SlashNOT

Matthew writes: “I, Roomba”, the upcoming sci-fi thriller suggested by the synonymous novel by Isaac Asimov, follows the exploits of a detective who realizes that the amazingly popular disc-shaped self-propelled vacuums aren’t nearly as innocuous as they seem.

I have to say I was a bit disappointed. The only thing suggested by the novel seems to be the really cool title and the three laws of robotics: Spiral, Bump, and Turn. The plot was reasonable enough (vacuums become ubiquitous by alleviating chores, people begin to trust them, vacuums take over), but it strains credibility to suggest that only one person in the world didn’t trust them. I’m sure Andy Bell wouldn’t have trusted them.

Despite the holes in the plot, the effects are second-to-none. The “swarm mode” scene is a must see—millions of Roombas bump their way out of their homes and converge in the streets, cleaning everything in site. And the killer “suction-time” effect shows the vacuums suctioning individual particles of dirt in slow motion. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen.