... If you want to get closer to the cutting edge of robotics, so to speak, you're better off looking at a technology that's already well-commercialized: robotic lawn mowers. Today's New York Times salutes a new product, the Kyodo LawnBott LB3500, which mows your lawn by itself. Here's the manufacturer's description:
It operates automatically, and autonomously by means of its intelligent computer and a perimeter cable. It can move freely within an enclosed area, detecting the faint signal transmitted by the perimeter cable located on the ground, defining the areas to be mowed; it can also work without a perimeter cable as working area is enclosed by a fence or small border at least 4 inches tall. ... [I]t leaves its docking station and starts mowing your yard in a random direction. It will mow in a straight line until it bumps into an obstacle, such as a tree or flower pot, or until it runs over its perimeter cable, then it stops, backs up, turns and takes off again.
Well, at least it needs a human to recharge its batteries, right?
Wrong. The company explains:
When the batteries start running low, or at the end of its cutting cycle, the mower will search out the perimeter cable and follow it back to its docking station to recharge. After charging, it heads back out on its own! ... With the new LawnBott, you have One Less Thing to Worry About.
Well, yes. But you also have one more thing to worry about: Your lawnmower running amok while you're at the office. No human hassle means no human control.
Kyodo says the LB3500 comes with enhanced safety features: "a higher sensitivity, free-floating, 360° bumper shell, blade stop proximity sensor, and an on-board alarm system should an unauthorized user pick up the LawnBott." Still, we're talking about a slicing machine that runs around by itself and can't even be stopped by power depletion. LawnBotts.com points out that "robotic lawnmowers are many times safer than its manual counterparts just because you eliminate the human needing to be around it while it's operating." This is the same sense in which military drones are safer than manned vehicles and weapons: They protect their owners. But if you're not the owner, look out.
LawnBott LB3500 offers Bluetooth control, stylin' rims
iRobot may own the market for autonomous indoor cleaning devices, but when it comes to taming that wild jungle you call a backyard, the new king of the hill may well be the LawnBott LB3500. This fourth-generation LawnBott from Kyodo America improves upon its predecessors in nearly every category: even though it weighs ten pounds less than the entry-level LB2000, it offers up a greater coverage area, increased cutting width, greatly improved incline climbing capability, longer runtime, and best of all, a Bluetooth radio for programming or direct control by cellphone. Of course, all these high-end features don't come cheap, and when the LB3500 does come to market (date: unknown), we imagine that it's gonna cost a good deal more than the current high-end, $2,500 LB3200. Check out the gallery below for some more angles.
Last May, we introduced you to the LawnBott, and it seems that KA Home Robotics is doing well, thank you very much. So well that they have introduced their new LB3500. The device can be programmed via Bluetooth through a compatible cell phone or PDA. Include days and hours and, at the end of its cycle, the Bott will return with its two lithium-ion batteries to its charging station. The 3500 features a higher sensitivity, a blade stop sensor, an on-board alarm, and a 360º bumper shell. Prices range from $3,249.00 to $4,279.00, depending on options.
You may recall the LB2000, a robot that will mow your lawn for you. Well, it’s been revamped and reintroduced as the LB3200 and has a new exciting feature.
The new LawnBott has added Bluetooth technology to its controls so that you can program and control it from anywhere via your cell or laptop. That comes in really handy when you’ve promised your wife you’d mow the lawn and yet you want to go out with you buddies instead, now you can do both. It works the same way as its predecessor and has two lithium ion batteries. It can go up a 30 degree incline and will mow a 38,000 sq ft area before returning to its dock for a charge.
It does come with a blade stopping sensor if anyone should pick it up which is really nice as well. It is pricey, $3,250, but if you’re like me and have a huge back yard that’ll pay for itself in free time quickly.
Bluetooth LawnBott LB3500:
The Ultimate Robotic Lawnmower
If you hate mowing the lawn, and I can sympathise with you If you do, then why not invest in the Bluetooth compatible LawnBott? The latest edition to the KA LawnBott line, the Bluetooth LawnBott LB3500 is claimed to be the most sophisticated lawnmower robot in the world - but what makes it so special?
Well, the owner of the LB3500 can control the lawnmower through any Bluetooth compatible cell phone or PDA type device. The LB3500 has advanced safety features including a free-floating, 360° bumper shell, blade stop proximity sensor and an on-board alarm system to prevent any unauthorized user picking up the LawnBott.
You can program which days of the week and what hours of the day the LawnBott needs to wake up from it’s charging base and cut the grass! The LB3500 can endure slopes up to 30° and is able to maintain a yard of up to 38,000 sq. ft.
