The Roomba robot has returned to its grass-cutting duties after disappearing at the end of 2019, The University Times can reveal.
A reporter from The University Times saw the robot cutting the grass in Fellows’ Square a number of times over the past week, and confirmed that it has been connected to its charging bay at night.
In an email statement to The University Times, Trinity Media Relations Officer Catherine O’Mahony said that the Roomba “is removed for service and repair from time to time and then resumes operations”.
It seems the grass-cutting machine is now back at full fitness, however.
“The Roomba was installed as part of the maintenance contract for the renovation of the grass surface in Fellow’s Square”, O’Mahony added. “It is a fully electric mower helping to reduce the College’s carbon footprint while also producing minimal noise – around 60dB – which is very important given its location.”
She also confirmed that Roomba’s tendency to go around in circles is not a design flaw.
“It is programmed to have a random mowing pattern. When you see it going around in circles it is focusing on areas with high/dense grass. Once these are under control it moves off onto the next area”, she said.
Roomba garnered fame and adoration on Facebook’s Trinfess and Trinder pages over the course of the first semester. However, in December Roomba vanished, causing widespread confusion and upset among students.
Last September, one Trinfess commenter prophetically expressed concerns that Roomba would be removed when College reopened the Fellows’ Square grass area in November, adding: “We must not let them take away what we love most. We must unite to save it.”
A Trinfess post last week, which said that “Roomba probably thinks we all died”, was met with dismay by another Trinfess commenter, who said that “true fans know our little roomba has been missing for MONTHS and are more concerned for its location and wellbeing than our own”.
