Starting from April this year, you can actually play the classic shooter game "DOOM" on Husqvarna's Automower® NERA series robotic lawnmower! This isn't an April Fool's joke released on April 1st, but a genuine promotional campaign that is being implemented. It's time to broaden your horizons with power tools today and explore this exciting development together.
Husqvarna
Husqvarna Group is the world's largest manufacturer of chainsaws, lawnmowers, garden tractors, hedge trimmers, pruning shears, and other engine-powered gardening tools. It is also one of the largest producers of cutting equipment for the construction and stone industry worldwide. The group serves both professional and consumer users and is listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange.
Husqvarna, founded in 1689, has a history of over 330 years to date.
In 1689, Husqvarna's first factory was established in southern Switzerland, initially focusing on producing muskets.
During the 1870s to 1890s, Husqvarna began diversifying its production to include sewing machines, kitchen equipment, and bicycles, and later entered the motorcycle industry in the 20th century.
In 1946, Husqvarna produced its first engine-powered lawnmower, marking its expansion into the gardening equipment sector. Since then, Husqvarna has evolved into a global group with three main business segments: Forest & Garden, Gardening, and Construction. Its product range includes chainsaws, robotic lawnmowers, ride-on mowers, and leaf blowers, among other outdoor power equipment.
By 2020, the company had secured the top position in the global outdoor power equipment market, with a market share of 12.1%.
In the fiscal year 2021, the company achieved a revenue of $5.068 billion, marking a 12.2% year-on-year increase. Among this, the Forest & Garden, Gardening, and Construction segments accounted for 62.1%, 22.4%, and 15.3% respectively.
DOOM
"DOOM" is a first-person shooter (FPS) game developed by id Software studio and released in 1993. It is set in the future on Mars, where players assume the role of a space marine tasked with escaping a hellish onslaught orchestrated by demons and saving all life on Earth.
The series consists of five main titles: "DOOM" (1993), "DOOM II: Hell on Earth" (1994), "DOOM 3" (2004), "DOOM" (2016), and "DOOM Eternal" (2020). The classic version that can run on Husqvarna robotic lawnmowers is the 1993 original.
Featuring bloody violence, fast-paced combat, and heavy metal music, "DOOM" perfectly combines science fiction with visceral action, embodying a form of aestheticized violence that became a cultural phenomenon upon its release, earning it iconic status.
In 2001, "DOOM" was voted the greatest game of all time by Gamespy, and in 2007, it was selected by The New York Times as one of the top ten most fun games ever, being the only FPS game in the list. The 2016 remake of "DOOM" received awards such as the Golden Joystick Award and The Game Awards for Best Music.
The Automower® NERA robotic lawnmower
The Automower® NERA robotic lawnmower is Husqvarna's top-of-the-line robotic lawnmower series, released in 2022 and launched in 2023. The series consists of five models: Automower 310E NERA, Automower 320 NERA, Automower 410XE NERA, Automower 430X NERA, and Automower 450X NERA.
The Automower NERA series features Husqvarna EPOS technology, which provides centimeter-level accuracy based on satellite positioning. It allows users to define mowing areas and boundaries using virtual boundary lines without the need for installing perimeter wires on the lawn.
Users can define mowing areas, no-go zones, and set different mowing heights and schedules for different areas of their lawn using the Automower Connect mobile application.
The Automower NERA robotic lawnmower also features built-in radar obstacle detection and avoidance technology, with a climbing ability of up to 50% slope, making it suitable for navigating rugged terrain, tight corners, and slopes on large, medium, and complex lawns.
With an IPX5 waterproof rating, the product can withstand harsh weather conditions and is easy to clean. Additionally, the latest models in this series offer the time-saving EdgeCut feature, minimizing the need for trimming lawn edges manually.
Furthermore, Husqvarna AIM technology (Automower Intelligent Mapping) is compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and IFTTT, allowing for convenient voice control and status updates.
How to play DOOM on lawn mower
To play DOOM on the lawnmower, follow these steps:
- Game Download: The game will be available for download through the Husqvarna Automower Connect mobile application.
- Game Registration: Registration is open starting now and will close on August 26, 2024.
- Game Period: The game will be playable from April 9, 2024, to September 9, 2024. On September 9, 2024, a software update will remove DOOM from the lawnmower.
- Game Controls: Use the lawnmower's onboard display and control knob to play the game. Rotate the control knob left and right to navigate the game. Press the "Start" button to move forward. Pressing the control knob will act as shooting.
- Supported Countries: The game will be available in the following countries: United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Spain, Portugal, South Africa, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Turkey, Moldova, Serbia, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland.
How is the market for robotic lawn mowers
According to analysis from research firms, the global Outdoor Power Equipment (OPE) market is expected to reach $32.4 billion by 2025. Within the household lawnmower market, the penetration rate of robotic lawnmowers is expected to gradually increase from 7% in 2015 to 17% by 2025, gradually replacing the market share of gasoline-powered push mowers.
The global lawnmower market is relatively concentrated, with Husqvarna, Gardena (a subsidiary of Husqvarna Group), and brands under Bosch accounting for 90% of the market share as of January 2022.
Husqvarna alone sold $670 million worth of robotic lawnmowers in the 12 months from December 2020 to November 2021. It plans to double its revenue from robotic lawnmowers to $1.3 billion by 2026.
Given the significant size of the lawnmower market, the trend towards robotic lawnmowers is evident. Companies such as Robomow, iRobot, Kärcher, and Greenworks Holdings are leveraging their expertise in indoor robotic vacuum cleaners to enter this market segment. However, outdoor lawn applications pose more challenges such as obstacle avoidance, navigating complex terrain, extreme weather conditions, and theft prevention. New entrants are focusing on hardware design, software algorithms, smart connectivity, and brand differentiation to enhance user experience and establish their unique brand characteristics.
In conclusion, both traditional industry giants and new entrants are continuously accumulating user demands, leveraging cutting-edge technologies, and establishing comprehensive channels to expand the robotic lawnmower market segment. This collective effort is driving the advancement of the entire industry.
Post time: Mar-18-2024