Is 2024 the Year of the Robot?
In recent news on Husqvarna’s financial reports, we found the company is again expressing that robotic mowers remain an important business segment. The company reported recently that solid growth in the professional segment of robotic mowers. Husqvarna Automower NERA was launched as the group’s first robotic mower to offer virtual boundary technology for the residential market.
We’ve reported on launches of other robotic mowers from brands carried by many OPE dealers, including Kress, Greenworks and yet-to-be-released products like the Toro Haven.
DTC Robot Mowers
A growing number of direct-to-consumer options exist in the robotic mower space. We found several companies with products in varying stages of development. OPE dealers and landscape contractors alike need to be aware of these products that are gaining national attention – at least digitally – and present competition for your business.
Robotic vacuum manufacturer EcoVacs showcased its GOAT GX-600, a robot lawn mower built for navigating difficult terrain. The company says its mower is able to distinguish between paved surfaces and lawns, and has 3D obstacle-avoidance technology. The company said it will release the GOAT GX-600 to the US market in spring 2024.
Aiper is also entering the robot lawn mower race with its Horizon U1. Aiper manufacturers a variety of robot cleaning tools, from pool vacs to home vacs. Like most of the newest robot mowers, the Aiper model doesn’t require laying wires around the yard. Rather than physically creating these boundaries themselves. Other notable features include precision mowing that allows the robot to sense different grass types and adjust its cutting style for improved results. Aipers said it will release the Horizon U1 in the first quarter of 2024.
Mammotion’s Luba 2 AWD, said to be shipping in April, will retail for around $2000. The manufacturer says it inherited AgileX Robotics’ advanced robotics chassis-based hardware and algorithm technology. On LinkedIn, we learned that AgileX was founded in 2016, and calls itself “a leading mobile robot solutions provider building the best robot development platforms for all industrial researchers, education, startup and corporate, to simplify the R&D process and quickly develop and verify their AI robot project in all industries fields.”
The Dreame Roboticmower A1 is priced at $1999 and will be available at Dreame’s official Amazon store from March, 2024. In a press release issued recently, the company said its new mower “incorporates several of the company’s breakthrough technologies, including its patented 3D high precision laser sensor technology, OmniSense 3D Ultra Sensing System and U Path Planning Program.” And that its signal will “stay strong and stable … in complex outdoor environments, the OmniSense system can effectively penetrate obstructions like houses and trees without sacrificing signal stability.”
Other manufacturers in or entering this expanding market for residential robotic mowers include Segway, Lymow, and more.
