What platform/language does Roomba use?

Question

Out of curiousity, does anybody know the platform and programming language used to program the Roomba? I'm not so much talking about aftermarket kits but what is used to implement the algorithm at the factory?

Answer 1

Per this link, Roomba's microcontroller is a Freescale (ex-Motorola) MC9S12E -- what iRobot specifically uses in terms of programming languages may be their trade secret, but I believe such devices are typically programmed in assembly and C, e.g. with this kit.

Answer 2

I was doing some dev work on a iRobot Create. I'm using WinAVR and the code is in C.

You can get a dev kit for under $300.00

http://store.irobot.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=3311368

Answer 3

The Linux Journal had an article about using Python with the iRobot Create which is based off the Roomba.

http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/10262

It may not be what they use in the factory, but it looks like it would be the best way to hack a Roomba-esque floor crawling bot.