You might guess a settlement involving a robot vacuum cleaner would involve an injured cat.
But no, it s the batteries.
The California Energy Commission settled with iRobot Corporation last week over its line of automatic vacuum cleaners, including the Roomba. The company was manufacturing and selling robots that failed to meet state efficiency standards for small battery chargers, according to the commission.
iRobot has agreed to meet California standards for new products in their Roomba, Braava, Scooba, Create and Looj lines. It will also offer a $20 rebate to customers who register their products by Nov. 19, 2015. That s the approximate overpayment on energy consumption for charging the devices, the commission said.
In a statement, the company said it disagrees that their robots are subject to the commission s standards. However, the company said it takes the matter seriously and has modified several products to meet California standards.
About 14 million iRobot cleaners and devices have been sold, according to the Massachusetts-based company. It recently launched a new line, the Roomba 980, which has added cleaning power and can be controlled through a smart phone app.
As part of the agreement, the company also agreed to pay $1 million to the energy commission.
How much of the $20 owner rebates will go to pet food and toys is up to Roomba owners.
Above: Roomba at work. Photo courtesy of iRobot.
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