Last Updated on January 10, 2023
We’ve all been there, morning is here, and the looming thought of mowing the lawn is preventing you from getting out of bed. However, this is the only time that you have to devote to this purpose. So begrudgingly, you make your way out of the bed, only to half-heartedly mow your lawn, and the finished job shows as much.
Lawn mowing shouldn’t feel like extra work, and if you just so happen to be plagued by the same sentiments, then perhaps you should think about investing in a robot lawnmower! How does a robot lawn mower work? This article will thoroughly explain it to you along with the benefits of having one. Stay tuned and get in-depth knowledge on the growing trend that is robot lawn mowers!
Autonomous Lawn Mowers: How Do They Work?
Autonomous mowers navigate the terrain using a simplistic mapping system. Here’s an overview of how they work.
1. Users Star With Map Creation
The user decides on the area they want to cut, and then they set out a boundary wire laid around that section. This boundary is customisable to cover obstacles in the middle of the lawn. Some mowers may use geofencing technology rather than a physical wire boundary, especially as technology improves.
2. The Robot Mower Follows the Map
As the robot approaches the boundary wire, it detects the wire and changes courses in a random direction to avoid the area. At the same time, it is programmed not to leave unwanted track marks on the lawn due to repeated passes with the mower.
3. The Mower Adjusts as Needed
High-end versions of autonomous lawn mowers come equipped with 360-degree radar or laser sensors. These sensors enable the mower to detect obstacles or incoming obstacles that may be their pathway.
4. Advanced Mowers Use Sensors to Stop & Change Course
Even though most robot mowers are not remotely big enough to harm a person or an animal they run into, the robot’s automatic shutdown alarm feature makes these machines even more harmless. Additionally, the cheaper versions have collision sensors in their front bumper that reverse their direction if they hit something.
How Are Robot Mowers Powered?
We’ve talked about the functioning of a robot lawn mower, but we haven’t discussed what makes an automower tick. Below we will investigate the inner workings of these robotic lawnmowers and give the rundown on the essential components of the automower.
Battery & Motor
Within the robot, there is a battery and motor with chassis and wheels attached. It lets the robot mower find its way through any garden.
Spinning Blades
There are blades (spinning) that get powered via an onboard motor and a battery.
Perimeter Wires
A perimeter wire with low voltage forms a boundary definition.
Onboard Computer
The robot mower contains a computer system that requires minimal power. This system allows the autonomous robot to use algorithms and logic to figure out the best path for cutting; this ensures that no blade of grass goes uncut. Some mowers also include a rain sensor.
There’s much more that goes into this machine, however. We’ve only listed the vital features needed to complete the task of mowing the lawn.
What Else Do Robot Mowers Offer?
Admittedly, an automower can do more intricate tasks than the current generation of traditional lawn mowers or gardening tools available today. With that being said, manufacturers and designers have to cater to consumer demands, which present some competing requirements to do so.
It is well within the realm of possibility to build automower machines that produce an incredibly well-manicured lawn. Moreover, such a machine could do a better job of dodging obstacles or a specific area and trimming the lawn as efficiently as possible. In fact, the possibilities of where this tech can go are nearly limitless.
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Programmed Visual Lawnmower Systems
For example, programmed visual systems could recognise and detect the geography of the lawn and the height of the grass. The computer system can completely map out the lawn, seeing fit to proactively avoid both temporary and permanent obstacles that you select via a menu.
The price a company pays to manufacture an automower with that degree of complexity would certainly put the price out of reach for a majority of consumers, of course.
Affordability Is a Priority
A concerted effort has been made to design robots that effectively and safely cut the grass, cutting back on extra work. All of this is done at the same time, keeping the price competitive with standard lawn mowers.
While the prices to integrate technologically advanced features continue to trend downward, it is only a matter of time that mowers will improve. Consequently, the changes implemented in autonomous mowers will probably increase rapidly in the years to come.
Wheel Design Is Unique
Robotic lawn mowers come designed with a low centre of gravity. This feature allows them to handle significant gradients without the risk of toppling over. High-end models can traverse steep slopes with ease.
If you have a lawn with slopes and hills, then you know how much work it can be to push a conventional mower up a hill even with assistance in front of the mower itself. On the other hand, robotic mowers and their ability to mow steep slopes may encourage you to pick such models.
Wheels Are Easy on the Grass
The wheels of automower machines are a part designed to mitigate the damaging effects on the underlying grass. Since robotic mowers get used regularly, it is paramount that the wheels do not cause unnecessary damage to lawns. Most gardeners want to avoid leaving unwanted tracks in the grass, which can ruin the overall look of the lawn.
Typically the chassis of an automower has low ground clearance, and most blades are situated under the mower. This placement significantly reduces the risk of injury while ensuring all lawn areas receive a clean cut.
Boundary Systems Limit Rogue Mowers
Virtually all of the best robot lawn mowers on the market currently use boundary wire, allowing the mower to accurately and precisely detect the edge of the lawn or steer clear of your flower beds. You have to install this wire in your garden before you use the robotic mower in such areas.
On average, it takes about 1-2 hours to set up, depending on the size of your garden. If you’re worried about the wire being visible once the garden begins to grow, you can choose to bury the perimeter wire up to 20 cm under the ground so that it won’t be visible on lawns.
