Robotic lawn mower#Robomower
{{short description|Type of autonomous robot}}
{{Automation}}
File:Firefly autonomous lawn mowers at a golf course.jpgFile:Husqvarna Automower 308 with track marks in lawn.jpg
File:Automatic robotic lawn mower Gardena Sileno City 250 in action.webm built by Husqvarna, in a garden with 40 m2]]
A robotic lawn mower is an autonomous robot used to cut lawn grass. A typical robotic lawn mower (in particular earlier generation models) requires the user to set up a border wire around the lawn that defines the area to be mowed. The robot uses this wire to locate the boundary of the area to be trimmed and in some cases to locate a recharging dock. Robotic mowers are capable of maintaining up to 100,000 m2 (25 acres) of grass.
Robotic lawn mowers are increasingly sophisticated, are self-docking and some contain rain sensors if necessary, nearly eliminating human interaction. Robotic lawn mowers represented the second largest category of domestic robots used by the end of 2005.
In 2012, the growth of robotic lawn mower sales was 15 times that of the traditional styles.{{cite web|title=Rise of the Lawn-Cutting Machines |url=http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-10-25/rise-of-the-lawn-cutting-machines|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121027030602/http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-10-25/rise-of-the-lawn-cutting-machines|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 27, 2012|date=2012-10-25|access-date=2012-11-15}}
With the emergence of smart phones some robotic mowers have integrated features within custom apps to adjust settings or scheduled mowing times and frequency, as well as manually control the mower with a digital joystick.{{cite web|title=Robomow RS630 Review|url=http://www.beststuff.com/gadgets/robomow-rs630-review-best-robot-lawn-mower/28881/|date=2014-05-09|website=Best Stuff|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140511090319/http://www.beststuff.com/gadgets/robomow-rs630-review-best-robot-lawn-mower/28881/|archive-date=2014-05-11|access-date=2014-05-10}} [https://lawnrobots.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Robomow-rs630-review-best-robot-lawn-mower.pdf Alt URL]
Modern robotic lawn mowers can contain specialized sensors, allowing them to automatically mow around obstacles or even go to sleep when it starts to rain.{{cite web|title=The best robotic lawn mowers for 2020|url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/best-robot-lawnmowers/|last=Oswald|first=Ed|date=April 12, 2020|website=Digital Trends|access-date=2020-05-19}}{{cite web|title=Best Robotic Lawn Mower Guide|url=https://www.roboticreviews.us/lawn-mower/|date=2018-01-21|website=Robotic Reviews|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121082752/https://www.roboticreviews.us/lawn-mower/|archive-date=2018-01-21|access-date=2018-01-21}}
In 2012, the vast majority of robotic lawn mowers tackled the task utilizing a "random" mowing system. Basically the machine bounced around on the lawn until it hit the boundary wire limiting the working area, then changed heading until it hit the wire again.{{Cite web|date=11 November 2020|title=Rasenroboter Test|url=https://www.bautomatik.de/rasenmaeher-roboter/|access-date=2020-11-11|website=Bautomatik|language=de}} Depending on the lawn size, this meant machines would be in continuous operation. In late 2012, the Bosch robotic lawn mower "Indego" created a map of the user's garden and then tackled the task in a systematic manner, similar to the more modern robotic vacuum cleaners.
In recent years, robotic lawn mower manufacturers have learned from Bosch and the mowers have undergone significant advancements in their mowing methods, transitioning from random bouncing to systematic and efficient mowing patterns. By following a predefined pattern, such as a spiral or grid, the robotic mower ensures complete coverage of the lawn while minimizing overlap and missed spots.{{cite web|title=Robotic Lawn Mower -- Does It Really Work?|url=https://www.appalachianacre.com/post/robotic-lawn-mower|date=2024-02-29|website=Appalachian Acres|access-date=2024-03-05}} As technology has continued to advance, more companies are now utilizing real-time kinematic (RTK) base station guidance, RTK+, or AI vision{{Cite web |title=Worx Landroid Vision M800 WR208E - full review |url=https://www.robotmower.info/reviews/worx-landroid-wr208e-fullreview.php#VisionAI |access-date=2024-12-06 |website=www.robotmower.info}} to eliminate the need for a ground wire to delineate mowing areas.
