After Hours

Photos: Roomba does Frogger rumba

By · July 18, 2006, 8:42 AM PST · billdetwiler

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  • 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

  • Konami's 1981 hit video game "Frogger."

    Wikipedia

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

    Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com

  • Torrone and Fried's Roomba Frogger, with Styrofoam feet.

    Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com

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

    Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com

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

    Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com

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

    Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com

  • Limor Fried inspects the Frogger one more time.

    Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com

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

    Kyle Machulis

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

    Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com

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

    Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com

  • The Roomba Frogger survives another close call with a car.

    Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com

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

    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

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By Bill Detwiler

Bill Detwiler is Editor in Chief of TechRepublic and the host of Cracking Open, CNET and TechRepublic's popular online show. Prior to joining TechRepublic in 2000, Bill was an IT manager, database administrator, and desktop support specialist in the ...