In context
In early 2024, the robotics industry was increasingly exploring unconventional applications to showcase the versatility and processing power of robotic platforms. Husqvarna, a leading manufacturer of robotic lawn mowers, leveraged this trend by integrating a classic video game into its commercial product, demonstrating that even autonomous outdoor equipment could handle interactive entertainment.
What was reported
Husqvarna announced that the original shareware episode of DOOM (1993) would be released as a free update for its Husqvarna Automower NERA robotic lawn mowers, available to approximately 30,000 users between April and September 2024. The update was showcased at DreamHack Winter 2023, where Husqvarna hosted the world’s first multiplayer DOOM tournament on a non-gaming device, attracting global attention and winning “Best Booth Activation 2023.”
The game is played using the mower’s onboard display and controls: the control knob turns left and right, the START button moves forward, the STOP button strafes and opens doors, and pressing the control knob fires. Björn Mannefred, robotics software engineer at Husqvarna, called it “one hell of an update,” while Marty Stratton of id Software praised the engineers’ “inventive and fun tribute.”
Why it mattered
This initiative highlighted the growing computational and display capabilities of robotic platforms beyond their primary functions, suggesting potential for future human-machine interaction and entertainment features in consumer robotics. It also demonstrated a novel marketing approach that could inspire other manufacturers to explore creative software integrations to engage users and showcase hardware flexibility.
“This is one hell of an update that both highlights the pioneering spirit that characterize the engineers at Husqvarna and serves as a tribute to the originators of DOOM.”
Source: Robotics & Automation News (roboticsandautomationnews.com) · Published 2024-02-28 · “Now you can play classic computer game DOOM on your Husqvarna robotic lawn mower”