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New York startup unveiled Kobi on Thursday, a robot it says can autonomously
shovel snow, collect leaves and cut grass.
"We're
on a mission to help people not spend time on yard work," said Steven
Waelbers, cofounder of The Kobi Company. "We want people to enjoy their
free time with their family."
Owners
will need to reconfigure the robot's attachment -- similar to how many vacuums
work --depending on the task it's carrying out. Before the robot operates
independently, an owner must manually wheel it around the yard -- taking it
around any obstacles like trees, bushes or mailboxes. By doing this, the robot
is taught the perimeter of the lawn, and won't accidentally destroy someone's
prized rose bush or start roaming the neighborhood.
Once
this setup is complete, and the $3,999 robot has been trained on where to cut
grass, rake leaves and shovel snow, it operates without any supervision.
The
electric robot navigates with the help of two beacons that must be placed in
the yard. Kobi includes a camera and ultrasound sensor that Waelbers said would
detect pets and people, and trigger the robot to stop before a collision occurred.
The
robot -- which tops out at 2 mph
-- cuts grass a fraction of an inch at a time. The clippings are left on the
yard to serve as a natural fertilizer. Snow shoveling is done incrementally as
well. When the robot collects leaves, it shepherds them into piles.
Kobi
is designed to handle hills with up to a 40% incline. But it may get stuck in
deep holes. The robot rests in a charging station in your yard or driveway and
needs to have access to an electric outlet for power.
Waelbers
sees potential health and environmental gains from people adopting the Kobi.
Each year, 17 million gallons of fuel are spilled while refueling lawn
equipment, according to the EPA. Shoveling snow increases the risk of heart
attacks because the combination of an arduous task and cold weather is
dangerous for those with heart problems or high blood pressure.
Waelbers
has always loved to build robots and play with electronics. He started work on
Kobi after his father asked him to make a robot that would shovel snow for him.
Waelbers plans to start sales in early 2017.
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