Updated October 15, 2026. Data: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, patent application records, filings 2012–2025. Applications usually become public about 18 months after filing, so 2024 and especially 2025 counts are still filling in. Next update: spring 2027.
Inventors filed 188 U.S. patent applications for robot and self-driving lawn mowers in 2023, up from 48 in 2015. Big equipment makers file most of them: Husqvarna and Honda lead.
These are mowers that steer themselves, from small yard robots that run off a charging dock to large self-driving commercial mowers. Filings jumped in 2019 and have stayed high since.
Applications filed each year
Every year
Click a column to sort.
| Year filed | Applications | From small inventors and small companies | Small share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 29 | 10 | 34% |
| 2013 | 39 | 6 | 15% |
| 2014 | 40 | 9 | 22% |
| 2015 | 48 | 7 | 15% |
| 2016 | 73 | 7 | 10% |
| 2017 | 92 | 13 | 14% |
| 2018 | 85 | 15 | 18% |
| 2019 | 152 | 20 | 13% |
| 2020 | 154 | 30 | 19% |
| 2021 | 161 | 31 | 19% |
| 2022 | 169 | 31 | 18% |
| 2023 | 188 | 21 | 11% |
| 2024 (still filling in) | 152 | 32 | 21% |
| 2025 (still filling in) | 160 | 21 | 13% |
Who files the most
Top filers, 2021–2025, counting each application once under the first company or person named:
- Husqvarna: 100
- Honda: 82
- TECHTRONIC CORDLESS GP: 49
- Positec Power Tools (Suzhou) Co., Ltd: 43
- Nanjing Chervon Industry Co., Ltd.: 32
- Deere & Company: 27
- THE TORO COMPANY: 26
- Greenworks (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd.: 24
Small inventors and small companies filed 16% of these applications from 2019 to 2023, compared with 30% of all U.S. patent applications.
What it means for lawn care businesses
- Robots aren’t replacing crews yet. Most of these inventions are for homeowner yard robots. Commercial self-driving mowers are a smaller, newer group.
- They may become a service. Some lawn companies already install and maintain robot mowers for customers. See how to start a landscaping business.
- Small inventors’ share fell. They filed 16% of applications in 2019–2023, down from 23% in 2012–2014, as big makers moved in.
- Installing robots for clients is still lawn work. Customers and property managers often ask for proof of coverage, so see landscaping business insurance.
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How we counted
- Source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, application records for patent applications filed since 2012, searched 2026-10-15.
- What’s counted: applications listed in the patent category for mowers that are automatically or remotely steered (code A01D 34/008). Each application is counted once, in the year it was filed, even if it is listed in several categories.
- Applications, not granted patents. Many applications are later rejected or dropped.
- Recent years are incomplete. Most applications stay private for about 18 months, and some are never published unless granted. Counts for 2024 and 2025 will grow.
- Small inventors are applicants that paid reduced “small entity” or “micro entity” fees: individuals, companies with fewer than 500 employees, universities and nonprofits.
- Top filers are matched on the first applicant’s name. We merged obvious spelling variants, but related companies (for example a parent and its U.S. arm) are listed separately.
- We checked the category by hand. In a random sample of 15 applications filed in 2024, 12 were clearly robot or self-driving mowers or their docks and zoning; the rest were related machines such as a debris-collecting robot and a farm implement. A broader lawn mower category (A01D 2101) caught mostly ordinary mowers, so we did not use it.
Sources
Cite this data
Reporters and bloggers may use these numbers and charts. Please credit StartBusinessByState and link to this page.
Source: StartBusinessByState, “Robot Lawn Mower Patent Filings Nearly Quadrupled Since 2015,” https://startbusinessbystate.com/robot-lawn-mower-patents/ (updated October 15, 2026).
FAQ
How many robot lawn mower patents are filed each year?
188 U.S. applications were filed in 2023, up from 48 in 2015, according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Who files the most robot mower patents?
Husqvarna (100 applications in 2021–2025), followed by Honda (82).
Where is this data from?
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office publishes records for every published patent application, including the categories examiners assign and whether the applicant paid small-business fees.
Last updated October 15, 2026 by StartBusinessByState.