You can pick up the Bluetooth compatible LawnBott for $3249.
Is your yard ready for LawnBott: The Next Generation?
LawnBott has been upgraded. When we covered the previous incarnation of the lawnmower robot, we weren’t sure the concept would fly — but we were wrong and congratulations are in order. KA Home Robotics announced a new model, the LawnBott LB3200, which adds Bluetooth tech to its mowing arsenal, letting you program and control it from any Bluetooth-enabled cellphone or laptop.
For the initial setup, you use the included perimeter wire to set the boundary around the lawn edge, flowerbeds and bushes. Utilizing two lithium-ion batteries for power, the LB3500 leaves the docking station at its preprogrammed time to start the mow. It will work on slopes up to 30 degrees and cut an area as big as 38,000 square feet and then it return to its dock automatically. For safety there's a free-floating 360-degree bumper, a blade-stop sensor, and an onboard alarm system if an unauthorized user picks up the LawnBott. LawnBott 2.0 is available now for $3,250.
Electronic House By Rachel Cericola - See the page
Robotic Lawnmower Cuts Time, Energy. and Your Grass! The latest in home robotics and Bluetooth technology allows you to mow your lawn with your cell phone
Lawrenceville, GA – Kyodo America is thrilled to introduce two new models of the revolutionary LawnBott – the perimeter wire-free LB1200 and the new Bluetooth enabled LB3500 – at the 2008 International Consumer Electronic Show at the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas, January 7-10, 2008.
LawnBott is a gas-free, robotic lawnmower that uses a flat blade to mulch your grass as it cuts it - mowing and fertilizing your lawn all at once to reduce the need for lawn chemicals. Programmable in six different languages, LawnBott can be set for up to three zones such as a front, side or backyard to trim grass for 3-4 hours in a single charge on a weekly schedule, daily, or as often as you see fit, and automatically returns to its home when the job is done to recharge.
“Modern technology is changing the way we do everything,” explains John Tarvin, marketing manager of KA Home Robotics. “Our robotic mowers will cut your grass, everyday, freeing you to do the things you enjoy. Spend Saturdays with the kids, play golf, relax. It’s up to you. With a LawnBott, you can actually enjoy your lawn and have one less thing to worry about.”
The new LawnBott LB3500 is newest and most sophisticated robotic mower on the planet featuring Bluetooth compatibility that allows it to be conveniently programmed and controlled from any Bluetooth enabled device including cellular phones or PDA devices. For initial set-up, simply plug the LawnBott’s docking station into a standard electrical outlet and use the included perimeter wire to set up a boundary around the lawn edge, flowerbeds and bushes.
Utilizing two lithium-ion batteries to propel its powerful motors, the LB3500 will leave the docking station at its programmed time to navigate slopes up to 30º and maintain a large yard area up to 38,000 sq. ft. and then will return home to recharge when it’s done mowing or when the battery runs low. Safety and security are further enhanced with the LB3500 which has a higher sensitivity, free-floating, 360° bumper shell, blade stop proximity sensor, and an on-board alarm system should an unauthorized user pick up the LawnBott.
The new LawnBott LB1200 is the first and only robotic mower that doesn’t require a perimeter wire – the patented sensors actually sense when the LB1200 is on grass and when it needs to be cut to maintain a desired height. When the LB1200 approaches walkways, curbs, patios, herb gardens, and flowerbeds it simply reverses its direction and continues to mow up to 8,000 sq. ft. of lawn managing slopes up to 30º. The LB1200 is the simplest to use. Just place it down on the grass, turn it on, and walk away. With simple On and Off buttons, there is no programming to worry about, let the LB1200 cut when you want it to.
The LB3200 Evolution, the only robotic mower with Adaptive Programming Technology, will also be on display at CES. Its learning computer actually reprograms itself to adapt to the cutting requirements of your yard. This not only conserves battery life and lengthens the durability of the electric motors, it also contributes to a healthier looking lawn.
LawnBott uses $7 to $10 worth of electricity a year and because gas or oil is not required, they are eco-friendly with no pollution and zero emissions. All LawnBott models include a virtually no noise motor. As a safeguard, a proximity sensor will automatically shut off the blade if the device is picked up to avoid injuries. LawnBott is also quiet enough for a late night or early morning cut without disturbing neighbors, or yourself, while it mows. LawnBott also comes equipped with a rain sensor, which allows it to cut during light rain but stops once it senses too much water, immediately returning to its docking station.
