10.21.05
JAPAN: Makers of cordless, autonomous cleaning robots in the U.S. and Europe are stepping up their marketing in Japan, trying to attract consumers with affordable prices. U.S. manufacturer iRobot Corp., which has already sold 1.2 million units of its Roomba robotic vacuum cleaners around the world, is developing a retail network in Japan, mainly through department stores. RoboMop International AS of Norway has sold 100,000 of its robots in Japan and expects further sales growth.