
Holy moly! Gareth @ MAKE writes:
This is creepy and weird in a totally “I SO want that on MY Roomba” sorta way! It’s a cover for the Roomba, the “i-Toad,” made from needle felted Romney and Jacob wool and glass eyes. And you thought the housepets were freaked out about your Roomba before!


This is a cozy that puts all others to shame, It looks so real. I want one.
One would have to see a *VIDEO* of said toad mover to judge properly.
Oh go on…
Covering Roomba with a cozy is not a good idea. Since Roomba is always powered even when it is on the dock or plugged into the charger the heat generated by the electronics will be hotter than designed and this will also keep the battery hotter than necessary.
At the least this will shorten battery life. Because a covered Roomba cannot dissipate heat properly the battery charging cycle may be terminated early and result in short run-times. In the worst case it could allow the circuitry to get hot enough to fail. Unless the cozy is made of fire retardant materials it is also a source of fuel should the electronics over heat.
Leaving Roomba unplugged from the charger will result in a partially to completely discharged battery so unplugging the charger from Roomba so you can use your cozy will not work either.
I am assuming that since this is a cozy it was intended to go on Roomba when it is not cleaning. Let me be clear that it should not be used when Roomba is cleaning either for the same heat reasons and because it will interfere with the proper operation of the robot.
The cozy looks great but using one on Roomba is not a good idea.
Thanks Jeff! Remember guys, use electronics cozies at your own risk. If you’re nervous about it, use googly eyes instead. Just don’t put them on or near the battery. =D
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