Michael Satterfield
TGR Staff
Having already changed the way people clean with the iconic Roomba® robot vacuum and Braava® family of robot mops, iRobot, the leader in consumer robots, is reinventing how people care for their lawn with the Terra™ robot mower. Terra™ features state-of-the-art mapping and navigation technologies, high-performance, high-quality mowing, and easy installation. A video and photos of the robot were unveiled on iRobot.com today.
Terra is unique because it learns its environment using iRobot’s Imprint™ Smart Mapping technology. It mows like people do, intelligently navigating a yard cutting efficiently in straight, back-and-forth lines. Terra remembers where it is in the yard and where it still needs to cover. If the robot’s battery runs low, it will return to its base to recharge and then resume mowing until the yard is complete.
Terra will offer consumers a welcome alternative to existing robotic lawn mowers by eliminating the need for costly and labor-intensive boundary wires. Combining Imprint™ Smart Mapping technology and a newly developed wireless communications system, including standalone beacons, users just place the wireless beacons around their yard, drive the robot once around the perimeter, and schedule Terra to mow. Users have total control over where the robot goes and where it doesn’t go, so it will stay on the lawn and out of the flowers.
Because Terra is connected, users can use the iRobot HOME App to customize their robot – from adjusting the height of the grass to controlling precisely when the lawn is cut, day or night. The robot is designed with rugged features to help it operate in inclement weather and navigate tough outdoor terrain.
“iRobot is building an ecosystem of robots and technologies that help people do more both inside and outside of the home,” said Colin Angle, chairman, and CEO of iRobot. “The robot mower segment is well established in EMEA 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 iRobot Terra robot mower will be available for sale in Germany and as a beta program in the U.S. in 2019. Specific availability and pricing will be announced at a later date. Please visit www.irobot.com/robot-lawn-mower for more information.
