We thought the rider fell off or something and it was going to crash. Then it turned and kept mowing. Park Roomba!

Another picture:

  • Emil Muzz@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    My curiosity got the best of me, here’s the link to Wright: https://www.wrightmfg.com/products/mowers/commercial/stand-on/robotic-zk/

    The Mower

    • 40HP Vanguard Engine
    • Hydro-Gear Smartec Drive-By-Wire 12cc
    • 15.5 Gallon Fuel Capacity
    • Centimeter-level accurate RTK GPS
    • Commercial-grade Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)
    • Depth-sensing object detection cameras
    • Rock-solid wireless emergency stop
    • Remote control mode
    • Live Greenzie support: Call for support while in the field for real-time fixes.

    The Software

    • Mow the boundary once, and the mower fills in the rest
    • Remembers maps and can repeat them when you come back. Just place it in the previous boundary.
    • Create no-go zones that will be saved with your map to avoid hitting hard-to-see obstacles like drain covers or small pipes sticking out of the ground.
    • Record and repeat: Record yourself mowing the entire property, and the mower will replicate your movement.
    • Manage the mower with the controller or a smart device in real-time.
    • Advanced fleet support: See how your fleet is performing. Replay entire jobs, not just a dot on the map.
    • Run multiple units at once.
    • Set the stripe angle (for those stunning cross-hatch patterns)
    • Seamless automatic updates
        • Wrench@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          Depends on how much maintenance it requires. And someone is going to need to be paid to deploy it and watch it to ensure that nobody fucks with it and that it doesn’t eat some park sunbather or something. And to make sure the grounds are clear of debris. Etc.

          Don’t think you can count on just removing a salary here.

      • glimse@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        If you want one for your own yard, there are significantly cheaper options. The husqvarna automower is under $1000 and can be integrated into Home Assistant. I’ve seen a lot of positive opinions about it in the HA communities

        • 0110010001100010@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          Nah, my yard is tiny and I don’t mind mowing it. I have a Ryobi battery mower so it’s super-easy to do. If I ever move somewhere with a bigger yard though I would seriously consider it. Especially as I already have Home Assistant running!

          • I_Miss_Daniel@lemmy.world
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            6 months ago

            Hello fellow Ryobi mower owner. Or as I call it, my $500 gym membership.

            I have a big old ride on mower as well but hate all the noise and the smell of exhaust, so rather just take three times as long pushing the Ryobi about.

            Nothing quite like the satisfying thwack when it eats a small blackberry bush or snaps a runaway wysteria tendril.

            • 0110010001100010@lemmy.world
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              6 months ago

              At least the Ryobi is super-lightweight! I can easily carry it out of my garage and even with the battery it’s far lighter to push around than a gas mower. I’m hard on blades though with so many sticks and pine cones, no matter how many I pick up I always miss some.

              • I_Miss_Daniel@lemmy.world
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                6 months ago

                I agree nice and light.

                It’s not really equivalent to a gym membership, although I have to do a fair bit of Hungy Hippo’ing if I leave it for too long.

          • glimse@lemmy.world
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            6 months ago

            I’m about to move into my first home with a yard and I’ve been debating it. I have terrible allergies and even though I really wanted to as a kid, I couldn’t mow the lawn because I’d have snot running down my face half way through.

            I haven’t had a reason to try again for a couple decades but I was gifted a mower so I’m gonna try doing it myself this summer. If it’s bad and I can’t find a local kid to hire, automower it is!

            • 0110010001100010@lemmy.world
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              6 months ago

              Oh my allergies are horrible too, I just make sure to take a Sudafed (can’t recall the generic name) before I start. I love that stuff, we always keep a stash around especially as you have to get it from the pharmacy and they don’t keep very much stock it seems.

              • glimse@lemmy.world
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                6 months ago

                Ohh Sudafed and I are already well acquainted lol

                But if I have to take drugs just to mow the lawn, I’m definitely looking at alternatives.

        • TexasDrunk@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          Yeah, there’s a $600 model where you have to put in wire and the lowest price RTK is about $1k. I’ve got people in my neighborhood with both and they’ve both said good things about it.

    • ikidd@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      I built an autosteer called AgOpenGPS for our tractors that pretty much does this. Cost about $1000 per unit. We still sit in the tractor because there’s a hell of a lot going on besides steering the tractor, but it will drive the entire field without intervention.

    • LesserAbe@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      At a quick glance on that site I didn’t see any information about safety. Did you come across anything?

      I guess there is the line about object sensors, but would like to know a little more before deploying something with rotating blades (which is still pretty cool, don’t get me wrong)

      • The Pantser@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        And can it avoid running over trash? Because if they automate the mowing you better believe nobody is out picking up the trash before mowing. And are they paying someone to ensure nobody vandalizes the machine so the cost savings is moot.

        • Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works
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          6 months ago

          Well hopefully they bought one of those flame throwing robot dogs that sits crouching in the woods in case someone tries to spray paint a penis on this thing.

    • Everythingispenguins@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      Okay somehow the words rock solid wireless emergency stop seem oxymoronic. I don’t care how it was programmed what wireless communication system uses or anything else. I have a hard time believing wireless emergency stops can be foolproof.

      • PraiseTheSoup@lemm.ee
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        6 months ago

        We know they can’t. Unfortunately the target demographic for this mower probably doesn’t care if the e-stop works.