STMicroelectronics GNSS receivers integrated with Segway robot mower

Global semiconductor and electronics provider STMicroelectronics recently announced a collaboration with Segway Navimow.

ST has equipped Segway’s latest range of robotic lawnmowers with precision positioning and extended satellite signal coverage receivers.

The company said the partnership will help bring Segway’s operational efficiency and safety to the next level.

"Segway Navimow's collaboration with ST is the perfect example of ‘mutualism,’” said George Ren, Segway Navimow CEO. “ST provides electronic modules embedding cutting-edge technology, which Segway leveraged in its latest, most advanced robotic lawnmower."

Fenceless precision for safe navigation

Reliable and precise satellite navigation is crucial for boundary-wire free robotic lawnmowers to be able to autonomously navigate and operate safely. Adjacent tall buildings or trees can impact satellite reception. To be able to operate safely at the edge of stairs or steep slopes, satellite signal coverage cannot be spotty and must be guaranteed.

ST said its automotive-grade Teseo satellite navigation chips are suitable for the robotic lawnmower segment. The ability of the machine to identify its exact location with decimeter-level accuracy (within about four inches) ensures it stays and operates within a defined field perimeter. 

This level of precision can help make the mower’s performance safer, reducing the chance of injury or property damage, as well as more efficient by replacing random mowing patterns with a systematic approach that enables a small mower to serve a larger area over a shorter period of time.

20-30% satellite signal coverage increase

Integrated in Segway’s recently unveiled Navimow X3 autonomous mobile robot (AMR) lawn mowers, ST’s automotive-qualified Teseo V single-chip triple-band Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers are able to efficiently acquire and track a large number of satellites in multiple constellations simultaneously.

STMicroelectronics’ Teseo V STA8135GA integrates a triple-band positioning measurement engine on-chip, enabling position-velocity-time (PVT) and dead-reckoning features. Source: STMicroelectronics

Compared to Segway’s previous generation of robotic lawnmowers, ST said satellite signal coverage was increased by 20-30% with its Teseo V GNSS receiver technology.

“ST’s single-chip Teseo satellite receiver technology now brings these capabilities to the industrial market in a compact and convenient package,” said Luca Celant, STMicroelectronics GM digital audio and signal solutions division. “Segway’s choice to use the market-proven Teseo devices in their next-generation robotic lawnmowers represents a significant milestone in ST’s expansion towards the industrial GNSS market, offering automotive-grade quality at an industrial-grade cost.”

Teseo V helps in challenging environments

Augmented by the real-time kinematic technique for satellite signal error correction, ST said its receivers can ensure stability and precision of lawn mower operation even in challenging signal environments and complex layouts, such as on properties with both front and back yards and in instances where the robotic lawnmower has to pass through narrow passageways connecting one mowing zone to another. 

A member of ST’s Teseo V family, the STA8135GA is an automotive-qualified (AEC-Q100) GNSS receiver that integrates a triple-band positioning measurement engine on-chip, enabling position-velocity-time (PVT) and dead-reckoning features. 

Housed in a 0.28 x 0.43 x 0.05 inch (7 x 11 x 1.2 millimeter) BGA package, the device also integrates separate low-dropout (LDO) voltage regulators on-chip to supply the IC’s analog circuitry, digital core, and I/O transceivers, which can simplify selection of the external power supply.