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Pull Up a Lawn Chair and Watch the Robot Mow-the Grass
By MINDY SINK
ALTHOUGH many futurists have envisioned robots that could
relieve humans of ordinary tasks like cooking and cleaning, people must still do
most of the domestic drudge work, at least inside the house. But outdoors, the
future is here. in the form of mow-bots.
One of these devices is the Robomower, designed by Friendly Robotics,
whose United States office is in Abilene, Tex., can propel itself around the
yard, cutting the grass and even turning the clippings into mulch, eliminating
raking from the to-do list.
The Robomower Limited Edition Silver Classic has been on the market
in Israel and Europe for about 18 months and in the United States since late
last year. The latest model, the RL-500, costs $749 and will become available in
the United States in June.
Robomower is not the only robotic lawnmower around. Husqvarna. a
Swedish manufacturer, makes two robotic mowers, including one that was
introduced in 1995 and runs on solar power.
Husqvarna's machines, called the Auto Mower and. the Solar Mower,
cost $1,999 and $3,000, respectively. Installation- yes, installation -- Costs
$250 to $300.
Each of these lawnmowers needs guidance from a wire that is
installed around the perimeter of the yard; the wire is usually on the surface
of the ground, but it can be buried a few inches underground. The mowers may be
robotic, but they are not very smart. They need to be told where to go and where
not to. Each mower contains sensors that detect signals from the wire and direct
the machine to stay within the mowing area.
Even if the mowers do what they're told, they can have some
trouble with hills and tight corners,
Although robotic mowers may appeal to anyone who needs to cut the
grass, some people could benefit more than others from this hands-free approach.
"We have a lot of people who say, 'I have waited all my life
for something like this,'" said John Bunton, products manager for Friendly
Robotics. "People with allergies, disabilities, the elderly, people with
heart disease -- for the first time, a lot of these people can maintain their
own lawn."
Mr. Bunton said his company's machines, which use battery power for
both propulsion and cutting, were environmentally friendly, with none of the air
pollution and little of the noise of gas-powered mowers. He said that about 700
machines had been sold in the United States since December and that a few
thousand had been sold
abroad in the past 18 months.
The machines from both companies look a lot like canister vacuum
cleaners without hoses or attachments, The Robomower RL500 tips the scales at 71
pounds, including its rechargeable lead-acid batteries, while the Solar Mower
from Husqvarna weighs only 16 pounds.
After the Robomower mows along the perimeter one or two times, it
starts cutting from one side of the lawn to the other, moving over for each new
path. The Solar Mower and Auto Mower turn whenever they reach the perimeter,
cutting swaths of grass in angular patterns that are not repeated until all the
grass is cut.
The original Robomower can work for three hours before its fixed
battery must be recharged; the RL-500's battery, which can be removed for
recharging, works for up to two and a half hours on one charge. Husqvarna has
designed its mowers to
stay on the job, mowing small amounts at a time but mowing frequently.
A robot mower can be hazardous for children and small pets.
"It is deceptively quiet for a power tool," Mr. Bunton said,
"This has a large blade underneath it"
Although the mowers have proximity sensors so they can avoid large
obstacles, the lawn must be cleared of objects, just as it would be for an
ordinary mower, before a robotic mower begins work. "It's not going to go
around and pick things up for you" Mr. Bunton said, "You have to make
sure the hose is picked up, large limbs, toys, flip flops."
The Robomower has a manual mode, but it is hardly the familiar push
mowing of the past. The user simply follows the mower while holding a remote
control keypad that is attached to the Robomower by a cord. That lets the user
guide the mower without breaking a sweat.
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