Honda brings robot gardeners to Europe Honda is to enter the fast-growing European robotic lawn mower market with the introduction of Honda Miimo, its first commercial robotic product for domestic use. Honda Miimo operates a "continuous cutting" system, typically mowing just 2-3mm of grass at a time, several times each week. It cuts in a random pattern, meaning less stress on the grass, more healthy growth and reduced moss and weeds. Unlike a traditional lawn mower it doesn't need to collect cuttings, as the clippings it creates are so small that they are dispersed into the lawn root system, breaking down quickly to act as a natural fertiliser which improves the health and quality of the grass.
European sales of robotic mowers are growing rapidly as the garden is increasingly used as an outdoor living room, people living busy lives and not wanting the work of maintaining a lawn; and an ageing population perhaps not able to do so, robotic mowers are a perfect solution.
However, Honda's robotic products have previously been derided as expensive toys and at an estimated £1,700 per mower, at least half the derision is correct with this product. While the most of the western world does have an aging population problem, there is also a gigantic obesity problem. Mowing the lawn manually burns 259 calories per hour so while this machine will cut your lawn, it won't cut your waist size.