Robotic lawncare is no longer a product of the future! In the days of artificial intelligence and smart homes, it is no surprise that consumers can now control their lawn and garden care with the press of a button. While the majority of sales are currently for robotic lawn mowers, there are also robotic snow blowers, gutter cleaners, and other various multifunction robotic lawn and garden tools on the market and in development. Freedonia Groups predicts that the sales of lawn and garden robots In the United States will grow by 24% per year to $207 million in 2027.
There are three notable reasons for this large projected growth. The first being increased commercial use of lawn and garden robots to compensate for labor shortages. The second is innovation; many lawn and garden robotic products are still in their early stages, leaving plenty of room for improvements to address common challenges in the US market. Lastly, many consumers are returning to the convenience of “Do It for Me” (DIFM) lawn service following elevated levels of DIY activity during the initial years of the pandemic. For consumers purchasing for personal use, the second and third factors will be vital, and companies producing lawn and garden or multipurpose outdoor robots only have control over the second, innovation.
Readily Available Lawn and Garden Robots
- Robotic Lawn Mower – Robotic lawn mowers are now easily purchased online by the average consumer. Prices range from approximately $650 to $4,000, not including the cost of additional installation or special attachments. Some require professionally installed boundaries, while others allow the consumer to set boundaries digitally with an app.
- Robotic Snow Blowers/Plows – Robotic snow blowers and plows are available for purchase online, mostly from hardware stores and specialty dealers. Prices begin around $2,000 and range up to nearly $20,000, depending on size and capabilities.
- Robotic Pool Cleaner – Popular robotic pool cleaners range from $160 to almost $2000, and many models clean both floating debris and the interior surface of the pool. The market is gradually migrating from cored power to cordless, and some are even solar powered.
Early-Stage Lawn and Garden Robots
As the industry grows and companies profit over the coming years, they will be allowed to fund new automated lawn and garden tools and make them more accessible and cost effective for consumers. Some lawn and garden robot devices have already been developed by lawn care companies and crowdfunding but are simply waiting for the demand to grow. Some examples are:
- Farmbot Genisis – the Farmbot Genesis is a crowdsourced robotic gardening system developed in 2016. The innovated system plants, waters, and weeds crops.
- Beetl – Beetl is an autonomous device designed to routinely clear yards of pet waste. Its process is very similar to that of an indoor robotic vacuum. It uses a camera and special sensors to detect waste, and a metal claw to remove the waste. As of now, the Beetl is only a concept, but the five-person team that created it is continuing to work towards making it available to consumers.
- iRobot Looj – The Looj has unfortunately been discontinued by iRobot; however, it can still be purchased from some third-party vendors. The Looj gutter cleaner was available first in the Looj 150 model, then in the Looj 300. The original price of the Looj 300 was $300, which is one of its less appealing features. While in concept and in perfect conditions the Looj 300 performed well, it was prone to flipping and getting stuck on tougher, wet blockages. As demand increases and technology is improved, perhaps iRobot will bring back the Looj.
To learn more about the high rate of expected growth of robotic lawn and garden tools and the challenges ahead for the industry, enjoy Freedonia Group’s recent report, “US Lawn & Garden Robots”.
If you’d like even more information on lawn and garden tools, you may be interested in our
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