TrimBot2020 · Project

Autonomous Garden Trimming Robot That Sees, Navigates, and Cuts Plants by Itself

digitalTestedTRL 5

trimbot2020.org

Imagine a robotic lawnmower that doesn't just mow grass — it can also trim your hedges, rose bushes, and shaped boxwood topiaries all on its own. The team took a Bosch Indego lawnmower and gave it "eyes" (3D cameras) and a brain smart enough to figure out where plants are, what shape they should be, and how to cut them. It drives around your garden, avoids obstacles, and uses an electric cutter to shape plants — even when branches are moving or lighting changes. Think of it as a Roomba for your garden, but instead of vacuuming floors, it's trimming your hedges.

By the numbers

partners in consortium

countries represented (CH, DE, NL, UK)

total project deliverables produced

demonstration software packages for 3D vision and navigation

TRL 5/6

target technology readiness level (from TRL 1/2)

The business problem

What needed solving

Maintaining shaped hedges, topiaries, and rose bushes is one of the most labor-intensive and repetitive tasks in garden and landscape management. Skilled gardeners are expensive and increasingly hard to find, yet the work demands consistent quality and regular scheduling. While robotic lawnmowers have automated grass cutting, no commercial solution exists for autonomous plant trimming — until now.

The solution

What was built

The team built a working prototype of an autonomous garden trimming robot based on a modified Bosch Indego lawnmower, equipped with 3D cameras and an electric plant cutter. They delivered 33 packages including software for 3D scene mapping, garden object recognition, clipping site identification, terrain navigation, obstacle avoidance, and visual servoing that guides the cutter along plant surfaces — even as branches move during trimming.

Audience

Who needs this

Robot lawnmower manufacturers looking to add trimming capabilities (e.g., Bosch, Husqvarna, Honda)Commercial landscaping companies struggling with labor costs for repetitive trimmingHotel chains and resort operators maintaining ornamental gardensMunicipal parks departments managing large public green spacesAgricultural technology companies exploring robotic crop management

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Landscaping and grounds maintenance

SME

Target: Commercial landscaping service providers

If you are a landscaping company dealing with rising labor costs and difficulty hiring seasonal workers for repetitive trimming jobs — this project developed a robotic system built on a Bosch Indego platform with 3D vision and autonomous navigation that can trim hedges and topiaries to a desired shape. The 8 software packages for scene recognition, navigation, and cutting control could reduce the manual hours spent on routine hedge and topiary maintenance across your client sites.

Consumer robotics and smart home

enterprise

Target: Robot lawnmower and outdoor automation manufacturers

If you are a consumer robotics manufacturer looking to expand beyond lawnmowing into higher-value garden automation — this project prototyped the full technology stack from 3D scene mapping to visual servoing for plant cutting, tested on a modified commercial lawnmower platform. With 33 deliverables covering everything from terrain navigation to deformable surface tracking, this gives you a research-validated blueprint to build the next generation of garden robots.

Property management and hospitality

mid-size

Target: Hotel chains, resorts, and estate management firms

If you are a property management company maintaining large ornamental gardens at hotels or estates and struggling with consistent quality and scheduling of garden staff — this project built clipping site recognition software and dense 3D mapping that lets a robot autonomously identify where to cut and match plants to their desired shape. The system handles varying terrain and outdoor lighting, making it suitable for real-world garden environments rather than just lab conditions.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to adopt this robotic trimming technology?

The project does not disclose cost figures. However, the platform is based on a modified Bosch Indego robot lawnmower — a consumer-grade product — which suggests the target price point is accessible to consumers and small businesses, not industrial-scale pricing. Licensing terms would need to be negotiated with the University of Edinburgh and Bosch.

Can this scale to large commercial properties or municipal parks?

The current prototype was designed for consumer-grade garden environments. The project focused on achieving TRL 5/6 from a starting point of TRL 1/2, meaning it reached demonstration stage but not full commercial scale. The navigation, 3D mapping, and cutting control software packages would need further engineering for larger-scale deployment.

Who owns the intellectual property, and can I license it?

The project was coordinated by the University of Edinburgh under an RIA (Research and Innovation Action) funding scheme. Bosch, the sole industrial partner, is explicitly mentioned as expecting to exploit results to extend its automated lawnmower product line. IP licensing would need to be discussed with the consortium, particularly Edinburgh and Bosch.

How mature is the technology — is it ready to use today?

The project started at TRL 1/2 and aimed to reach TRL 5/6 by project end in 2019. They built and tested 33 deliverables including integrated 3D scene analysis, autonomous navigation, and cutting control software. This puts it at validated prototype stage — functional but not yet a commercial product.

What specific capabilities does the robot have?

The robot can navigate varying terrain using a user-defined garden map and 3D scene analysis. It recognizes garden objects like hedges and walls, identifies clipping sites by comparing actual plant shape to desired shape, and visually servos an electric cutter to trim plants. It also handles deforming surfaces and incomplete sensor data.

Does it work in real outdoor conditions?

Yes, the project specifically addressed outdoor lighting variations, real terrain navigation, obstacle avoidance, and moving target plants. The dense deformable mapping software tracks how hedge surfaces change shape during cutting. Based on available project data, these were tested in garden environments, not just laboratory settings.

Are there any regulatory concerns for autonomous garden robots?

The project does not address regulatory compliance directly. As a consumer-grade autonomous robot with cutting tools operating outdoors, safety certification and product liability standards would need to be addressed before market launch. The consumer robotics industry has established pathways for this through CE marking and machinery directives.

Consortium

Who built it

The consortium of 8 partners across 4 countries (Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, UK) is heavily research-oriented, with 6 universities and 1 research institute making up 88% of the team. The single industrial partner is significant — while not named explicitly in the consortium list, the objective identifies Bosch as the commercialization partner planning to extend its Indego lawnmower line with the project's results. This gives the project a clear route to market through an established manufacturer with existing distribution and brand recognition in consumer garden robotics. The low industry ratio (12%) is typical for a Research and Innovation Action at this TRL level, but having Bosch as the exploitation partner substantially de-risks the commercialization path.

THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGHCoordinator · UK
ROBERT BOSCH GMBHparticipant · DE
ALBERT-LUDWIGS-UNIVERSITAET FREIBURGparticipant · DE
EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICHparticipant · CH
WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITYparticipant · NL
RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT GRONINGENparticipant · NL
UNIVERSITEIT VAN AMSTERDAMparticipant · NL
STICHTING WAGENINGEN RESEARCHparticipant · NL

How to reach the team

The project was coordinated by the University of Edinburgh (UK). Contact their technology transfer office or the School of Informatics for licensing inquiries.

Order a report on this consortium See THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore licensing TrimBot2020's 3D vision and autonomous trimming technology for your products? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the research team and help structure the conversation. Get in touch.

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