For non-domestic usage, in the absence of a ground wire, RTK and RTK+ are currently the only GPS technologies that will provide the level of precision required for accurate mowing.{{cite web|title=Rise of the machines -- Autonomous mowers on golf courses|url=https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/course-care/green-section-record/60/04/rise-of-the-machines-autonomous-mowers-on-golf-courses.html|date=2022-03-04|website=USGA|access-date=2024-12-05}}
History
In 1969, the MowBot was introduced and patented by S Lawrence Bellinger having many features of today's most popular products. It weighed {{Convert|125|lbs||abbr=}}, was selling for $800 ({{inflation|US|800|1969|fmt=eq}}){{inflation/fn|US}} and had an autonomy of 3 hours and {{Convert|3000|sqft||abbr=}}{{cite web|date=1969-10-20|title=Self-propelled random motion lawnmower|url=http://www.google.ca/patents?id=tEA0AAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4#v=onepage&q&f=false|access-date=2013-06-08|archive-date=2020-10-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006224825/http://www.google.ca/patents?id=tEA0AAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=dead}} {{US Patent|3698523}}{{cite web|date=2011-10-14|title=MowBot (Jan, 1969)|url=http://blog.modernmechanix.com/mowbot/|access-date=2013-06-08|archive-date=2013-04-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130414163721/http://blog.modernmechanix.com/mowbot/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kiYDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA136|title=Popular Science|date=January 1969|publisher=Bonnier Corporation|pages=136–138, 210|language=en}}{{Cite book|last=Magazines|first=Hearst|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D9QDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA83|title=Popular Mechanics|date=December 1968|publisher=Hearst Magazines|pages=83|language=en}}
In 1992, the first fully solar powered robotic mower was patented by André Collens and sold to Husqvarna which marketed it in 1995.{{Cite web|title=BE1004248A6 SYSTEME DE TONTE CONTINUE ET AUTONOME|url=https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search/family/003884937/publication/BE1004248A6?q=pn=BE1004248A6|access-date=2020-06-09|website=worldwide.espacenet.com}}{{Cite web|title=Les inventeurs bruxellois crient "Eurêka!" Le courant magique de M. Deiana La pince à moules qui laisse les doigts nets Mode d'emploi du 47 e Salon|url=https://www.lesoir.be/art/les-inventeurs-bruxellois-crient-eureka-le-courant-magi_t-19981103-Z0FZ6R.html|access-date=2020-06-09|website=Le Soir|date=3 November 1998 |language=fr}}{{Cite web|date=2002-05-17|title=Un objet tondant identifié|url=https://www.dhnet.be/archive/un-objet-tondant-identifie-51b858d9e4b0de6db9a39bac|access-date=2020-06-09|website=www.dhnet.be|language=fr}}{{Cite web|title=25 robotic anniversary|url=https://www.husqvarna.com/ch-fr/produits/automower-innovation-story/|access-date=2020-06-09|website=Husqvarna|language=fr-CH}}
In 2012, the Bosch Indego introduced lawn mapping, to mow in a systematic manner instead of a random pattern.{{Cite web|title=Bosch Introduces New Autonomous Robotic Lawnmower|url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/bosch-introduces-new-autonomous-robotic-lawnmower|access-date=2020-06-09|website=IEEE Spectrum: Technology, Engineering, and Science News|language=en}}
As of 2019, vision-based artificial intelligence robotic mowers, without perimeter wire, were announced by EEVE.{{Cite web|title=Ce robot tond l'herbe, arrache les mauvaises herbes et ramasse les petites branches|url=https://datanews.levif.be/ict/start-ups/ce-robot-tond-l-herbe-arrache-les-mauvaises-herbes-et-ramasse-les-petites-branches/article-normal-747653.html|last=Damme|first=Dries Van|date=2017-10-31|website=Site-DataNews-FR|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200519121000/https://datanews.levif.be/ict/start-ups/ce-robot-tond-l-herbe-arrache-les-mauvaises-herbes-et-ramasse-les-petites-branches/article-normal-747653.html?cookie_check=1589890060/|archive-date=2020-05-19|access-date=2020-05-10}} Followed by a vision-based robotic mower of Volta in 2019.{{cite web |title=Volta Mora Robot Mower – The Future Of Robot Lawnmowers |url=https://myrobotmower.com/volta-mora-robot-lawn-mower/ |website= MyRobotMower|date=21 October 2019 |access-date=2 April 2020}}
In 2020, Husqvarna announced a robotic mower (EPOS) that can navigate completely without a boundary wire, allowing location accuracy of 2-3 centimeters, using satellite navigation in coordination with a reference station.{{Cite web|title=How new technology is improving robotic mowers|url=https://www.hortweek.com/article/1705754|access-date=2021-04-18|website=www.hortweek.com}}
In 2023, FireFly Automatix introduced a large battery-powered robotic mower (AMP) with cylinder, or reel, cutting units that also utilizes networks of RTK reference stations and GPS for accurate positioning. AMP mowers were used to autonomously maintain the fairways at the PGA TOUR's Black Desert Championship in Utah in October 2024, a first in professional golf.{{Cite web|title=A PGA Tour first: There are robot mowers at Black Desert Championship
|url=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2024/10/10/black-desert-championship-2024-robot-mowers/|access-date=2024-12-05|website=www.golfweek.usatoday.com |date=21 October 2019 }}
Technology
The mower can find its charging station via radio frequency emissions, by following a boundary wire, or by following an optional guide wire. This can eliminate wear patterns in the lawn caused by the mower only being able to follow one wire back to the station.
To get to remote areas or areas only accessible through narrow passages the mower can follow a guide wire or a boundary wire out of the station.
Some robotic movers do not need a border wire, but use a GPS, often together with an additional GPS receiver to achieve precise positioning (real-time kinematic positioning).{{Cite web|date=2021-12-02 |title=12 Robot Mowers without a Perimeter Wire {{!}} The Robot Mower |url=https://therobotmower.co.uk/2021/12/02/robot-mowers-without-a-perimeter-wire/ |access-date=2024-06-27 |language=en-GB}}
Batteries used include nickel–metal hydride (NiMH), lithium-ion, lead-acid, and lithium iron phosphate (LFP).
In 2019 an all-wheel-drive (AWD) drive robotic mower was released by Husqvarna.{{cite web|last1=Steele|first1=Billy|title=Hills can't stop this all-wheel-drive robot lawn mower|url=https://www.engadget.com/2019/02/27/husqvarna-automower-435x-awd-robotic-lawnmower-voice-control/|access-date=6 June 2019|website=Engadget |date=2019-02-27}}
Examples
File:FireFly Automatix AMP-L100 100-inch electric autonomous reel mower.jpg
File:HOOKII robotic lawn mower.jpg
File:Husqvarna Automower 305.jpg
File:Robomow 110 City 2012-06-05.jpg
File:Husqvarna Automower IMG 0982.jpg
File:Automower Solar Hybrid.jpg
File:Robomow RL1000.jpg
File:Friendly Robotics Robomow RM400.jpg
File:Husqvarna CEORA professional robotic lawn mower at Brastad Arena 4.jpg
See also
References
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