TECHNOLOGY
Greenzie ’ s CBQ . “ And we say , ‘ Yes because every week you ’ re getting software updates .’ That ’ s been huge and the OEMs we work with are realizing they can put out this equipment and it will get better over time , not worse . That new trend will continue .”
Tech advances – just getting started
While the idea of robots can be traced back to ancient Greece ( can ’ t everything ?), the word “ robot ” was made popular by Czech writer Karel Capek in his 1920 play R . U . R ., and it comes from the Czech word “ robota ” meaning labor . Robot is a young word , etymologically speaking , and the technology is infantile and changing quickly . So is professional acceptance of it .
“ I ’ ve gone from landscapers throwing things at me at the old GIE show in Louisville and telling me that I was the worst thing that ’ s ever happened to the landscape market to people begging me to help them with their problems with labor ,” said Uljua from Kress . “ Yeah , I ’ ve come a long way with robotics .”
The number of robotic products and manufacturers is growing rapidly . Buyers have a wide range of options and the technology is making big shifts , especially on the homeowner side . Even just a couple years ago , most of the smaller robot mowers operated
Kress robot mowers use RTK positioning technology that does not require a homeowner to purchase a separate signal device .
within areas defined by boundary wires buried on the property . Today , real-time kinetic positioning ( RTK ) technology is taking over , with robot mowers communicating through satellites and some sort of signal device installed at the home or elsewhere .
While wire-free is all the buzz in robo circles , the technology is not perfect . Trees or other objects on the property can block www . OPE-Plus . com September 2024 OPE + 23