neatofan2014:
Does Neato hold the patent or exclusive rights on the laser package in question?Yes, they got at least one patent for this.
DISTANCE SENSOR SYSTEM AND METHOD
DISTANCE SENSOR SYSTEM AND METHOD - Patent application
A very good description of one of the sensors used in the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge. Wikipedia even has a link to WMV Video showing the world through Stanley's laser-beam eyes. The Neato folks did not include any prior art reference to Stanford's sensor. I wonder if that makes Neato's patent bullshit.