LawnBott Models:
LB1200 $1,299.00 (MSRP)
LB3200 Evolution $2,749.00 (MSRP)
LB3500 Bluetooth Enabled Model $3,249.00 (MSRP)
About KA Home Robotics
Kyodo America Co. was established in 1996 in Atlanta and became Kyodo Co., Ltd’s first factory in the U.S. designing and manufacturing garden equipment, and plastic molding. In 2005, Kyodo created KA Home Robotics to team up with the Italian company Zucchetti Centro Sistemi, to bring robotic mowers and other goods to the US market. With their new line of robotic home products, Kyodo America is realizing its dream of bringing the highest grade of products to their customers. For more information about KA Home Robotics, please visit http://www.lawnbott.com or call 770-237-0364.
Don't hire someone to cut your grass,
have LawnBott cut it for you
AT CES 2008 in Las Vegas, Kyodo America showcased the LawnBott, the wire-free LB1200 model and the Bluetooth enabled LB3500, robotic lawn mowers that run on electricity and use a flat blade to simultaneously cuts and mulches grass. The LawnBott LB1200 can cut and trim grass for three to four hours on a single charge of the lithium-ion batteries. It can be programmed to cut daily, on a weekly schedule, or whenever you want.
No perimeter wires are needed as the LawnBott LB1200 has patented sensors that detect grass. When it approaches walkways and other non grass surfaces, it simply reverses direction. The LB 3500 can be programmed via Bluetooth and has a docking station and includes perimeter wire to create the lawn boundary. The LB1200 is priced at $1299 and the LB3500 is priced at $3249.
WIRED Magazine: Issue 15.12 By Alissa Walker - See the page
This Bot Kicks Grass Roombas are for wusses. Here's an energy-efficient automation that's designed to pwn your lawn.
Nothing beats mowing the yard while relaxing in a hammock with a beer and the paper - good thing LawnBott shears up to 30,000 square feet of grass all by itself. The sensor causes a directional shift whenever the mini mower bumps into an object at least 4 inches high or detects a perimeter wire you've laid out. When the rechargeable lithium batteries start to run down, the little guy returns to its docking station to juice up. And it uses only about $10 worth of electricity a year, so even the greenest gardeners have zero reason to stress. The bot can be programmed to a regular schedule, and it's so quiet you can set it to mow at the crack of dawn while you sleep in.
EasyValleyTribune By Julie Janovsky - See the page
New Product worth the splurge
PERSONAL HELPER: The LawnBott, a battery-operated robot, does exactly what its name implies: It mows your lawn so you don't have to. Moving freely, aided by its internal computer, it follows the signal from its perimeter cable, which transmits which areas need to be mowed. The LawnBott comes in four models, offering a variety of features ranging from rain sensors (basic to all models) to Bluetooth capability (in the high-end LB3500 version), allowing it to be programmed and controlled from any Bluetooth-compatible device. Prices are $1,749 for the LB2000 Professional model, $2,299 for the LB300 Deluxe LT, $2,499 for the LB3200 Evolution and $2,899 for the LB3500.
The robot goodness doesn't stop indoors. The LawnBott Evolution keeps lawns trim--no human required. The Evolution uses adaptive programming technology to reprogram itself to meet a lawn's changing cutting needs. The LawnBott can cut up to 33,000 square feet of grass and can even handle anything under a 27-degree incline.
The grass this LawnBott is resting on is no typical grass. It's called Drivable Grass and, with its porous structure, it has maximized water retention, meaning less runoff to oceans, lakes and other water supplies
Lawrenceville, Ga.- January 20, 2006 - Kyodo America (KA) introduces the LawnBott robotic lawnmower to the American consumer.
The LawnBott line of robotic mowers, (LawnBott Evolution, DeLuxe, and Professional models) will automatically cut your grass, everyday, leaving your lawn looking healthier and freshly cut. This innovative line of robotic mowers, formerly known as Ambrogio Evolution, Deluxe, and Professional, has been cutting the lawns of homeowners in Europe for several years. Now, as the new North American Importer, KA is bringing these labor and timesaving devices to the American consumer.
The LawnBott's are electric, producing zero-emissions, and quiet, so they can operate any time of day or night and not disturb the neighbors. Small and lightweight, at only 21 lbs. for the Evolution model, they can mow around obstacles and within narrow pathways and cover lawns of up to ¾ of an acre. Once programmed, they will mow your lawn everyday. When the LawnBott starts its cutting cycle, it leaves the docking station and begins to cut the yard in a random pattern, if its battery starts to get low, LawnBott will return to recharge itself without any human intervention!
Who likes to mow their own grass? With KA's new LawnBott mowers, you don't have to.
KA LawnBott, giving you One Less Thing to Worry About.
Let's hear what the media say about the LawnBott Robot Mower :
