The Department of Interior is testing Artificial Intelligence-operated lawnmowers appearing to be made by a DMV company at several national parks, including the National Mall in D.C.
A video posted on Tuesday by Interior Secretary Doug Bergum highlighted efforts to test six autonomous lawnmowers, which were recently demonstrated along the National Mall and expected to be expanded to other parks.
In the video posted by Secr. Bergum, a National Park Service employee explained how the new lawnmowers helped further the secretary’s goal of further AI technology usage on public lands.
“…The premise of the entire grant is to test new technologies to see how it can help us become more efficient, allow us to get more work done with the same amount of people,” said Jeff Gowen with the National Park Service (NPS).
Neither NPS nor DOI officials confirmed who they’re partnering with to create the devices, but the lawnmowers appeared to be manufactured by Frederick, Maryland-based Wright Manufacturing.
Similar models of the autonomous lawnmowers appeared on the company’s website, and the company in a Facebook post alongside other products. Images of the company’s logo showed up on the side of the devices seen in the Secretary’s video.
Other snapshots from the video showed the company’s name on a handheld controller and what appeared to be a demo website.
The project is part of an innovation and technology grant through the National Park Foundation.
The reveal came hours before Congress stalled on legislation to keep the government open, forcing a shutdown that will impact thousands of federal workers and shut most parks temporarily.