Our guest speakers on Friday, February 17th were Derek Kaye, Founder and Ethan Hansen of Whispr Innovations. The company's goal is to provide clean, quiet, green lawn care solutions. Whispr is a professional residential and commercial battery-electric lawn service company with electric vehicles.
Derek was raised and schooled in Lake Stevens. Derek spent some time in Singapore and was a member of a local Rotary Club while he lived there. Taking care of our green spaces is an integral part of this community. So, they were here today to talk about their innovative approach to lawn care and so much more.
Currently gas lawn maintenance represents 5% of the United States air pollution caused by gas powered lawn equipment. Battery powered equipment tools are cleaner and cheaper to operate and maintain. Utilizing RAAS (Robots as a Service) platform maximizes innovation, saves labor and in the future improves lawn maintenance work.
Automate the lawn. Robotic mowers have been around for over 20 years in Europe. They are 80,000 times safer than gas or battery-operated mowers. Lawn maintenance is starting to be regulated at the local and state level in the United States. The phase out of loud leaf blowers is already being regulated in some cities and states.
Whispr uses Husqvarna mowers with charging stations and boundary wires. Micro mulching occurs with these innovative mowers. Safety is the main issue with robotic mowers. Special training for large robotic mowers which can mow up to 18 acres. Certification is included in all purchases. Europe is selling millions of these robotic mowers. The company, to maintain their employees, does Christmas lights in November and December. They are a year around operation. The City of Lake Stevens is looking at the possibility of using robot mowers in their parks.