<\/p>\n
The Segway Navimow, pictured here, is the most popular brand in New York, according to Justin\u00a0Neiles, a Troy-based sales representative for CADCo, a company that distributes several robot lawn mower brands.<\/p>\n
Lori Van Buren\/Times Union<\/p>\n
Justin Neiles, pictured here, is a sales representative for\u00a0CADCo, a distributor for robot lawn mower brands. At least 1,000\u00a0Segway Navimows have been sold in New York this year, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lori Van Buren\/Times Union<\/p>\n
President Donald J. Trump\u2019s administration and some researchers fear foreign-made autonomous devices could be exploited by foreign actors to spy on Americans.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lori Van Buren\/Times Union<\/p>\n
The Trump administration’s recent restrictions on the sale of new, foreign-made robots hobble the ability of the most popular makers of robot lawn mowers to sell new models in the United States.<\/p>\n
Lori Van Buren\/Times Union<\/p>\n
ALBANY\u00a0\u2014 Robot lawn mowers are booming across New York, snipping grass at homes, churches, golf courses and even in Manhattan\u2019s Bryant Park. One landscaping company on Long Island\u00a0operates a fleet<\/a> of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n The rise of self-driving lawn mowers is welcome news for environmental advocates because the alternative\u00a0\u2014 a noisy, gas-powered commercial lawn mower\u00a0\u2014 can pump out as much smog-creating pollution in an hour as a 300-mile car ride<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The devices often rely on GPS technology and light detection to move around. Many have built-in cameras, and some are programmed with artificial intelligence, helping them avoid people and stray objects. More advanced models move in patterns, ensuring that their spinning blades cut lawns uniformly. <\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n One model popular in New York can noiselessly cut grass throughout the day\u00a0\u2014 or for however long its owner chooses from an app on their phone\u00a0\u2014 docking unassisted into its battery port every two hours for an hourlong charging break. Because the devices mow so frequently, the leftover grass clippings are very fine and get reabsorbed into the soil.<\/p>\n But there is a caveat: President Donald J. Trump\u2019s administration and some researchers fear the autonomous devices could be exploited by foreign actors to spy on Americans. Last month, the Federal Communications Commission banned new or previously unauthorized foreign-made robots\u00a0from obtaining FCC equipment certifications.<\/p>\n The restrictions hobble the ability of the most popular makers of robot lawn mowers to sell new models in the United States, though the ban does not apply to products already on the market and companies can request exemption waivers.\u00a0<\/p>\n Despite the federal government\u2019s concerns, New Yorkers want in.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The Segway Navimow, which is primarily made in China, is the most popular brand in New York, having notched at least 1,000 sales in the state this year so far, according to Justin Neiles, a Troy-based sales representative for CADCo, a company that distributes several robot lawn mower brands.\u00a0<\/p>\n Neiles, who has sold several of the devices to his neighbors, noted that up to 15 schools and universities in the Capital Region are expected to be using robot lawn mowers next year. Neiles’ other customers include everyday homeowners, golf courses and houses of worship.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re trying to get everybody ready for next year, because there\u2019s been too many sales,\u201d Neiles said. \u201cThe sales have been too strong, so we\u2019re trying to slow down.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Prices for the Segway Navimow range from $799 to nearly $7,000, Neiles said, depending on the acreage it is meant to cover.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cWe have six Segway Navimows,\u201d said David Blanchard, superintendent of the Schoharie Central School District. \u201cOur green space has never looked better, probably in the history of the school district.\u201d<\/p>\n “The ban does not affect the sales, service, or continued use of existing products,\u201d said Bryan\u00a0Saxton, a spokesperson for Navimow. \u201cWe are closely monitoring policy developments and evaluating compliance pathways for future new products.”<\/p>\n The state Department of Environmental Conservation, which manages millions of acres of public land, is starting to use the robot technology, too, saying in a statement that its adoption of the technology demonstrates the agency\u2019s \u201ccommitment to sustainability and leading by example\u201d as it moves from fossil fuels to \u201czero-emissions models.\u201d The department has one so far, from Swedish manufacturer Husqvarna Group, that it\u2019s testing as a pilot at its regional office in Ray Brook before it acquires more, officials said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Robot lawn mowers and other electric landscaping tools can be pricier to buy than gas-powered machines.<\/p>\n In an effort to defray some of the costs, New York lawmakers passed a bill in April that would create a rebate program for companies and government institutions, including schools, that purchase battery-powered lawn care tools. The bill has not been signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul.\u00a0<\/p>\n If that happens, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority would weigh the risks and decide whether robot lawn mowers should ultimately be included on the list of items eligible for the rebate program, according to state Sen. Liz Krueger, who worked on the bill.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Krueger said she is \u201cpretty damn sure\u201d that adding incentives would mean more U.S. companies will start to produce robot lawn mowers.<\/p>\n \u201cAmericans will figure out how to start manufacturing them and therefore it won\u2019t even be a question of importing them from any other country anyway,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n But privacy concerns surrounding the devices are not all hypothetical.\u00a0The Verge<\/a> reported that a security researcher was easily able to hack into a global network of thousands of bladed robots manufactured by a Chinese company, including taking control of a lawn mower in upstate New York.\u00a0The researcher was also able to pull passwords for Wi-Fi networks that the bots were connected to and access exact GPS coordinates of owners’ homes.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAdvanced robotic devices collect data that could\u00a0be leveraged by malign actors to surveil Americans, enhance the capabilities of foreign\u00a0intelligence services, or to remotely commandeer the robots,\u201d the FCC wrote in a report<\/a> laying out its reasons for banning new robots made overseas.\u00a0<\/p>\n Newsletter<\/p>\n Sign up for the Capitol A.M. Roundup newsletter<\/p>\n Get a free roundup of New York government and political news, delivered weekdays to your inbox.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n