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After Hours

Photos: Roomba does Frogger rumba

By Bill Detwiler March 15, 2006, 2:00 AM PST on Twitter billdetwiler

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1
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Torrone and Fried
Torrone and Fried
Photos: Roomba does Frogger rumba

Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com

Two technology geeks at the South by Southwest music conference in Austin, Texas–Make Magazine editor Phillip Torrone and EYEBEAM research-and-development fellow Limor Fried–decided they would modify a Roomba robot vacuum cleaner to perform in traffic, much in the way the frog in the video game Frogger was intended to negotiate heavy traffic as it tried to cross the street. The Roomba is shown here before it was readied for its real-life Frogger tribulations very early in the morning on Wednesday.

Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com
Photos: Roomba does Frogger rumba

Photos: Roomba does Frogger rumba

Phillip Torrone and Limor Fried working on their Roomba version of Frogger.

Photos: Roomba does Frogger rumba

Torrone and Fried’s Roomba Frogger, with Styrofoam feet.

Photos: Roomba does Frogger rumba

No amphibians were fooled. Torrone and Fried’s Roomba Frogger with green fabric, shortly before the machine was put in the street.

Photos: Roomba does Frogger rumba

Awaiting final prep, the Roomba Frogger sits on Austin’s famous Sixth Street.

Photos: Roomba does Frogger rumba

Final prep: Phillip Torrone works on the Bluetooth settings used to help control the Roomba Frogger.

Photos: Roomba does Frogger rumba

Limor Fried inspects the Frogger one more time.

Photos: Roomba does Frogger rumba

The Roomba Frogger in the middle of Austin’s Sixth Street as seen from above.

Photos: Roomba does Frogger rumba

Torrone and Fried’s Roomba Frogger just misses getting hit by a mini-van.

Photos: Roomba does Frogger rumba

After the Roomba Frogger nearly got crushed, Torrone and Fried made sure it was still roadworthy.

Photos: Roomba does Frogger rumba

The Roomba Frogger survives another close call with a car.

Photos: Roomba does Frogger rumba

Not easy being green: Torrone carries the Roomba after it was run over by an SUV.

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By Bill Detwiler
Bill Detwiler is the Editor for Technical Content and Ecosystem at Celonis. He is the former Editor in Chief of TechRepublic and previous host of TechRepublic's Dynamic Developer podcast and Cracking Open, CNET and TechRepublic's popular online show.
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