While setting up my new Misterhouse server (which works rather well from my Mac to my Audrey so far), I found a reference to the USB RedRat3. It is an IR controller via USB (obviously). I want to use this little device to startup my Roomba every morning. The ability to schedule cleaning times and lengths in the roomba is a serious shortcoming in a robotic device. This Redrat should do the trick. However, another problem with the roomba is that you can only send it back to the base by pressing two buttons on the Roomba and not via remote.

The idea of using an IR remote on a device that is designed to go under things seems short-sighted and/or cheap.