Now The Internet of Things Is Moving Out To The Garden – Husqvarna’s CIO In The Digital Influencer Podcast

Despite a three-hundred-year history, Husqvarna Group has repeatedly found itself in the right place as society automates, digitizes, and adapts. In the latest episode of the Digital Influencer Podcast, Consid’s CEO, Peter Hellgren, discusses the digital garden with Husqvarna’s acting CIO, Robert Hafredal.

– Gardena Smart System is Gardenas way of connecting what we have around our robotic lawnmower with an irrigation ecosystem – you can work with sensors in the ground and many other things, says Robert Hafredal in the podcast.

Husqvarna was, in essence, early in understanding and leveraging the potential of the Internet of Things. In fact, it wasn’t even a thing when they launched their first products in the 2000s.

– We released the first connected feature on the market in 2007-2008. At that time, our robotic lawnmower could send an SMS to its owner when it had stopped – that was it.

Since then, development has progressed at a rapid pace.

– From there, a lot has certainly happened. A few years later, the lawnmower owner could also perform certain commands via their phone, and around that time, we started developing an app.

Connected gardens

Now, in 2023, the Internet of Things has taken over our homes and will soon extend to the garden as well. At least, the possibility exists, according to Robert Hafredal. Husqvarna uses sensors to measure moisture, optimizes cutting patterns, and enhances the products’ understanding of the environment using AI and machine learning.

– If you combine the things we can actually offer, as a garden owner, you can design your garden in an app called MyGarden. You can install sensors in the ground that measure air and soil moisture and know the upcoming weather. We have plant databases where you can see how much or little water your specific plant needs – and then, there’s the robot, which is also controlled by all of this.

The connected garden is here to stay, both in public spaces and homes.

– There will be a greater focus on autonomous technology in general. Gardens are just one area, but if you think about all the green spaces that exist – airports, parks, hotel gardens, and so on – there is significant potential for this type of technology, says Robert Hafredal.

Listen to the full podcast here.