The New Range of Robotic Lawnmowers is born, Super Smart with Artificial Intelligence

After an excellent 2018 which saw Zucchetti Centro Sistemi’s turnover grow by more than 20% due to the success of the IoT (Internet of Things)  applications in the various sectors, the multibusiness of Valdarno Aretino, a leader in technological innovation, is already working on further increasing its results.

“An ambitious, but concrete goal,” says Cav. Fabrizio Bernini, President of ZCS. “We are in the era of Artificial Intelligence and in 2019 we will introduce innovative and ground-breaking robotic solutions that will once again anticipate the market.”

A new generation of Ambrogio, the world's first robotic lawnmower with in-built artificial intelligence, will enter the scene in the near future! The combination of the most innovative and sophisticated technologies, based on multisensory capabilities and on the concept of neural networks, has led to the development of a technological multiplatform called Vision Z.

The name evokes the vision of the future of robotics and beyond. Vision like the name of the superhero equipped with a real memory database that can analyse and process information and perform calculations in a few seconds. Z for Zucchetti, but also for Generation Z of robots.

The revolutions unleashed by the new Vision Z platform will have an impact on the entire Next Line, even in retrofit. Here are the most important ones:

No system and no installation (Wire Free). The perimeter wire is gone and Ambrogio becomes ready to use. This is made possible by including some deep learning applications on the robot that will allow it to self-learn the specific characteristics of the lawn to be mowed and managed. The new multisensory feature combined with the optical system – equipped with a special self-cleaning mechanism – will allow the robot to navigate independently without any need to first study the pattern or to carry out reconnaissance surveys of the lawn to be mowed. The integration of different technologies, algorithms and machine learning techniques raise the intelligence on board Ambrogio, optimising and maximising safety and performance

Predictive Maintenance (My Help). Our robots are connected to the Cloud with a connect module:  in the event of a fault, Ambrogio instantly communicates this anomaly to the competent technician who in turn can indicate, always via the connection, the day and time of the future intervention, or even how to prevent the fault.  The Internet of Things, which manages Big Data and transforms them into information, gives the robots an electronic personality similar to a legal entity.  We are in predictive maintenance, which allows anticipating the fault, preventing the error and lowering all potential costs of maintenance and repair. Ambrogio will autonomously open an operating procedure for its repair.

Vocal commands (Smart Assistant). The new generation of Ambrogio will be capable of communicating with the different vocal assistants of major platforms (Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri and Google’s Home). In this way, the user can give voice commands to the robot without having to use the app or display. The robot becomes totally autonomous and collaborative, thus advancing the collaboration between man and robot. A real dialogue with the machine begins. Interaction, management and voice control will simplify and improve the robot's performance. Coming out in 2019.

Independent inductive recharging (( Back Home by Induction). At the end of the work cycle, an inductive beacon will guide Ambrogio towards the recharging by calling it back to the charging station. This can be done in two ways: by the classic contact or by induction. Inductive charging comes from the desire to create robots with minimum maintenance requirements.

“Our twenty years of experience in gardening robotics makes us extremely critical of operators in the sector who underestimate the enormous complexities of the working conditions, which are influenced by weather conditions, uneven terrain and insidious soils, and subjected to external agents and phenomena,” says Bernini. “In the meantime, the user has become more and more demanding and wants excellent quality and precision. The evolution of the technology on our robots will therefore optimise the mowing process, making it more precise, easier and safer. We are proud to have been the pioneers in this field, where we are still leaders, proposing innovative products and solutions," concludes Bernini.

An event dedicated to Artificial Intelligence is planned for May in the headquarters of Terranuova Bracciolini. The key words of the event will be Artificial Intelligence (Neural Networks), traceability and dematerialisation, and it will focus on the future of the sector, and on the practical applications and innovations for a Smart Company, a Green Home and Hospital 4.0.

A future-proof “Vision Z.”