical for forums)

---

## 01. iRobot Roomba 980 — first consumer Roomba with a camera, vSLAM maps, and a cloud app

*Event / publication dates: 16 September 2015 (iRobot / PR Newswire; MIT Technology Review; Engadget); US,ãanada sale 17 September 2015*

**Product class.** Robot vacuums / mop combos

**Verified record — [Fact — A1 / B1]** iRobot, Bedford, Mass., 16 September 2015: Roomba 980 is “the first Roomba to combine adaptive navigation with visual localization, cloud connected app control, and increased cleaning power on carpets.” Colin Angle: “Roomba 980 is the next big step as it marks iRobot’s first cloud connected product with mapping capabilities for the consumer market.” First consumer implementation of proprietary **vSLAM®**; **iAdapt® 2.0 Navigation with Visual Localization** “allows Roomba 980 to build a map of its environment as it cleans, keeping track of its location until it has cleaned an entire level”; up to two hours, then dock, recharge, resume; parallel-line coverage in open areas. **HOME App** (Android/iOS): start from anywhere, schedule up to seven times a week, pass count, edge, Carpet Boost, status and support. AeroForce / Carpet Boost “twice the cleaning power” vs 600/700 AeroVac (company claim). US and Canada from **17 September 2015** starting at **$899** on irobot.com; Japan and select Europe Q4 2015. [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/irobot-enters-the-smart-home-with-roomba-980-vacuum-cleaning-robot-300144318.html).

MIT Technology Review, 16 September: camera captures room images; software builds a map; sensor fusion if the camera is obscured; “Right now the Roomba 980 uses its map only to make sure it’s cleaned a room properly; it cannot recognize objects or classify different rooms.” On privacy: “iRobot is conscious of the security and privacy concerns that the new camera and connectivity may introduce. A representative explains that the maps are not transmitted from Roomba, and they are deleted after the robot finishes cleaning a room.” [MIT Techology Review](https://www.technologyreview.com/2015/09/16/247936/the-roomba-now-sees-and-maps-a-home/). Engadget same day: visual sensor plus floor-tracking sensor; $899 on 17 September. [Engadget](https://www.engadget.com/2015-09-16-irobot-roomba-980.html).

No CPSC recall. No injury count. This is not a leak file.

**Threat landscape.** A shipping camera on a robot that runs unsupervised in US and Canadian dwellings, plus a cloud command channel. Physical harm not alleged. Trust boundaries: image capture for vSLAM; a company claim that maps stay local and die at end-of-run; a HOME app that can start the robot from anywhere.

**Forum / community notes.**
- none found.

**Intelligence assessment.** [Assessment — High confidence] Announcement date, camera/vSLAM, HOME app, $899, and 17 September US/Canada availability are as the primary writes them. [Assessment — High confidence] The MIT-quoted “maps are not transmitted / deleted after cleaning” is a representative’s claim, not an independent measurement. [Uncertainty] What images exist in RAM/flash mid-run, whether firmware can later persist maps, and EU/Japan Q4 street dates are unpublished this month. Do not import 2017.

**Opportunity.** An independent teardown of the image path, a privacv2 policy with retention numbers, or a regulator file.

**LRRK relevance.** Sense / Move / Act and Kestrel (camera path). Passport: first cloud Roomba. Watch: 980 firmware and any later map-retention change (out of year).

**Confidence.** High on date, price, camera, and app. Moderate on the on-device-delete claim. Low on actual retention.


---

## Forward indicators

1. Dyson 360 Eye Japan ship (camera/trust).
2. 980 Japan / EU Q4 street dates.
3. Any CPSC Roomba page (none found this month — do not invent).
4. LG and other live-view vac if dated.
5. Any dated Jibo slip.

> **Collection integrity.** One signal. Neato Botvac Connected (1–2 September, IFA; Wi-Fi, laser Botvision, $699, Q4 claim) is a connectivity/maps SKU without a camera or live-view primary and was not graduated. Segway CPSC 15-754 (15 September) is a PT charger, out of class. CleggPromo 15-248 is a power bank. No invented Roomba CPSC recall. Do not import 2017 map-sale. Forum empty.

*LRRK — security assurance for systems that sense, move, and act.*

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