Best Inventions 2005: Home Runs

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NICHOLAS EVELEIGH FOR TIME

Squeegee Clean
Inventor: Blake Krikorian
Availability: Now, $400
To Learn More: irobot.com
Scooba, iRobot's follow-up to Roomba, the robotic vacuum, steals a few tricks from its predecessor to tackle a different chore: mopping tile, linoleum or sealed hardwood floors. With each pass, Scooba completes four tasks: it sweeps loose debris, sprays a special Clorox cleaning solution onto the floor, scrubs the surface with a brush and then uses a "squeegee-vac" to suck up the dirty water. Like Roomba, Scooba works around obstacles and has "cliff" sensors that prevent it from falling down stairs. Different sensors keep Scooba off your high-pile carpet.
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