IoT Asset Tracking Success

Enabling Product Innovation and Global Growth with IoT Solutions.

Find out why Positec chose Eseye to connect its smart lawn mowers globally.

Positec creates life enhancing and innovative IoT products

Positec initially were an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and supplier of DIY tools to global brands which led to rapid company growth. As individual brands started to establish manufacturing capability, Positec decided to launch their own consumer brand of DIY tools. Passionate and committed to creating innovative products that make customers’ lives easier, Positec’s launch was the beginning of a transformational journey.

Worx products are available at nearly all home improvement retail stores in Europe and North America, including the world’s 10 largest home improvement retailers. Positec is now recognised as a leading provider of tools to the retail home improvement market and are the second largest supplier of robotic lawnmowers globally.

Identifying an opportunity to improve garden maintenance Positec launched the ‘Landroid’ robotic lawn mower in 2011. Once programmed through an App to establish the garden size and using Wi-Fi connectivity, the Landroid could mow the lawn without any human interaction. It was optimized using AIA® navigation technology that dramatically reduced the mowing time, and later the ACS® anti-collision system that steers around instead of bumping into obstacles, as with many competing products. However, breaking new ground in robotic lawn mower innovation brought with it several challenges.

Why Positec chose Eseye

IoT solutions enabling product innovation

Rapid new market growth

Positec is confident scaling its reliable lawn mower solution and expects growth of 35% year-on-year globally.

Enhanced experience

The Landroid is easy to use and connects straight out of the box, which has reduced the number of returned products.

Predictive maintenance

A constant stream of real-time data from the devices informs predictive maintenance and allows Positec to identify any issues.

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Wi-Fi proved to be a problematic connectivity option for Positec. Users had trouble establishing the device on Wi-Fi and navigating passwords and router settings. Connectivity in large gardens could also be patchy, resulting in the lawn mower losing touch with the router and sending regular error messages to the owner. Positec looked to cellular connectivity to solve the problem.

With mowers being shipped anywhere in the world the desire to create a single device Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) was high, because of the significantly improved deployment and management efficiency a single SKU brings. Positec also wanted an embedded Chip SIM welded into the hardware module to achieve a smaller footprint in the device.

The company needed a cellular solution that would work regardless of where the lawn mowers were distributed, but particularly in prominent markets such as North America and Europe.

Our partnership with Positec has led to the creation of an IoT device with an embedded Eseye AnyNet Secure SIM that provides near 100% connectivity and works almost anywhere in the world.

Harnessing IoT with Positec

Connectivity as an enabler

“Improved connectivity allows information to be shared via the App. Intelligence is also sent to our AWS Cloud environment, stored, and analysed. This provides valuable statistics and delivers optimised mowing instructions to individual devices, and provisions for shared intelligence and learning”, Dal Frà says.

Optimising device performance

Positec is always looking for ways to improve its products and make customer’s lives easier. With reliable, always-on connectivity, Positec can track all mower activities and send software updates easily over-the-air. Moreover, it offers owners personalised suggestions to enhance mowing performance.

Easy asset tracking

“IoT capability also solves another issue – theft. The US has seen a massive spike in lawn mower thefts, but IoT connectivity has enabled us to introduce the new feature ‘Find My Landroid’. This is an App that alerts the owner if their lawn mower is removed from the premises and enables them to lock and locate it”, reveals Dal Frà.

Improved connectivity allows information to be shared via the App. Intelligence is also sent to our AWS Cloud environment, stored and analysed. This provides valuable statistics and delivers optimised mowing instructions to individual devices, and provisions for shared intelligence and learning
Davide Dal Frà, Head of Engineering and Innovation

Connected lawn mowers are a staple for the future smart home. The Positec Worx Landroid can self-guide around gardens, using data to learn about its environment, and remove a long and boring Saturday afternoon job. We’re delighted to help Positec improve customer experience by providing a ubiquitous cellular connectivity solution that ensures the Landroid works everytime and everywhere
Nick Earle, Chairman and CEO