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The Zoomba™ is a Roomba which has had its microprocessor replaced so it can be used as a platform for robotics experimentation. The Zoomba can be controlled from a single board computer, like a Parallax BASIC Stamp or Javelin Stamp, from a laptop, or from your desktop PC.

The Zoomba is connected over a serial interface and provides simple commands to control all of the motors on the Zoomba and read the state of each of the sensors. You can write simple programs to control the motion of the Zoomba, detect collisions and play sounds.

Possible Applications

  • Design your own vacuuming algorithms. Make the Zoomba vacuum in a grid, discover the layout of the room, or add a microphone to make it voice activated.
  • Add a laptop to the Zoomba and build a platform for mobile robotics experimentation.
  • Play Zoomba tag. Get two Zoombas, control them with Stamps and program them to find and chase each other.
  • Make a Zoomba maze solver.
  • Add a wireless webcamera and make a mobile security robot. Connect the Zoomba and the camera to the Internet and monitor the security of your house while you are at work.
  • Learn programming by experimenting with controlling a Zoomba from your PC. Learn basic with a BASIC Stamp or Java with a Javelin Stamp.
  • Additional modifications to the Roomba 780, Roomba 770, Roomba 760 which can all be found here.

How Does it Work?

The Zoomba is exactly the same as a Roomba, except that its microprocessor—the brain of the Roomba—has been replaced. The Zoomba's brain doesn't know anything about vacuuming, but it does understand a set of commands which can be sent over the serial cable. You can then use a different microprocessor, like the one in your latop, to do the thinking and send commands over the serial cable to control the Zoomba.

Zoomba Commands

Zoomba understands eight commands. You can find detailed information on these commands here.

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