The iRobot brand is a designer and maker of consumer robots.
Owned by iRobot Corporation, the brand is a U.S. based American tech company established in 1990. The company started in Delaware, USA.
It was founded by three individuals from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s A.I. Lab.
Founders Rodney Brooks, Colin Angle, and Helen Greiner had designed robotic tools for military defense and space exploration.
And then, they decided to leap at the making of consumer-interest robots. The company is chaired by Colin Angle, who doubles as the CEO.
iRobot seeks to create an ecosystem of robotic technologies to create a smart, first-generation home.
Business Verticals & Geographical Reach
Today, iRobot’s products include lines of autonomously operated vacuum cleaners for home use, such as Roomba.
It also makes robotic cleaning devices and floor moppers, such as Broava. Today, it trades as IRBT on the electronic stock market, NASDAQ.
iRobot has its corporate headquarters in Bedford, Massachusetts. However, it has offices in California, Asia, and Europe.
These include Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and London. iRobot has a considerable reach in many countries of the world.
This is mainly as its models are available on various online stores such as Amazon, Home Depot, eBay, Rakuten, and more.
iRobot Lawn Mower Product Line
Types of Lawn Mowers Available
As suggested by its brand name, you would guess that iRobot’s lawn mower models are autonomously operated electric models.
Except that iRobot only just started mowing lawns! So it doesn’t have lots of products in its lawn mower lines, not even products in the plural!
iRobot started with lawn mowers in 2019 with its Terra robot. And obviously, it intends to stand out from the competition.
After all, when you know how to make robots that can maneuver in a furnished environment, designing ones that can navigate a lawn does not seem complex.
This is undoubtedly what iRobot said when embarking on the design of the Terra Robot Mower.
This is a robotic lawn mower that takes advantage of the manufacturer’s know-how and the latest technologies that they have introduced on their robotic vacuums.
Key Differentiation Factors
Mode of operation
Behind its very classic appearance, the brand’s mower immediately marks its difference by its mode of operation. It operates with beacons.
Contrary to what is required by the majority of competing mowing robots, there’s no need to install a perimeter wire.
iRobot uses its Imprint Smart Mapping terrain mapping technology to do this. It helps define the perimeter of the surface to be mowed and the layout of the beds to avoid.
It is thus easy to tell the robot not to go and put its wheels under the garden furniture, the deckchair or even go near the inflatable pool.
Intelligent navigation system
To distinguish itself from other robotic mowers, iRobot relies on its intelligent navigation system.
Like the Indego mowers from Bosch, which depend on the Logicut system, the iRobot mower moves in a parallel band pattern.
This is so that it does not mow twice in the same place. It is a much more efficient mode of navigation, which saves time.
Classic architecture
The iRobot lawn mower has a reasonably classic architecture. It has two driving wheels at the rear, and its cutting system probably centered on the robot.
It is not yet known, however, whether iRobot has chosen to use a single blade as on Robomow or Viking robots, for example.
It could also be several mobile blade systems on a turntable as with Husqvarna, Bosch, and Honda.
The iRobot lawn mower recharges automatically on a base like its competitors. It is programmed via the iRobot Home app – the same as for Roomba.
Who Should Buy iRobot Lawn Mowers
Knowing the consumer fear of robotic tech still exists, we’re afraid iRobot’s lawn mowers are not for everyone.
They may not be ideal for consumers who have kids and pets around. But they certainly will be for the technologically sophisticated and people like us who are lazy at doing the garden chores.
Summary
The prospects of the iRobot lawn mower remain on paper at the time of writing this review.
It was planned to be launched earlier in 2020 (perhaps the pandemic halted its launch).
Our fingers are still crossed for its launch. However, with what we’ve seen and knowing iRobot’s exploits in the field of robotics and consumer tech products, we’re confident the iRobot lawn mower’s quality will have no match.
It definitely will be an immediate hit!