How Labrador and iRobot Create Domestic Robots That Really Help

In this talk

1. 2:38

   A mobile helper for the home

   Dooley describes Labrador’s Retriever as a mobile platform that carries household items and raises or lowers to reach different heights. It is intended to help people with pain, health issues, or injuries stay independent and extend caregivers’ efforts. iRobot Ventures invested in Labrador because it saw a promising home robotics application and a compelling team.

2. 9:19

   Start with people’s needs

   Dooley says product design starts with understanding people’s difficulties, rather than building what engineers themselves want. He recalls a Braava Jet user who valued being able to start floor cleaning and go to sleep, even though the robot could not clean as thoroughly as a person. That feedback showed how the product gave her time back.

3. 12:35

   Set limits and learn in homes

   Dooley says a product must fit within technical and financial constraints while still being useful enough to adopt. For example, reaching upper kitchen cabinets would require greater stability and a heavier base. Labrador moved from explaining the idea to testing a remote-controlled prototype, then leaving robots in homes to observe how people used them; some pilots used the robot 90 to 100 times a month.

4. 24:56

   Design for real interactions

   Jones describes a shift toward giving users more information through the mobile app, where they can get actionable guidance such as emptying the dustbin. Dooley says Labrador uses familiar destinations, such as an armchair or front door, to make commands easier to understand. Home navigation still raises challenges, including people blocking hallways and a Border Collie that tried to herd the robot.

5. 31:52

   Robotics needs field learning and partners

   Jones says robots must handle a long tail of unexpected situations, and a few repeated failures can cause users to stop relying on a product. He argues that pilots reveal problems that are hard to discover in a lab. Dooley adds that companies need enabling technologies, manufacturing and sales partners, and viable ways to pay; he points to Nationwide long-term care insurance and, in some cases, Medicaid.