In Summer 2011, Make Magazine featured “Roomba Reconnaissance” which was a student project in Dr. Schumaker’s Internet Applications class in 2009. Students were given an iRobot Roomba Discovery and a budget of $200. Their goal was simple, modify the Roomba so that users can connect to it through the Internet and use it as a remote surveillance instrument where Internet users could drive the unit around a remote premises and see what is happening. This project required students to think about ways to set up miniature webservers on non-typical devices and integrate them them with webcams, wireless access points and the Roomba itself. Students learned hands-on programming and troubleshooting skills as well as creative problem-solving skills. Two students, Ray Caruso and Evin Papowitz, submitted their project report to Make Magazine and had their solution published on the front cover and was a feature article.
