Robot builder EEVE is positioning itself as a supplier of multifunctional and affordable robots for the general public. After presenting the Willow X concept in 2021, Belgium based EEVE is showing a working prototype of Willow X to the public for the first time. This marks the start of the race to win the hearts of everyone who prefers to leave tedious jobs to a robot.
The number of new robots being built in laboratories is hard to keep up with. Tech companies, from startups to global players like Google and Amazon, are currently building a new generation of robots. Most of these initiatives either yield extremely expensive gadgets or toys with no real useful functions. The Spot robot-dog is probably the best known of these, a toy costing over €70,000 that, untill further notice, has no real function.
EEVE successfully developed an autonomously navigating robot with mowing function over the past three years. Currently, more than 1,700 robots are in the field, spread across Europe. The company makes no secret of the fact that the lawn mowing function is only a first step toward personal robots that will be affordable to a wide audience. Although the price of the current mowing robot (€ 2990) is in the upper half of the lawnmower market, EEVE is making a strong statement for the new market of multifunctional robots.
Willow X, the first multi-purpose robot for the general public
In the fall of 2021, Willow X was first introduced to existing EEVE customers using a 3D animation. Those who doubted the feasibility of the concept at the time got the final answer during the "march22" online product event. CEO Wesley Lorrez pulled 'one more thing' out of his hat in true Steve Jobs style: a fully functional Willow X, with two amazingly strong arms and autonomous navigation. They went out together to collect litter, a childhood dream of Lorrez who works from a strong vision.
In doing so, EEVE reaffirms its mission to turn the global supply chain upside down by creating cheap labor worldwide in a sustainable way. "By bringing down the cost of labor, we can build a new economy that no longer relies on underpaid labor on one side of the world, producing for the other side of the world. We firmly believe that we can kickstart a new global supply chain that takes the cost of people and planet into the equation," said founder Wesley Lorrez.
Those who want a Willow X to do all kinds of chores in the garden can pre-order now (€3,990) through the eeve.com website. The first deliveries are scheduled for 2024.
