The Panthera Leo can cut grass for 2 hours before needing a recharge.
(Credit: Husqvarna)The Hank Hills of the world won't be impressed, but Husqvarna revealed a concept riding lawn mower that runs on electricity. The Panthera Leo's lithium phosphate battery can power the mower's five motors for 2 hours of cutting time before it needs a recharge from any AC outlet. Along with the quiet operation afforded by the electric motors, Husqvarna fits it with sound-absorbing cutting decks to minimize the noise from the blades cutting grass.
The Panthera Leo has a futuristic style to complement its technology.
(Credit: Husqvarna)Similar to a three-head rotary razor, the Panthera Leo uses three cutting decks suspended independently, so it can cut evenly over bumpy terrain. Each cutting deck has its own motor, while two other motors drive the front wheels. As a further nod to its green theme, this riding mower is built from recycled materials.
The mower's futuristic look comes from the steering wheel and controls, mounted on an arm that attaches to the base of the unit, giving the driver easy visibility all the way around. Paddles on the steering wheel aren't for an F1 style gearbox, instead controlling the cutting decks. An LCD keeps the driver informed about the mower's speed, cutting height, and sensor input about objects around the mower.
Husqvarna says the Panthera Leo could be put into production in five years, so Hank Hill won't feel any pressure to give up his Mason 1500 just yet.
Husqvarna plans to show off a solar-powered version of its robotic lawnmower this weekend at the Green Industry and Equipment Expo 2008.
The Stockholm, Sweden-based company originally announced the robot last spring in Europe. This will be its U.S. debut. And what better place to tout a new robotic lawnmower than at a green expo in Kentucky, a state famous for its grass?
Like its original robotic lawnmower, Husqvarna's Automower Solar Hybrid is capable of autonomously maintaining a property of up to a half acre and runs on a rechargeable nickel metal hydride battery.
(Credit:
Husqvarna)
The 22-pound robot works from a perimeter set with a wire that is slightly buried or staked in place below the grass-cutting level.
If the robot is set to mow during daylight--and honestly, how many people mow at night?--the Solar Hybrid version can draw on solar power while it does its job, extending the time between recharges.
Like the original Husqvarna Automower, the Solar Hybrid version has built-in safety features. The robot automatically shuts off its blades if the mower is lifted, can be locked, has an alarm to deter theft, and uses sensors to work around large objects such as lawn furniture.
Are people going to shell out the cash for a robotic lawnmower given the state of the economy?
Considering how expensive lawn services or gasoline for a regular mower can be, the robot might actually be the more frugal option over the long run. We'll have to wait and see once Husqvarna reveals the price. The original Automower sells for about $2,000.
Last year's model hard at work
(Credit: Husqvarna)Sure, your neighbor may have already put in his order for the next year's hybrid coupe, but what's he using to mow the lawn? Now you can scoff at his old pollution machine while you roll out your shiny new solar-powered model--and best of all, you can watch it do its thing while sipping a martini on the deck.
Not only does the "Automower Solar Hybrid" combine solar energy and electricity while navigating itself around the perimeter, according to Sweden's Husqvarna, but it's also 90 percent recyclable and has no exhaust emissions. The company is no stranger to robo-mower business, which has already seen competition from the "LawnBott" and other automated clippers: It introduced its previous model just last summer, touting its environmentally friendly features then as well.
Between this and "Falco" robo-raptor to keep away the crows, lawn care may soon become a spectator sport.
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