iRobot cooking up lawn mower bot
By Ryan Block 
posted Aug 23rd 2006 9:51AM
posted Aug 23rd 2006 9:51AM
First Roomba, then came Scooba, next up: an iRobot lawnbot? Well, according to a Forbes profile of everybody's favorite domestic-botmaker, iRobot's working on a bomb sniffer to round out its compliment of functional droids, as well as "a robot lawn mower." Yep, another one of those things. So, what shall it be named, we wonder? We'd put our cash on Lawnie, but we'll still hit up the 5:1 on Lawnba. Just be sure and stay away from the 10:1 on Yardba, though, that one's definitely not gonna happen.[Via GoRobotics]
iDildoba
My parents use this one:
http://www.composters.com/green-mowers/robomower-robotic-electric-lawn-mower_75_5.php
It's a little pricey, but it works out ok.
lawnba? i think yardba sounds better. But seriously I don't know about you but there is no chance that one of these bad boys can do my whole lawn...
maybe they will have them working together...
I, for one, welcome our new lawn cutting robotic overlords.
Would the bomb sniffing one be called the Bomba?
Marketed as.... La Bomba?
ok... you can hit me now. :P
How about Groomba.
Hmm... robots w/ sharp whirling blades. I'll move that up above rabid sheep on the list of bad lawn care ideas.
FP had is close.
my bid is the Lawnna
In Soviet Russia, Yardbas mow YOU!
Mobi?
Mowa, Mowba, Moowba?
Its mows the lawn, so you could call it the Mowba, but while you're at it, why not evoke the image of that *other* mindless grass-eating machine, and call it Mooba? C'mon, that's catchy...
The already have one of these machines on the market
http://www.friendlyrobotics.com/
I bet all my chips on the fact that they'll name it "The Generic Robotic Yard Cutting Automated Mechanical Entity" or GRYCAME for short.
iCut!
Grasshobba
Goatba
I am sure that they will use "cutting edge" technology.
Burkhart - I wish I could justify the $1000 for that thing. I enjoy taking care of my lawn but when it gets hot (like right now) I really despise having to shove my non self-propelled push mower around.
PS: My vote is for Mowba. They really need to invent a Carwashba, a Laundraba, and a Takeouthtetrashba (with optional "empty diaper pail" attachment).
Wasn't this already covered extensively about 14 yrs ago?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104692/
I got one of the Friendly Robotics RL1000 units from Costco.com this summer. It works fairly well in the large open areas of the yard, but does poorly in long narrow areas next to the house. I usually run the robomower and simultaneouly use the push mower for edging and the hard-to-auto-mow areas. My yard is pretty big, so it still saves a lot of time.
About 8 months ago I got a letter from the iRobot folks (maybe 'cause I have more than one Roomba & a Scooba). They were inquiring about all sorts of future robots. Lawn mowing was one of them. (there are multiple attempts in the past, but all haven't caught on). Anyhow, they wanted feedback a ton of other possibilities they were considering: toilet cleaner, window washer, etc. I couldn't even imagine how some of them would work.
Also, I like groomba. Maybe "neighbor kid in the hospital because he got too close-ba"?
Mowba!
I like the one from Friendly Robotics better. It does a magnificent job while i rest from exposing myself to the infernal Floridian sun. Besides Roomba doesn't clean that well, especially in the corners and Scooba? don't ask, is what we call a organized mess with area laser sensors.
I like JPK's suggestion of Groomba.
$5 for me on Greenba. Count it!
Ok, I gotta ask just how well the existing Roombas actually work. I've seen these things in the store and have always laughed at them. The gears and belts inside look cheap and the dust bin seems way too small. I gotta think our 3000 SF house and gobs of dog hair are too much for it. We have hardwood floors downstairs with rugs here and there, and carpet upstairs. We have three small dogs that shed constantly. Could a Roomba really handle this? And how well would an outdoor Roomba deal with a big lawn? Is it going to empty it's own bag or just spread it around the lawn?
Hopefully it would be a mulching mower, the last thing we need is to have to set up even more yard waste pickups. Heh.
I liked Jeff's suggestions (although the diaper pail option shouldn't be necessary unless you use disposable diapers for some reason?). I'd also like a window cleaner (tricky!), driveway sweeper (for leaves and for snow and slush), and a bathtub/sink scrubber (it'd need to be small).
I got the red roomba. I picks up dust w/o problem. The problem is that it is not as smart as it claimed (or you can say stupid). It goes over and over the same spot like 10 times. You could have vacuum a 4' x 4' in 1 or 2 minute but the roomba will do it in 10min.
