TinyMobileRobots Marks 1M Sports Fields Milestone with GPS-Enabled Robot
March 24, 2022
Denmark’s TinyMobileRobots, which develops fully autonomous GPS-enabled line-marking robots, has announced that it has officially marked its one millionth sports field. The company estimates it has saved customers about 1.6 million hours, $102.5 million and 1.5 million gallons of paint through the use of the robots.
The milestone took place in Dallas, Texas, with FC Dallas, which manages 20 soccer fields. The soccer team has been using TinyMobileRobots for four years.
The robots can autonomously mark lines for almost every type of sports field, including soccer, American football, baseball, lacrosse, and softball, among others. The system is being used by amateur and professional sports teams, leagues, youth programs, universities and schools to mark playing fields and reduce the time and energy needed by as much as 90%. The company said its robots can mark an entire soccer field in about 20 minutes (down from 20 minutes), or an entire football field in under two hours (down from 20 hours).
“Many people don’t realize just how costly and time-consuming field marking can be,” said Jens Peder Kristensen, founder and CEO of TinyMobileRobots. “Grass grows two to six inches per month, and any field can host multiple games a day, so fields must be constantly re-marked to remain playable. TinyMobileRobots address these challenges and more with a simple and sustainable solution that can be deployed in minutes by anyone. Marking our one millionth field is a testament to the value our robots provide, and the impact of technology in every level of sports.”
The company said it is experiencing rapid growth, doubling in size each year since its founding in 2015. The company has become one of the world’s leading suppliers of line-marking robots, with more than half the market in the U.S. alone.
“We use the robots because they are so effective. Our fans love the robots because they are so cool,” said Jonathan Wolf, supervisor of grounds at FC Dallas. “We now spend less time worrying about the fields and more time focused on the experience for our players and fans. Now we get to be a part of STEM history, as we mark the one millionth field globally using this technology at our facility.”
The robots are accurate down to 1 to 2 cm, (0.4-0.8 inches), and can be managed on an app on a smartphone or tablet. The robot comes with access to more than 50 predesigned field configurations, which can be modified in less than a minute. The robots are powered by batteries instead of diesel fuel, requiring less energy and with a smaller carbon footprint. They also use less paint than other products or line-marking techniques.
Current customers include FC Dallas, AYSO Pasadena, the University of Michigan, Florida State University and Princeton High School. Last month, the company earned a significant investment from Germany’s STIHL Group, which acquired 23.8% of the company.
The company also develops autonomous devices for industrial applications, which includes surveying, road pre-marking and other tasks required by airports, municipalities, construction and engineering companies, and warehouses.
For more details on the company and its technologies, visit the TinyMobileRobots website here.
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