ECOVACS ROBOTICS is extending its home robot range outdoors with the launch of the GOAT G1 robotic lawn mower available in Australia from September 21.
Backed by 25 years of robotics expertise, the GOAT G1 addresses key pain points with advancements in localisation, wireless boundary setting, navigation, obstacle avoidance and app interface. Australia is one of the first markets in the world to launch the GOAT G1, prioritised due to a strong outdoors culture and large proportion of backyards.
“We know Australians love their gardens, and there’s great pride by many in keeping them pristine. We also know that, just with home cleaning, lawn maintenance can be a hard and laborious task that many don’t enjoy, or sometimes can’t perform themselves,” ECOVACS ROBOTICS regional director for Australia and New Zealand, Karen Powell said.
“As we have done with floorcare and window cleaning, we are bringing new robotic innovation to the Australian outdoors for the first time, with the GOAT G1 exceeding the capabilities of existing robotic and manual lawnmowers by a substantial margin. With its state-of-the-art features and cutting-edge precision and safety technologies, GOAT G1 epitomises our commitment to simplify and add further convenience and time-saving to everyday lives.”
One of the most time and labour-intensive tasks involved in robot mower set-up is boundary setting, which requires manually digging and laying boundary wires around the desired area of lawn. With the GOAT G1, electronic wire boundaries are replaced by ultra-wideband (UWB) signal beacons strategically placed around the edge of the lawn, allowing boundaries to be set within the app, improving efficiency by up to 80%.
While its UWB beacons lay the groundwork for wire-free boundary setting, the GOAT G1 combines four different localisation technologies to ensure efficient path planning and precise operation. Existing technologies in this category typically include GPS-led or ‘RTK’ localisation which is precise over large areas but can be blocked by walls or trees.
ECOVACS’ TrueMapping Multi-Fusion Localisation System incorporates dual cameras (panoramic and fisheye) that actualise new environmental information in real-time, UWB technology that creates its local area communication network via beacons, an Industrial-Grade Gyroscope to ensure navigation stability and High-Precision GPS Signal Transmission that achieves positioning accuracy. AI-based ground segmentation further distinguishes between lawn and non-lawn areas to ensure mowing right to the edge.
The GOAT G1 can mow up to 600 square metres and if low on battery, it automatically navigates to the charging station and returns to where it left off.
A common concern for robotic lawn mowing is obstacle avoidance. The GOAT G1 leverages unique AIVI 3D technology, also used in ECOVACS’ DEEBOT vacuum range, powered by a 150-degree visual angle fisheye camera, and ToF Module that enable precise and broad-ranged visual recognition/
The robotic mower can avoid small objects such as pets, hoses, and stones and for taller obstacles such as swing sets and trees, the ToF sensor accurately estimates the distance and avoids them at a closer range. The GOAT G1’s onboard 360-degree camera also serves as a home security camera, sending real-time notifications.
The ECOVACS GOAT G1 will be available on September 21 for RRP $2,999 from retailers including JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, Bing Lee, Robot Specialist, Bunnings (online), Robot Lawn Mowers Australia, Amazon and the ECOVACS website.