Startup company Graze has unveiled a new solar-powered autonomous commercial lawn mower, which it plans to launch by 2021.
The company says has now expanded the design to increase efficiency and maintenance speed for mid-to-large sized commercial lawns, enhance cutting blades to perfect trim precision, add new sensor capabilities to increase safety, improve GPS based mapping and computer vision, while optimizing intelligent and applicable insights through advanced machine learning capabilities.
Analyst reports have found landscaping services in the US generated $101.7 billion in revenue in 2020, while commercial landscaping services (maintenance and general services) have been projected to range between 40 and 60 percent of the overall landscaping service industry in the US.
Yet, despite the major opportunity to capitalize on an approximate $53 billion market, commercial lawn mowing has remained an undisrupted industry. Small margins, labor limitations and increasing scrutiny on environmental impact has been met with a lack of impactful solutions.
Graze introduced an initial prototype model to address these challenges – applying artificial intelligence and robotics to create a fully autonomous commercial lawn mower.
The new model will expand the design with new optimized features and incorporate in-the-field feedback from industry leaders to bring a sustainable solution to the commercial market.
“We are living in new era of artificial intelligence that stands to transform age-old industries,” said John Vlay, CEO for Graze Mowing.
“Robotics and automation open up a world of efficiency, and when you apply intelligence, traditional models can be completely re-imagined. I’ve been in commercial landscaping for more than 35 years, and can confidently say we built a lawn mower that will bring a new level of quality and safety to the market, and we are doing it sustainably. We are excited to unveil the future of commercial lawnmowing with our new Graze commercial mower.”
The new model comes equipped with longer battery life. Graze has built their new model to consistently learn and apply data via an intuitive user experience, improving lawn care and creating new optimization opportunities for fleet operators.
Machine learning, coupled with computer vision and a robust system of sensors allows the new Graze commercial lawn mower to map job sites, plan and execute mowing paths, avoid obstacles and dangerous inclines (trees, terrain, people and so on), while continuously collecting and apply data to further improve aesthetic quality and efficiency.
Powered completely by electric and solar panel technology, the new model allows operators to maximize revenue by deploying mowers during evening hours. Fuel costs are drastically cut, as are carbon emissions.
