Innovation of Robotic Lawn Mowers
Many American families have been using iRobot
Corp.'s Roomba vacuum cleaner for many years. Now the technology has spread to
lawn mowers. Robert Bosch, an auto parts giant,
began to sell robotic lawn mower last month. The well known auto company
Honda Motor also released its robotic lawn mower product named Miimo, which looks
similar to iRobot Roomba, in Europe in
August 2012. The robotic lawn mower is a combination of sensors and GPS
technology. Not only can the robotic lawn mowers cut turf in random patterns or
distinct lines, they can also reverse directions to avoid obstacles such as
trees or lawn chairs. This is an important event that represents the regular
mower's innovation. The robotic lawn mower is changing human life and becoming
a part of our life.
The first model of robotic lawnmower was
invented in 1995 by Husqvarnal Corporation, Europe's biggest high quality lawn
mower and related products maker. This company currently dominates the robotic lawn
mower market and its technology in robotics lawnmower is the best in the world.
Other two companies Deere (DE) and Global Garden Products Italy also have
launched commercial products in 2012. The most likely outcome is that
traditional lawnmower will be substituted by Robot lawnmower if the price is
competitive. It may become the fastest-growing outdoor garden tool in some
markets, especially in Europe luxury end market. The total revenue of the robotic
lawn mower in 2012 is $170 million, increased 30% compared to 2011. If the
retail price can decrease from €2,000 to €1,000, "the market will become mainstream."
Although it is a niche market and robotic
mower's total market share cannot compete with the conventional mowers now , there
are a lot of opportunities for those followers. Practicing managers should be ready
to seize this opportunity to develop new robotic mowers. For the traditional
lawn mower manufacturers, they should be aware of the threat from robotic lawn
mowers.
The early robotic mower market entrants
should establish entry barriers such as core technology and patent to increase
innovation lead time. If they have enough lead time, they will be able to shape
consumer preferences and build consumer brand loyalties to earn more market share
and more profit.
Citation
1.Honda launches robotic lawn mower
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-08-21/honda-robot-mower/57185858/1
2. Rise of the Lawn-Cutting Machines
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-10-25/rise-of-the-lawn-cutting-machines
3. Lawn mowing robots bid for a share of
a growing market , By Zoe Kleinman, 31
October 2012
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20102090
Interesting topic - not sure I agree that applying robotics to mowers is safe, especially in uncontrolled environments - hold my beer and watch this comes to minds - sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen as soon as one gets loose and mows over the family pet - just like when the guy tried to use his lawnmower to edge his bushes - cost him a few fingers.
ReplyDeleteHaha, interesting take on this topic. The companies have definitely installed safety mechanisms into these devices with the GPS systems to avoid hitting obstacles. The company has also previously marketed iRobot, a vacuum cleaner, which also has similar systems in place; there have not been any significant lawsuits or safety incidents.
ReplyDeleteI think this is an interesting concept but I find it difficult to accept it's functionality from a commercial mowing standpoint. I could see, however, equipment becoming more automated but for safety reasons alone I will assume the "lawnmower man" will have a job for a while.
ReplyDelete