Consumer robotics doesn't have to be limited to expensive doggie
droids or PC-controlled utility
machines. We found a robot that mows your lawn, and it doesn't even
require the operator's presence during operation. The $700 Robomower
from Friendly Robotics, which cuts grass within a predefined area,
disproves the notion that contemporary home automatons are impractical.
The manual reads: "Congratulations! You have just purchased an
advanced and sophisticated home lawn-mowing robot." Admittedly, we
were skeptical at first. The yellow-bullet-looking mower measures 18 by
24 by 42 inches, weighs 121 pounds and runs on a rechargeable battery.
Constructed of molded plastic with a series of touch and sound
sensors lining its perimeter, the Robomower is impeccably designed. In
addition to a height-adjustable front wheel and LCD control screen, the
back-heavy mower has an 18-inch blade underneath it.
This is a green machine: It's programmed to cut a few centimeters of
grass each time and to insert the mown grass in between the grass
blades, to be recycled as compost.
Parked in my cubicle before the lawn test, the Robomower took on a
personality of its own, attracting scores of fellow workers. Questions
were posed: "Is it radio-controlled?" "Can you ride
it?" "Will it vacuum the carpet?" No, no, and no. Unlike
many robots whose paths need to be predefined, the Robomower simply mows
back and forth diagonally until the job is done. Of course, it needs to
be contained, and that's where the perimeter wire comes in.
But before we could scope out the Robomower's capabilities, we needed
to find a sizable patch of yard in a mostly lawnless San Francisco.
Luckily, we discovered an open stretch of grass on the newly residential
Treasure Island (formerly a naval base).
The Robomower comes with a wired remote control for easy transport
from the garage, or in our case, from the office. The remote comes in
handy if you decide to manually mow your lawn. But what's the point,
when you can sit back and relax?
Defining a yard's border is painless. Simply peg up to 650 feet of
the thin guide wire along the perimeter using an included yardstick to
measure the distance from the plants, trees, or other obstacles. If
there's a tree in the middle of your yard, wire around it.
This "perimeter island" prevents the Robomower from
striking an obstacle it cannot detect, by sensing low voltage emanating
from the wire. In addition, the Robomower has several ultrasonic
proximity sensors and contact pressure sensors that stop its progress
when activated.
The robot also stops when it's tilted at an angle of over 20 degrees
in automatic mowing mode. Because of these safety precautions, toys,
children, and pets are unlikely to become mower fodder.
