iRobot, the makers of the Roomba robot vacuum and Braava robot mops, have finally gotten into the lawnmower business, and it’s called Terra.
Devices like Roomba work so well because of iRobot’s proprietary Smart Mapping technology, which allows its little robot cleaners to memorize the contours of a room and clean accordingly. iRobot is applying that same technology to the Terra robot mower by combining the mapping software with a newly developed wireless communication system and new stand-alone beacons that help define the perimeter of a front yard or back yard for the Terra. Where Roomba can clean nearly randomly because of the nature of carpet, Terra is designed to mimic traditional mowing patterns, cutting efficiently in straight, back-and-forth lines that convince your neighbors you have a green thumb.
You’ll have total control over where the Terra goes and it will stay off the sidewalk, out of the road, and away from your flower beds. Users can use the iRobot Home app to customize their robot with programmable cutting times, grass height, and more.
However, much like Roomba, Terra is almost completely self-sufficient. Not only will it remember where it is in the yard and how much it still needs to mow, if the robot’s battery runs low, it simply plugs itself back in its base to recharge and resume mowing once the battery is back on track.
“iRobot is building an ecosystem of robots and technologies that help people do more both inside and outside of the home,” Robot CEO Colin Angle said in a statement. “The robot mower segment is well established in EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) and has tremendous room for growth in other markets, including North America. With its ease of use and premium mowing features, Terra is poised to give consumers a whole new way to think about how they take care of their lawn.”
The Terra robot mower will be available for sale first in Germany in 2019, although iRobot is also planning a beta program in the United States this year. Pricing is still to be determined, but robot lawn mowing is one of the rare markets where iRobot doesn’t have a lock on the business. Husqvarna, Worx and Honda, among others, are the other competing manufacturers already with models on the market that range in price from about $600 to more than $2,800.