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Limits to Auto-Lawnmowers
Compared to a push mower, there are many noticeable differences between robot lawn mowers and standards mowers. Consider how gasoline or electric manual mowers vary from automated models.
Grass Trimming Ability
For starters, manual lawn mowers can trim a huge volume of grass for every unit of time, and therefore the blade must be extremely powerful. A robot lawn mower may also feature cutting blades that are much smaller. Moreover, they move more slowly as they cut less grass for every minute than a standard mower.
On the other hand, robot lawn mowers aren’t as loud as standard traditional mowers because conventional mowers use gas for power.
Power Limits
Less power means your mower needs to stick close to its docking station, too. But most mowers can handle a range of areas if they have unlimited time to travel around your home.
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Robotic lawn mowers get used frequently to allow the cut grass to be short enough to fall into the soil and act as fertiliser. As you can imagine, waiting too long to cut your lawn with an automower will only increase mowing time and leave too much grass in the lawn for the soil to absorb.
Things to keep in mind:
- If you change the shape of the lawn, remember that you will have to reposition the wire to match the edge of your new lawn.
- Perimeter breaks happen, whether due to burrowing animals, freeze-thaw conditions, or unintentional damage from working in your garden. Be aware of the potential problems.
The Two Cutting Systems at Work:
- Rotating cutting blades: There’s a rotating disc that has freely rotating cutting blades that are directly attached to it. Most blades are thin, about the same size as razor blades. What’s more, these mowers have a narrow cutting diameter, but they are the least noisy option.
- Solid cutting blade: There’s either one or multiple to increase the cutting width and consequently the rate at which the lawn gets cut. These are noisier and require larger batteries for the same cutting time.
Computer Programmed Navigation
Robotic lawn mowers come pre-set with a simple set of directives that signal the mower on how to proceed if it comes across the wire or another thing that blocks it.
Moreover, robotic lawnmowers contain many semi-random and fully random navigation path techniques that guarantee that the whole lawn gets mowed in a decent amount of time. Nonetheless, when the highest efficiency concerning cutting the lawn gets considered, most robot lawn mowers aren’t considered efficient.
This structure may seem like a flawed design, however seeing that robot mowers can operate seven days a week and they’re minimally disruptive, this technology works quite well. By sticking to a simple program, there are fewer system malfunctions, which pushes the prices for robot mowers lower.
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Benefits of a Robot Lawn Mower
Caring for lawns is simple when you use robots and technology as machines. Here are the benefits of using a robot at home for your lawn care needs.
Convenience
Convenience is the number one reason to buy a robotic lawn mower. The simple fact that an automower is automated puts it a step or two above its manual counterparts, for starters. The robotic lawn mower is not deterred by rain or shine. The mower will diligently perform its duties like clockwork, always starting in the same place.
These mowers will automatically go back to their charging stations, and because they are battery operated and run by electricity, they make very little noise. Therefore, it mows your lawn around the clock at no risk of disturbing your neighbours.
Eco-Friendly Benefits
No other mower on the market is as quiet and eco-friendly as the robot mower. This robotic mower significantly reduces environmental damage. A non-gas mower uses less power for recharging, though. It eliminates pollution from gasoline and greatly reduces noise pollution.
This mower puts your mind at ease when it comes to pollution. The mower doesn’t contribute at all to the 9% of the pollution that lawn tools and gasoline-powered lawn mowers are responsible for. What’s more, the cuttings that the mower provides from regularly clipping the grass acts as a fertiliser to facilitate the healthy growth of the lawn.
Robot Lawn Mower FAQs
If you still have some questions about robot lawn mowers and their technology, we have answers.
How Long Do Robotic Mowers Last?
Generally speaking, robotic mowers last for up to 10 years. It all depends on factors such as the type of grass you’re cutting, lawn size and other environmental conditions. However, if the proper maintenance is done on these mowers, a much longer lifespan is possible.
Do Robot Mowers Get Stolen?
When you consider the theft statistics, the numbers say that robotic mowers have done quite well. When it comes to safety features, there are differences between robotic mower to robotic mower depending on the company, such as some offering theft protection. It’s important to consider the make of the mower and the crime statistics of the area you live in when doing your research.
How Do Robotic Mowers Work?
It is the most common question about using automated mowers at home! To sum up, automated models function much like standard mowers, but they operate mostly independently to trim the lawn and spread grass clippings.
Robot Lawn Mowers: The Bottom Line
How does a robot lawn mower work? They save you time on lawn care and lawn mowing by autonomously mowing your lawn with no help at all from you. You free yourself from the dread of being obligated to mow your lawn. Let’s face it, we are all busy individuals, and wherever you find, a little time to save throughout a week should be sought after and captured.
Moreover, since these mowers are programmed to mow regularly, you will never have to worry about your lawn growing out of control. And with the added environmental benefits of owning an electric mower and the minimal noise pollution that you can enjoy, there’s no reason not to buy one of your very own robot mowers today!
Do you use a robot lawn mower? How was your experience using it, and what benefits did you enjoy with it? Share your tips in the comments!
Paul is the type of person who never met a problem he couldn’t fix. He can always be found tinkering with something in his house, even if it isn’t broken! His tips and tricks are often shared on our site. He’s the one you call when something breaks because he has been known to improvise fixes for everything from leaky faucets to malfunctioning dryers.