Robot Lawn Mowers and Outdoor Automation at GIE Expo

Robotics and automation is becoming prevalent in every industry. We hear about drones in aviation, robot cars in automotive, even robot bar tenders and cooks in restaurants. Robotic lawn mowers are veterans, with the very first product coming on the market in the 1969, Mowbot, to the many manufacturers serving the European robot lawn mower market today. 

Ambrogio robot, the robot lawn mower manufactured by Zucchetti Centro Sistemi, Spa (ZCS) in Italy is one of the premier robot mower manufacturers, having launched their first product in 2000. Known for innovation and robust design, Ambrogio robots not only have the best-looking robots on the market, they have the widest model range of all manufacturers and robots that exceed specifications of all others in its class, such as the Ambrogio Quad with micro radar for object sensing. Most notable in the Ambrogio booth, the Twenty ZR robot mower that works without a perimeter wire for small yards.

The GIE Expo, being rebranded as Equip Exposition in 2022, is the largest trade show in the US for outdoor power equipment manufacturers, distributors and dealers. Max Distributing, the US Importer and Distributor for Ambrogio robots had an impressive booth showing off eleven models, including Quad.

Ambrogio Quad at GIE Expo 2021

Other new Ambrogio models in the booth include the Ambrogio 4.0 Elite High Cut, the Ambrogio 4.36, the L350i Elite and much more.

Ambrogio Robot Mower Models on Display at GIE Exposition 2021

Also at the Max Distributing booth was the Tracmow Remote Control Slope Mower. These impressive machines are perfect for areas that have difficult or steep terrain - places where it is not wise for a human to go. Tracmow was shown in both rotary and flail. The rotary version has a new, optional edge trimming attachment to ensure close cutting against walls on slopes.

Tracmow Remote Control Slope Mowers

All of the major manufacturers have a huge presence at the show. GIE 2020 was cancelled due to Covid. The 2021 show was as big and as well-attended as the 2019 GIE Expo. Every major manufacturer had an autonomous product or concept model on the floor. Here are the highlights:

Then there were the multi-manufacturer robot service companies, Robin Autopilot and Autmow. Robin Autopilot was showcasing their fleet software that helps landscapers run a robot mowing business. Autmow showed the diverse set of robot mowers they support via their nationwide network of certified installers, Ambrogio is one of them. 

Autmow has expanded into robotic field striping with the impressive TinyMobileRobots sports field painting robot. Two other line painting robots were also present: Turf Tank and Swozi.

Robin Autopilot and Autmow

One of the benefits of the GIE Expo (2022 re-branded as Equip Exposition), is the outdoor booths that allow dealers to try new equipment or see it in action. There were quite a few outdoor booths with autonomous and remote control robots.

Autonomous Wire-free Straight Lines w/Engines

Remote Control w/Engines

A notable prototype with an interesting innovation is the Nomad. It mows in straight lines with no perimeter wire and includes a large mowing deck with three blades. Its unique feature is the ability to transform into a smaller form factor so it can traverse narrow areas. 

Scythe is another autonomous machine that works in a similar manner, no perimeter wire, no beacons and mows in straight lines.

Unlike robot mowers that mow frequently to maintain a consistent grass height always, autonomous robots like Nomad have a gas engine that enables mowing long grass. Of course, the disadvantages being higher upfront cost and clippings on the lawn. The weight of these machines precludes running them often enough to maintain the grass due to soil compaction and the creation of ruts after rain due to following the same path. This was very evident for the Scythe machine that was moving in its booth for the entire show. The grass turned into rows of ruts.

Compared to robot mowers that mow frequently, these engine-powered solutions do not offer "robot mowing reduced cost" due to reduced water requirements and reduced use of fertilizer. 

Gas powered autonomous mowers sound good on paper but since the running time is somewhat low (5 hours per tank for Nomad), an operator is required to interact with the machine regularly, that is, to refill the gas tank. 

From a safety perspective, Nomad includes many sensors similar to robot cars that make it stop if an unknown object comes into its path, such as an animal or a human. Theoretically, debris such as a plastic bag would make it stop, until its AI learns that the bag is not a rock and may remain in its path.

Back inside there were two outliers in the automated robot mower space at opposite ends of the performance spectrum. MowRo is the low-end product that is low cost and simple to install but has deficiencies in performance, for example, tracks form due to the robot following the same perimeter-wire path back to the charging base. 

  

The other outlier is URS Robotics. They showed a wire-free prototype machine that uses camera + lidar technology similar to robot cars.

Robotics and automation had increased presence at the 2021 GIE Expo, indicating the trend will continue. Technology advancements continue as the "will" to grow the US robot mowing market into the mature multi-million machine European market is clearly evident by every major manufacturer showing an autonomous product or concept. Commercial applications served by remote control slope mowers are served by real products Tracmow and others. Ambrogio from Zucchetti Centro Cistemi Spa in Italy had an excellent representation of robot mower models at the show. 

We are actively seeking dealers to stock and promote Ambrogio and Tracmow robots in our five-state territory: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio. Contact us today! (847) 960-8520.