The existing Roombas work pretty well. Understand it't not a replacement for a full-sized vac, it just can extend the time between full vacs by weeks. It's better on short carpets and bare floors, but actually does a very respectable job. I have an original, and they've advanced the technology a lot since I adopted mine (early adopter's disease).
If the outdoor robot is like most of the others, it's a mulching mower, chops the grass fine enough you do not have to rake afterward. Now if the Groomba is SOLAR, I'd be VERY tempted to pick on up. Husqvarna makes one, but it's not really available in the US.
Bill - My mower doesn't use a bag, it mulches the grass clippings. Supposedly this is better for the lawn. I'd imagine a lawn mowing robot would mulch rather than bagging.
My question is, aren't Roombas really bad at covering a whole room? I've heard they eventually get it done, but end up going over spots they've already hit several times. I really wouldn't want a lawn mowing robot wasting all that gas.
I imagine, but I'm not certain that this greenba would be electric and not gasoline powered.
I have recently become a Roomba believer. I have hard wood floors and a few area carpets. The Roomba does a great job of keeping everything clean. It's true that it may go over the same spot again and again, but that is fine as it will eventually get the job done. If there is a particular spot that needs cleaning then the spot mode works faily well. It isn't a replacement for a full vaccuum cleaner, but all I need to do is walk into my living room and push a button and the Roomba goes to work for about an hour then happily returns to it's charging station. I do this almost daily and I haven't used my full vacuum in weeks. It even cleans in places where I have never even gone manually like under the bed, couch, and dresser.
If they remember that some people are dog owners, they could give a nod to Mr. Cunningham of Happy Days:
Pooba
LaBamba
I would buy it if u can use it via remote control
I know it doesn't follow their current naming schedule but I think mo-bot or mow-bot sounds good.
oh man i was just thinkin...
i live on a dairy farm with about 75 acres of land....
:D think this things up to the task?
Now taking bets for greenba, and the high-end model Kentuky Blueba!
IMOW
cwatters - Why do you want it to be solar??? Its not like it can gather enough power to keep on mowing indefiniatly from a small solar panal on the top of it.
I like the robot mowing idea...but can it handle 3 acres...i doubt it.
BTW, I'm going with i,Mow
Groomba?
Grassy-Nullba
Swardba
Turfba
Get-yer-ass-outside-and-mow-the-lawnba
I keed, I keed, but it DOES have to end in "ba", right?
Or not...
So how about "Turfa"?
Puka!
I like "Chewba"....
Mowbot. I have the Roomba and Scooba and they both work great. Complaints (they are slow, they are not silent, just still have to empty the bins/tanks) are irrelevant to me - they do work when I am not in that room or even in the house. People decry that they are trading 30 minutes of vacuuming/mopping for 10 minutes of Roomba/Scooba pre/post-work (rearranging furniture, setting up "walls"), but they are missing the point that it is still 20 minutes saved!
Andy, Mowbot is taken. Another manufacturer briefly produced something in the US called the Mowbot, and the Ambrogio is being sold under that name in various places in Europe.
Based on everything I've read -- which is everything I can possibly get my hands on -- the Ambrogio is hands-down the best lawn-mowing bot out there. Unfortunately they're all targeted at smaller yards, and I have about 5.5 acres to mow...
Yes you can order them in the USA from Sharper Image.
Have a look at:
http://www.dustbots.com/robotic_lawn_mowers.html
Christo
The lawnmower sounds like the logical next step. But you have to remember this is a tool. Tools have to be watched. It would be the responsibily of the operator. That would give something to the meaning of Lawn Engineer.
I like Mowba or Lawnba. But Lawnba is too close to Lawnbott which is already a robotic lawnmower at http://www.lawnbotts.com
I got a roomba and a robotic lawnmower and I have a hard time seeing irobot's lawnmower being of good quality. If you compare the roomba to a robomower or a lawnbott, the quality is not even close. Lawnmowers have to be very durable and have to cover a large space with obstacles and different types of grass and etc... roomba is good for indoors but it takes a real smart and durable device to handle a lawn. But, who knows...irobot may pull it off. I'll be first in line to get one either way.
Mine-ba would be very good idea for the bomb-sniffing robot. Also Groomba is actually a better name for haircutting/dog grooming bot. and btw, there already some lawnmowing bots on the market.
Thats not a robot lawnmower!-THIS is a robotic lawnmower:
http://members.aol.com/castvee8/amymowing.jpg