IRobot lawn mower given FCC approval in US

The FCC has given the OK for iRobot, the company behind the Roomba, to produce robotic lawn mowers.

But a mower still doesn’t sound like it will be available to consumers imminently.

While the easy-to-install system that iRobot plans to use is likely to give the company a leg up against rival mowers, there are some concerns about whether or not the signals will interfere with other devices that operate on the same frequency.

And according to Reuters, the only problem the FCC had with this in the first place was a question of whether or not iRobot’s wireless system for keeping the robots in line (or making sure they don’t travel out of their designated yard and go on a rampage) would interfere with other devices and radio astronomy.

An iRobot spokesman said in a statement emailed to CNBC that they were very pleased with the FCC’s decision, saying it will allow to explore further into the lawn mowing category. According to Reuters, iRobot Corp. says that this waiver will allow them “continue exploring the viability of wideband, alongside other technologies, as part of a long-term product exploration effort in the lawn mowing category”. It was already mentioned as early as nine years ago in a Forbes.com article.

Even with the positive news, however, iRobot has not released a timeline for its newest mechatronic. This futuristic vacuum cleaner can manoeuvre through obstacles with its infrared, cliff, and bumper sensors. On Wednesday, the Federal Communications Commission cleared iRobot to make and sell robotic lawn mowers.