Robot Wars: Lawnmower Edition

January 3, 2013 in Daily Bulletin

The robot apocalypse is here, and instead of humans versus machines, it’s machine versus machine. Ola Kinnander wrote about the battle for the market share of robot lawnmowers:

  • While the rest of Europe’s economy is stagnating, the robotic lawnmower segment has grown rapidly. Over the next five years it’s expected to grow 20% a year.
  • The mowers use sensors to stay within their owner’s yards and avoid obstacles such as trees. They don’t collect the cut grass, instead the machines clip them into pieces so small that they can be used as fertilizer.
  • The mowers aren’t as popular in the United States in part because American grass is tougher, and thus more difficult to cut.
  • The robots can cost anywhere between €1,700 and €5,000. Human controlled lawnmowers can cost as little as €300.

Read more about the companies fighting for dominance of the market, those that tried building them and failed, and the magical price line that manufacturers should aim for over here.

Source: Bloomberg

Via: Marginal Revolution