---
title: "See iRobot’s First Autonomous Lawnmower in Action"
description: "Terra, the first autonomous lawnmower from Roomba-makers iRobot, has arrived and will be ready to hit American yards in 2019."
date: "2019-01-30"
modified: "2019-01-30"
authors:
  - name: "Kristin Houser"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/kristin"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/autonomous-lawnmower-irobot-terra"
categories:
  - "Robotics"
  - "Robots and Machines"
tags:
  - "autonomous lawnmower"
  - "autonomous robot"
  - "irobot"
  - "roomba"
  - "the digest"
---

# See iRobot’s First Autonomous Lawnmower in Action

![Terra, the first autonomous lawnmower from Roomba-makers iRobot, has arrived and will be ready to hit American yards in 2019.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/autonomous-lawnmower-irobot-terra.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: iRobot\</em\>*

## Get on My Lawn

The company behind Roomba, the robot vacuum, now wants to automate lawn care.

On Wednesday, [iRobot unveiled Terra](<http://media.irobot.com/2019-01-30-iRobot-R-Reinventing-Lawn-Care-with-Terra-TM-Robot-Mower>), an autonomous lawnmower it claims avoids the pitfalls of previous designs — and it could be tackling your lawn as soon as this summer.

https://youtu.be/eImPu3jZUMc

## Memory Map

Terra isn't the first autonomous lawnmower, but according to an [iRobot press release](<http://media.irobot.com/2019-01-30-iRobot-R-Reinventing-Lawn-Care-with-Terra-TM-Robot-Mower>), it's an improvement on available options.

While other autonomous lawnmowers require users to install potentially costly boundary wires, Terra uses a technology similar to Roomba's to map a property. Owners place wireless beacons around their yard and then manually drive the robot around the perimeter once. That allows Terra to create a map of the lawn in its memory, similarly to how [Roomba creates a map](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/roomba-i7-maps-house>) of a person's home.

After that, Terra owners just use the iRobot HOME App to schedule times for the bot to mow the lawn, which it does in straight, back-and-forth lines — the kind favored by Americans, iRobot CEO Colin Angle [told the *Associated Press*](<https://www.apnews.com/28b62545cffd4eb798d4259e2f6fca37>).

Various sensors allow the robot to avoid unexpected debris within its cutting area, and if its battery starts to run low, Terra knows to return to its charging station.

## Coming Soon

According to the press release, Terra will go on sale in Germany in 2019, with a U.S. beta program also launching this year.

As for what it'll cost you to turn over your lawn care to Terra, iRobot plans to announce pricing at a later date — but given that other autonomous lawnmowers can cost anywhere from [$600 to $3,500](<https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/best-robot-lawnmowers/>), there's a good chance many people will just stick to mowing their lawns the old-fashioned way: by paying the neighbor kid to do it.

**READ MORE:** [iRobot Reinventing Lawn Care With Terra Robot Mower](<http://media.irobot.com/2019-01-30-iRobot-R-Reinventing-Lawn-Care-with-Terra-TM-Robot-Mower>) \[iRobot\]

***More on Roomba: [Today in Dystopia: This Roomba “Remembers” a Map of Your House](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/roomba-i7-maps-house>)***

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinjhouser>)