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From: Radey Shouman <shouman@comcast.net>
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Subject: Re: rec tech mower
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2025 20:34:52 -0400
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Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> writes:

> On 4/15/2025 2:33 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
>> On Tue, 15 Apr 2025 13:29:16 -0400, Frank Krygowski
>> <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>> 
>>> On 4/15/2025 8:39 AM, AMuzi wrote:
>>>> On 4/14/2025 9:48 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:
>>>> I'm not an expert but there were or are corded electrics as I knew
>>>> someone who loved his. Assuming your house is roughly centered on the
>>>> lot a 100ft cord would do.
>>>
>>> I know those exist, but there's no way it would work. I just counted,
>>> and there are at least 13 "islands" of landscaping, large trees or other
>>> obstacles I have to cut around. They'd require far too much
>>> backtracking, etc. if I were dragging a cord.
>> Perhaps a robot lawn mower that goes around the trees?
>> <https://www.google.com/search?q=robotic%20lawn%20mower&udm=2>
>> <https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=robot%20lawn%20mower>
>
> I've been paying attention to the development of those for
> years. There are now a couple models that don't require the buried
> wire barrier systems (like Invisible Fences for dogs), but use some
> local electronics that enhance GPS for precise location. Supposedly
> one can manually steer the mower around the lot and "teach" it where
> to mow and what to avoid. They're quite pricey, though! I've got about
> 25,000 square feet to mow, and the Luba brand capable of that is about
> $3000. That would get me a lot of teenager hours, if I can recruit a
> new one. Also, its level of technology makes me worry about long term
> reliability.
>
> I had a thought about a simpler alternative that would require far
> less technology. I'm not a guy that wants beautiful lawn stripes, so I
> usually mow by cutting the perimeter clockwise, then working my way
> inward, always straddling the boundary between "that's cut" and
> "that's not cut." Seems that a self propelled mower should be able to
> do most of that on its own, if it could reliably tell the difference
> between "cut" and "not yet cut." The "steering" logic seems pretty
> simple, based on separate drives for the left wheel and right wheel
> (or perhaps, left and right "tank tracks" to handle lawn lumps and
> holes).
>
> But I haven't been able to dream up a sensor system, especially
> because in dry times, there will be patches that are very non-uniform
> height. (My lawn is a diverse ecosystem, the farthest thing from a
> putting green.) Machine vision could probably do it, but that's very
> complex.

Get some sheep, for crying out loud.  I understand it's sometimes
possible to rent them, since you don't have the acreage to feed them
full time, and there's nothing sadder than a single, solitary sheep.

--