The GGM Group has announced they have signed a new distribution agreement with Swiss manufacturer Ronovatec to promote a new robotic mower for sports grounds maintenance throughout the UK.

The company say they plan to arrange the first public demonstration of the RoviMo, as soon as government restrictions allow. They go on to say the new machine's intelligent design allows for the autonomous mowing of professional sports turf.

The RoviMo is described as  "the world's first intelligent electric vehicle capable of mowing patterns autonomously according to the guidelines of national football associations, UEFA, or FIFA, precisely and over the shortest distance, horizontally, vertically and with chessboard pattern, at the touch of a button". Supervision of the mowing process by an employee is not necessary say GGM.

Operated remotely via an app, RoviMo can also be used for mowing other large green areas, such as company premises or parks, and will be developed to be utilised by golf courses. The unit is a multifunctional equipment carrier, which will be able to carry out other work processes such as maintenance of artificial turf, line marking and various other labour-intensive tasks.

RoviMo is currently in it’s final stages of development and field testing with the first machine installations in July 2021. GGM say they are planning to arrange several demonstration events over the coming months, restrictions permitting.

GGM Group managing director, Chris Gibson, said, “RoviMo is something completely different, and it’s extremely exciting to be working with Ronovatec on what we believe will be a game changer in professional turfcare. RoviMo adds state of art technology to our portfolio allowing us to offer customers the next generation of intelligent mowers. We are thrilled to have been involved from the early stages of development of these new, innovative machines; they are the perfect addition to our product range as we continue to grow in the sports ground sectors”.

Chris continued,“Over recent years there has been a trend for turfcare professionals to increase their green credentials and RoviMo not only offers this but achieves reduced cost and increased efficiency simultaneously. A fully charged RoviMo will mow circa 16,000 m2 in 5-6 hours depending on pattern and terrain, all without employee supervision of the mowing process, saving many man hours and employment costs. In addition, RoviMo is fully electric, CO2-free, and autonomous with low noise pollution and is therefore ecologically sustainable and economically unbeatable. It’s a win-win for the customer.”

Chris concluded, “It’s fantastic to be involved with this innovation at its development stage. While final machinery specifications are yet to be confirmed, we are very much looking forward to arranging the first public showing just as soon as we are allowed. Signing this deal is just the start, forging the path for things to come - the future of sports turf maintenance looks exciting”.