Swiss IoT module maker u-blox has secured “significant project wins” in the robotic lawnmower market, which it expects to generate more than $100 million of sales revenue “over time”, starting from 2024, it said. The firm has supplied GNSS modules to lawnmower makers in the US market, notably. It said the introduction of real-time kinematic (RTK) satellite-GNSS systems, capable of delivering centimetre-level accuracy, has made robotic lawnmowers more efficient and precise, and enabled manufacturing companies to do away with boundary wires.
Traditional robotic lawnmowers, which typically rely on buried boundary wires to define the mowing area, can be labour-intensive to install and maintain, and are susceptible to damage. Mowers with basic sensors often navigate in random patterns with rudimentary obstacle avoidance, leading to inefficient coverage. The inefficiency of their navigation means they consume more time and electricity, raising operational costs, said u-blox. Advancements in GNSS, particularly with RTK GNSS, have made it possible to significantly enhance the performance of robots, it said.
RTK GNSS can enable “systematic mowing without overlap, provide even mowing and desired patterns while protecting sensitive areas like flowerbeds from accidental damage… [It] saves time, energy, and operational expenses”, said u-blox. It added: “This accomplishment positions the company as a dominant force in high-precision GNSS technology and underlines its strategic positioning and influence in shaping the future of robotic lawnmowing.” It has not revealed any more detail of the “significant project wins” it has won.
The robotic lawnmower market will have 2.6 million units in 2024 and is estimated to grow by 18.5 percent in the “next years” – according to ABI Research figures supplied by u-blox. The Swiss firm itself expects high-precision GNSS technology to achieve a 33 percent share of the market by the end of the decade, in terms of positioning and navigation technologies. It expects success also with sales for robotic IoT applications in the manufacturing, logistics, utilities, infrastructure management, and smart cities markets.
