Today at Digital Life, iRobot unveiled its new “Virtual Visiting Robot” named ConnectR (pronounced “connector”). iRobot is positioning this robot squarely in the telepresence market making value statements very similar to those we wrote about several weeks ago. Unlike the marketeers at Erector (via Meccano), iRobot is not targeting children ages eight and up with the ConnectR. They’re not even targeting hobbyists or research institutions. They’re targeting commonfolk who work. Their pitch?
- Participate in family moments even though you’re working late.
- On a business trip? Read your kids a story and see their faces light up
- Join the fun from near or far
- Throw a party from a thousand miles away
- Tell Fido he’s a “good boy” even while you’re on vacation
The robot was available to a limited audience under a pilot program where customers committed to providing feedback on the robot’s performance. Under that program, ConnectR was available for $199. There was a limited quantity and it was quickly exhausted. The robot will be made available to the rest of us for $499 in mid-2008.
