Samsung Electronics is seen to have secured technology close to commercializing an Autonomous Driving-based "lawn-mowing robot." Since it has been building related technology since the 2010s, some say it is effectively just a step away from entering the market.
According to the Korean Intellectual Property Office's Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service (KIPRIS) on the 17th, Samsung Electronics has filed and disclosed more than 20 patents related to lawn-mowing robots. The more recent the patents are, the more they contain content aimed at commercialization rather than simple research and development (R&D). Some say Samsung Electronics is taking another look at the Autonomous Driving lawn-mowing robot it had paused developing for a while. As the related market is growing rapidly, centered on the United States and Europe, opinions are emerging that the possibility of entry needs to be reassessed.
The fact that Samsung Electronics recently launched the second-generation robot vacuum, the 2026 "Bespoke AI Steam," is also cited as a factor supporting this view. The Autonomous Driving technology applied to robot vacuums and the management functions built into the charging station are also essential to implementing a lawn-mowing robot.
Some also say there are discussions inside Samsung Electronics to apply the mature technologies secured through mass-producing the new robot vacuum to the lawn-mowing robot under development. An industry official said, "It is still too early to talk about the launch of Samsung Electronics' lawn-mowing robot," but added, "As Samsung Electronics released a second-generation robot vacuum after two years, the various optimized technologies could be used to solve tasks needed for the commercialization of a 'lawn-mowing robot.'"
◇ Samsung Electronics files multiple patents for technology close to commercialization
Samsung Electronics is understood to have had "lawn-mowing robots" in mind since the early 2010s while developing technologies such as voice recognition and Autonomous Driving. From the time robot vacuums began to go mainstream, it foresaw related technologies spreading to lawn-mowing robots.
Samsung Electronics' technological capability, honed over more than 10 years of interest in the lawn-mowing robot market, is assessed to have reached a level ready for product commercialization. A patent titled "Mobile robot and method for controlling the mobile robot," filed by Samsung Electronics and disclosed in Feb. 2025, shows how close it is to actual commercialization.
The patent represents technical rights for a robot equipped with ▲ blades that cut grass ▲ an optical sensor facing forward ▲ an interface that informs the user of status. The robot controller can identify multiple objects in video captured during travel and determine that an object that continues to appear in the same place for a long time is not an external obstacle but "contamination on the sensor." It can also assess the size, transparency, and location of the contamination to calculate the degree of contamination. If the device determines, based on the information, that contamination is severe, the technology to notify the user is also included in the patent. It also adopts an approach of changing an "operation mode" based on the level of contamination.
The patent also specifies details about the charging station. It can implement functions that use a brush, fan, and heater to remove contamination attached to the optical sensor. If the lawn-mowing robot's sensor becomes dirty while working outdoors, it can detect the condition on its own, assess the risk, and proceed with "follow-up procedures" such as notification, stop, cleaning, and restart.
In addition, Samsung Electronics holds technologies such as ▲ setting an optimal driving route so the robot can mow patterns like letters or shapes on the lawn and calculating the expected work time (disclosed in Aug. 2024) ▲ controlling posture so the robot precisely docks with the charger while defining its work boundary using multiple communication devices without boundary wires (metal lines installed to set the lawn-mowing robot's operating area) (disclosed in Aug. 2024) ▲ reading acoustic changes around the robot to locate obstacles and avoid collisions (disclosed in Jun. 2024) ▲ a stabilization technology that enables precise return to the charger using metal sensors even after outdoor work when grass clippings or soil are present (disclosed in May 2024) ▲ measuring grass height and adjusting blade position accordingly (disclosed in Apr. 2024) ▲ and an auxiliary cutter structure next to the main blade that can cut grass left along edges (disclosed in Sep. 2021).
A patent disclosed in Apr. 2024 also shows technology for auxiliary equipment such as "beacons" (wireless devices that transmit data using Bluetooth communication technology), which allow a lawn-mowing robot to accurately recognize the boundary of a lawn and its own position.
◇ Market entry appears to have been paced after "LG Electronics' failure"
Why has Samsung Electronics, despite securing such technologies early, not yet entered the lawn-mowing robot market? It is difficult to identify an "official reason." However, the industry cites several background factors.
Samsung Electronics concentrated its patent filings for lawn-mowing robots for about a year starting in late 2022. This shift is seen as not unrelated to LG Electronics' launch in Apr. 2022 of a 5.8 million won "Korean-style lawn-mowing robot." When a competitor entered the market, it appears Samsung moved to the institutional stage with its technology and accelerated commercialization efforts.
Although Samsung Electronics accelerated commercialization by filing patents in succession, it did not lead to an actual launch. This appears to be because LG Electronics, which entered the market first, failed to produce meaningful results. At the time, LG Electronics said it launched the lawn-mowing robot "in line with the trend of increasing demand for lawn care as detached houses increase and housing types diversify, including single-family homes." However, demand was limited in Korea's apartment-centered housing environment, and it reportedly did not achieve significant results in business-to-business (B2B) supply to venues such as golf courses. LG Electronics ultimately decided to discontinue the product about a year after launch. Seeing LG Electronics' failure, Samsung Electronics had little reason to enter the market.
◇ Global corporations take aim at the lawn-mowing robot market
Some say Samsung Electronics is revisiting the lawn-mowing robot, which had seen little development for a while, after the "second-generation robot vacuum launch." The view is that internal changes are underway, as it has secured mature technologies and, unlike three years ago, the global lawn-mowing robot market is now considered to be on a certain trajectory.
Currently, Husqvarna (Sweden), Honda (Japan), and Ecovacs (China) have entered the Autonomous Driving lawn-mowing robot market. Notably, China's Roborock, the No. 1 player in the robot vacuum market, unveiled a lawn-mowing robot in Sep. 2025 and is rolling it out to the global market in stages. According to market research firm Konceptzyx Business Intelligence, the lawn-mowing robot market is forecast to grow from $1,572.27 million (about 2.3568 trillion won) in 2022 to $4,614.92 million (about 6.9178 trillion won) in 2030. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is projected at 14.9%.
An industry official said, "The fact that more players have entered the lawn-mowing robot market means the business potential is that much greater," adding, "If Samsung Electronics enters the market, it is highly likely to prioritize launching products in the United States and Europe, where demand is high."