However, iRobot said to the FCC that other competitors only offered hands-free mowers, which need underground fences or other intricate setups, according to Reuters. It’s most popular product yet is the Roomba, which is a robot vacuum cleaner.

The news of the auto lawn mower robots was heard almost a decade ago, the works on this project have been active for nine years, so when this automated lawn mower robot will be available is still uncertain.

Before we get too happy about never having to mow the lawn again however, this new development merely means that iRobot can fully explore the technological options for their mower, and there is no release date in sight.

Astronomers with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory had objected to the waiver, conceding that though there was little actual risk of interference, they wanted assurances that no stray mower-bot would mess up their expensive research gear.

“The [regulatory] assessment agrees with our analysis that the technology will not have a negative impact”, said iRobot’s spokesman.

Roomba’s lawn mowing cousin is designed to wirelessly connect with stakes in the ground that work as signal beacons and rise above the ground by up to two feet. According to Reuters, iRobot Corp. says that this waiver will allow them “continue exploring the viability of wideband, alongside other technologies, as part of a long-term product exploration effort in the lawn mowing category”. The map lets it identify where to cut. On Wednesday, the Federal Communications Commission cleared iRobot to make and sell robotic lawn mowers. Its automated lawn mower would likely not use a large single blade in the center, but rather a number of smaller blades.