Rumba's IROBOT may sell the map of the user's house to the outside

The latest Rumba not only cleans it, but also makes a map in the house below and visualizes where and how much you clean.It's wonderful, as if the housekeeper reported, "I've finished cleaning -I cleaned all the designated places today, but especially around the sofa in the living room was dirty."I think.

However, it seems that the housekeeper reports not only the owner of Rumba, but also the data to IROBOT, which is not a housekeeper dispatch company.According to Reuters, IROBOT is specifically considering selling maps in the house out of the data acquired via Rumba.

I was watching "24" what the map in the house could be used for, and I thought that I wouldn't make a better use of gas ...He tells Reuters about his vision.

If you have a rich map of a house that users have allowed users to share, there are various things and service ecosystems that can be done in smart homes.

In the same article, GUY HOFFMAN of Cornell University said that there was a map that Rumba acquired, for example, "The sound system can be adjusted to the sound situation of the house, and the air conditioner flows air for each room.It is scheduled and the smart lighting can adjust the light depending on the position and time of the window. "In other words, combined with Amazon Echo and Google Home, which is already spreading, it is a feeling that various home appliances and equipment will move to realize the comfort of the unpretentious level, maybe.

However, except for cleaning, the housekeeper, who thought that he was just quietly slapping at home, may be reluctant to start to flow home information to the outside.Looking at the privacy policy of the Rumba app, it seems that the data from Rumba to IROBOT has already been uploaded.In the policy, there is such a refusal.

当社のロボットの一部には、スマートテクノロジーが内蔵されており、ロボットが本サービスに無線でデータを送信できるようになっています。たとえば、ロボットはバッテリーの寿命や状態、ミッションの数、装置識別名、位置マッピングなど、ロボットの機能や使用統計に関する情報を収集および送信することができます。（略）当社はこの情報を、統計および使用データの収集および分析、技術的問題の診断および修理、デバイスの性能改善、およびユーザー体験の向上のために利用します。（略）当社のロボットは、お客様がデバイスをオンラインで登録しWi-Fi、Bluetoothその他の手段でインターネットに接続しない限りこの情報を転送しません。お客様のデバイスのWi-Fi___33またはBluetooth接続を解除し、またはそれらに全く接続しないことで、Wi-FiまたはBluetoothでのデータ転送がなくとも当社ロボットのスマートテクノロジーを使用することができます。

In other words, IROBOT not only specifies user data collection and use, but also assumes the existence of users who care about privacy, and says, "People who have resistance should not connect to the Internet, but still Rumba is Rumba.You can use it. "In addition to the above, there is also a case that "we may share information with others in a set that cannot be reasonably identified directly and anonymously", and preparations for providing data to companies other than IROBOT.It was steadily progressing.By the way, this policy was last updated in September 2016 at the time of writing.

That's why it's an impression that it is already a matter of time to use Amazon Echo, Google Home, and Apple's Home Pod on the map of Rumba. Personally, IROBOT hacked, such as the floor plan information of the house somewhere, and it might be possible to put a tsukkomi in my heart, such as "Is this corner only sometimes cleaning?" I'm a little worried that if you do, you may not be able to do it. In other words, there is a vague anxiety about what will happen, even if you are not conscious of various home appliances or even home appliances in the future. But if you don't like it, you can opt -out, and more personal web browsing history has already been used by companies here and there, so it's like this.

Also, thanks to the map, Amazon Echo will say, "If you put the lighting here in the living room, it will improve the atmosphere more."It may be.By the way, it suggests the arrangement of furniture that suits the life movement, or open and close the window so that you do not use the air conditioner as much as possible, is it a farther story?Anyway, in the IoT era, which has just begun, I hope that there will be more benefits because of anxiety.

Image: IROBOT

Source: Reuters, IROBOT

(Miho Fukuda)