Samsung Electronics is seen to have secured technology close to commercializing an Autonomous Driving-based "lawn-mowing robot." Given that 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 Knowledge Information Service for IP (KIPRIS) on the 17th, Samsung Electronics has filed and disclosed more than 20 patents related to lawn-mowing robots. The more recent the patent disclosure, the more it reflects content aimed at commercialization rather than simple research and development (R&D). Some say Samsung Electronics is revisiting the Autonomous Driving lawn-mowing robot that it had put on hold for a while. As the related market is growing rapidly, especially in the United States and Europe, there is a view that the potential for entry should be reassessed.
The fact that Samsung Electronics recently launched the 2026 second-generation robot vacuum "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 about applying the mature technologies secured through mass production of the new robot vacuum to the lawn-mowing robot under development. An industry official said, "It is still early to talk about Samsung Electronics' launch of a lawn-mowing robot," but added, "As Samsung Electronics launched a second-generation robot vacuum after two years, various optimized technologies could be used to solve the tasks needed for the commercialization of a 'lawn-mowing robot.'"
◇ Samsung Electronics has filed multiple patents for technology close to commercialization
Samsung Electronics appears to have had "lawn-mowing robots" in mind since the early 2010s as it developed technologies such as voice recognition and Autonomous Driving. From the time robot vacuums began to become mainstream, it anticipated that related technologies would spread to lawn-mowing robots.
Samsung Electronics' technological prowess, honed over more than a decade of attention to the lawn-mowing robot market, is assessed to have reached the level of product commercialization. A patent titled "mobile robot and method of controlling mobile robot," filed by Samsung Electronics and disclosed in Feb. last year, offers a glimpse of how close it is to commercialization.
This patent represents rights to technology for a robot equipped with ▲ blades for cutting grass ▲ an optical sensor facing forward ▲ an interface that notifies the user of status. The robot controller can identify multiple objects in images taken during travel and, if a certain object appears in the same place for a long time, determine that it is not an external obstacle but "contamination stuck to the sensor." It can also assess the size, transparency, and location of the contamination to calculate the degree of contamination. If the device determines from the combined information that the contamination is severe, the technology includes notifying the user. Depending on the contamination level, it also takes an approach such as changing the "operation mode."
The patent also specifies details about the charging station. It can implement functions that remove contamination stuck to the optical sensor using a brush, fan, and heater. If the lawn-mowing robot's sensor becomes dirty while working outdoors, it can detect this state on its own, assess the risk, and connect it to "follow-up procedures" such as notification, stop, cleaning, and restart.
In addition, Samsung Electronics has secured ▲ technology that sets the optimal driving route and calculates the expected working time so the robot can cut patterns such as letters and shapes into the lawn (disclosed in Aug. 2024) ▲ technology that, even without a boundary wire (a metal line installed to set the operating range of a lawn-mowing robot), uses multiple communication devices to let the robot define its work boundary and control its posture to dock precisely with the charger (disclosed in Aug. 2024) ▲ technology that reads acoustic changes around the robot to locate obstacles and avoid collisions (disclosed in Jun. 2024) ▲ 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) ▲ technology that measures grass height and adjusts blade position accordingly (disclosed in Apr. 2024) ▲ a sub-cutter structure that can cut grass left along the edges next to the main blade (disclosed in Sep. 2021).
A patent disclosed in Apr. 2024 shows it also has technology for auxiliary equipment such as a "beacon" (a wireless device that transmits data using Bluetooth communication) that allows a lawn-mowing robot to accurately determine the boundary of a lawn and its own position.
◇ Samsung Electronics appears to have paced its market entry 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 points to several background factors.
Samsung Electronics concentrated its patent filings for lawn-mowing robots for about a year starting at the end of 2022. This change is seen as not unrelated to LG Electronics' Apr. 2022 launch of a 5.8 million won "Korea-style lawn-mowing robot." When a competitor entered the market, Samsung appears to have put its technology on a formal track and accelerated work toward commercialization.
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 significant 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 such as single-family homes diversify." However, in Korea's apartment-centered housing environment, demand was limited, and it is said to have fallen short in business-to-business (B2B) supply to places such as golf courses. LG Electronics ultimately decided to discontinue the product about a year after its launch. Having seen LG Electronics' failure, Samsung Electronics had little reason to enter the market.
◇ Global corporations are taking direct 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 assumption is that internal changes are underway, as it has secured mature technology and, unlike three years ago, the global lawn-mowing robot market is now seen as having reached a certain trajectory.
Husqvarna (Sweden), Honda (Japan), and Ecovacs (China) have entered the Autonomous Driving lawn-mowing robot market. In particular, China's Roborock, the No. 1 player in the robot vacuum market, unveiled a lawn-mowing robot product in Sep. last year and is rolling it out worldwide in stages. According to market research firm Consegic Business Intelligence, the lawn-mowing robot market is projected 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 expected to reach 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 that product launches will first take place in the United States and Europe, where demand is strong."