Friendly Robotics

A Robomow City 110 manufactured by Friendly Robotics in action in a garden in Denmark.

Friendly Robotics - Robomow is a retailer of autonomous lawnmowers, robotic lawn mowers (e.g. Robomow) and vacuum cleaners (e.g. Friendly Vac). It was founded in Even Yehuda, Israel in 1995, by Udi Peless and Shai Abramson. It supplies its products to the markets of the United States, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.[1] Plans for the company include a robotic mop.[2] The company has been mentioned in several magazines including Design News, Business Wire, Washington Home and Garden, and Vanity Fair. Prices on the firm's products range from several hundred to a few thousand dollars. The products are claimed to be rechargeable, environmentally safe, and child friendly.


History

Friendly Machines started in 1995 with the goal of constructing robots that will, as Udi Peless says in Space Daily, "move in and around the home, doing the mundane tasks that people do not like to do anymore",[3] automating many chores at home. The company name was changed to Friendly Robotics in 2000.[4] In 1998 the first Robomow was released in Israel.[5] Around this time the Robotroll, an automatic golf caddy, had been produced.[6] In early 1999 the Robomow was released in Continental Europe and the UK.[7] Following this Friendly Robotics signed a strategic alliance with Stiga concerning the distribution of robotic lawnmowers in Europe.[8] An alliance was also made with Toro Co. for distribution in the United States, where Toro Marketed them under the brand name "Imow".[9] In 2002 Friendly Robotics entered into an alliance with the Hoover Co.[10]

In 2004 Friendly Robotics introduced a robotic vacuum cleaner called the "Friendly Vac".[11] All products of the company have zero emissions and are green.[12] Zimbio.com describes the Friendly Robotics 85400 Robomower RM400 Robotic Cordless Electric Lawn Mower as "Environmentally friendly; zero emissions and extremely quiet"[13] The firm's customer service and sales in the US are handled by IRT.[14]

Future Plans

As of 1998 Mr Peless said they had many ideas for other robots ranging from snow removers to floor polishers. In an April 2006 phone interview Chief Executive Udi Peless did say that future products were anywhere from 5 to 10 years away.[15] During this time Peless has said that new model's of the Robomow will be worked on, but no information about them will be given out.[16]

Key Executives

Name Position
Udi Peless Co-Founder, CEO and VP of Marketing
Shai Abramson Co-Founder and VP of R&D
Noa Chen Chief Financial Officer
Ofer Laufer Vice President of production and Operations
Dedy Gur Vice President of Quality Assurance
Gerome De-Schutter Vice President of Sales

[17]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.robomow.com
  2. ↑ http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Friendly_Robots_Want_To_Do_Your_Chores.html
  3. ↑ http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Friendly_Robots_Want_To_Do_Your_Chores.html
  4. ↑ http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=425488
  5. ↑ Siciliano, Bruno, and Oussama Khatib. "Fields and Service Robotics." Springer Handbook of Robotics. Berlin: Springer, 2008. 1260. Print.
  6. ↑ http://www.independent.co.uk/news/one-robomow-went-to-mow-a-meadow-1163418.html
  7. ↑ http://www.callcentermagazine.com/shared/article/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=8701732&pgno=4
  8. ↑ "Friendly Robotics Partners With Stiga.." Robotics World 1 Nov. 2000: 1. Web. 12 Sep 2010.
  9. ↑ http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2004/04/62853
  10. ↑ Wolf, Alan. "Hoover Developing Robo Vacuum." Consumer Electronics, Video, Home Audio, Retail Appliances, Digital Devices, 3DTV | TWICE. 15 Apr. 2002. Web. 08 Sept. 2010.<http://www.twice.com/>.
  11. ↑ Siciliano, Bruno, and Oussama Khatib. "Fields and Service Robotics." Springer Handbook of Robotics. Berlin: Springer, 2008. 1260. Print.
  12. ↑ http://www.robomow.com/about/
  13. ↑ http://www.zimbio.com/Tools+and+Equipment/articles/ZvU4pWwfTRP/Friendly+Robotics+85400+Robomower+RM400+Robotic
  14. ↑ "Friendly Robotics Chooses IRT for Customer Relationship Management; Leading Consumer Robotics... ." Business Wire 10 Jan 2001: 1. Web. 12 Sep 2010.
  15. ↑ http://www.physorg.com/news63290242.html
  16. ↑ http://www.israel21c.org/technology/israeli-lawn-mowing-robot-makes-the-cut
  17. ↑ http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=425488

External links