iRobot Ava made for Android developers

At the Google I/O Developer Conference, iRobot on Wednesday said it has partnered with Google to have Android apps run on its iRobot Ava mobile robotics platform. The idea is to change how people communicate and deliver information through remote presence, according to iRobot CEO and chairman Colin Angle. He went on to call Ava the first app-ready robot.

iRobot Ava will work with a pad-based interface and is meant to encourage robot designers, apps developers and market innovators develop mobile robotic applications. The Ava showed at the Google I/O had a camera and microphone for visual input and a screen and speakers, while a Motorola Xoom tablet was used as the head, face, and interface.

Google is excited to work with the Ava platform, according to SVP of Mobile Andy Rubin.

iRobot makes the Roomba vacuum robot and bomb-diffusing robot as well. [photo via CNET]