LAS VEGAS — I generally count myself as an automation skeptic. I worry about the impact it could have on jobs, and the fallout such changes could bring.
But for the right innovation, I will apparently throw all that out the window. For you see, there is one chore I hate so much that I am willing to embrace automation, and the equal parts convenience and destruction it could bring to modern society. And that is mowing the lawn.
That’s why I got so excited when I saw this gadget at CES:
This automated lawnmower from @LGUS could go a long way in helping me live my laziest life. #GeekWireCES #CES2018 pic.twitter.com/uT6kR3kdHC
— Nat Levy (@NatJLevy) January 12, 2018
That is a wireless automated lawnmower from electronics giant LG. It works by laying out wiring around the boundary of the lawn, and the owner gets a smartphone notification if the mower exits those boundaries, which could mean it was stolen or went rogue. It is controlled by Cloi, a cute robot that garnered attention for not responding to commands during LG’s CES press event this week.
The mower itself, which attaches to a charging station that an LG rep recommended keeping in a dry area, is not new. LG debuted it at CES last year.
Though it’s been around for awhile, the LG rep at the booth said it is still just a prototype and probably won’t be available this year. LG hasn’t set a price, we’re told, but it could be upwards of $3,000.
So if this automated mower ever advances beyond the prototype stage, a place where many great CES gadgets have languished, and if I can ever justify to my family that I need to spend $3,000 on a lawnmower, sign me up LG.