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| Seen is LG Electronics' lawn mowing robot exhibited during the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Courtesy of LG Electronics |
By Baek Byung-yeul
LG Electronics will debut its lawn mowing robot soon, targeting the United States, which has the world's largest lawn mower market.
The Korean tech giant confirmed Monday it has been constructing a 660-square-meter lawn field inside the company's manufacturing plant in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province.
"This is to test LG's upcoming lawn mowing robot," an LG spokesman said, declining to reveal the exact date of mass production of the robot.
To extend its reach to the fast-growing home robot market, LG has been announcing a series of robot products since last year. The company unveiled the lawn mowing robot during last year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
LG said its lawn mowing robot is ideal for many types of yards. The company said it benefits from years of development of its vacuum cleaner so its lawn mowing robot will trim grass accurately and safely.
Equipped with many of the advanced sensors and bumpers, LG said the lawn mowing robot will recognize its own location at every moment, as well as the location of every obstacle in sight, such as trees or hedges.
Not only developing its own product, but also the company is also planning to cooperate with industry-leading companies in this business, according to a local news report. "LG is likely to tie in with other companies as this is a new business the company is trying to enter," the report said.
The global lawn mower market is expected to grow to $38.2 billion by 2025, according to the research firm, Grand View Research. North America is the biggest market, accounting for over 30 percent of the overall revenue share in 2016. The global robotic lawn mower market is also expected to grow to $3 billion by 2023.
LG is expected to compete with existing strong players in the sector including Deer & Company, MTD, Honda Power Equipment and Husqvarna.
