If you don't think mowing the lawn is fun, you might like this new mower. The machine designed to get the job done for you just got better.
First introduced in 2007, LawnBott is a gas-free, robotic lawnmower that can be programmed to work completely by itself. This is similar to the automatic vacuum cleaner the Roomba.
Just as the Roomba can take care of multiple rooms, the LawnBott can be set to work on up to three different zones, such as your front lawn, side grass, and backyard. It can trim grass for three to five hours on a single charge. Once the job is done or the battery is running low, the device automatically returns to its "home," where it can recharge itself.
The LawnBott uses a flat blade to cut and mulch grass at the same time. The 2009 models of the LawnBott selectively come with many possible upgrades, such as a bigger chassis, more powerful engine, better software, and smarter technology.
For example, the new models now can navigate slopes of up to 27 degrees, and the LB3500 model can maintain a large yard area up to 40,000 square feet. They can also come with a rain detector that will make the machine automatically go "home" when rain is detected.
According to its manufacturer, the LawnBott uses about $7 to $10 worth of electricity a year.
I don't know about its effectiveness as a lawnmower, but this sure is a cool toy. It's an expensive one, too. The cheapest model of the robotic mower, the LB2110, costs around $2,000. The flagship LB3500 model costs another $1,500.
Robotic lawnmowers are getting to be so common that they even come in hybrid versions and, for our colleagues at Crave UK, commemorative St. George's Day editions. But to be honest, they're not exactly the kind of robots we envisioned.
The "Mega Dynamizer," on the other hand, is more like it. The little guy seen in the accompanying video works tirelessly with nary a complaint, according to TechEBlog, providing both entertainment and doing the job "with reasonable effectiveness--at least until it runs into a doghouse." That's when the real fun begins anyway.
(Credit:
Uncrate)
The "Automower Solar Hybrid" it's not, but this manually operated mower is nonetheless claiming to do its part for the environment by running on electricity instead of gasoline.
Neuton makes a line of emission-free push mowers that are powered by 24-volt batteries and run for 45 to 60 minutes on a charge, according to Uncrate. They could be a decent alternative for those Nervous Nellie homeowners who eschew robo-mowers for fear that they'll be stolen.
Perhaps its most unusual mowing characteristic, however, is that it's silent. Which will be a disappointment to surly teenagers protesting their chore duties.
Teenagers, persuade your parents to buy this lawnmower and you can get your weekend afternoons back. The LawnBott seems to have some competition.
The Auto Mower from Husqvarna eliminates noise, hassle and is environmentally more friendly than your average gas-powered lawnmower.
(Credit:
Husqvarna Auto Mower)
It works similarly to the Roomba robot vacuum in that it self-charges at a docking station, navigates on its own and can be set to run on schedule. You shallowly bury a boundary wire around the general perimeter of your lawn and any gardens to let the machine know its limits. It can handle inclines, rain and simply reverses itself when it bumps into things like trees.
While the $2,000 sticker might present some shock, compare it with the fuel costs your average $200 to $400 mower sucks up or the fees of a landscaping service. The Auto Mower runs on a rechargeable nickel metal hydride battery that can mow for about four to six hours between charges.
Since it's quiet, you can set the Auto Mower to run at night. In fact, the company says it only needs to be set up once at the beginning of the season and then can be left on its own to mow and charge. Safety sensors stop the blades--which only spin while the machine is in motion--when the machine is lifted off the ground.
But the Auto Mower isn't yet widely available. Only a few stores in the U.S. currently sell it, and one of them is a computer store.
Lawnmower
(Credit: Productivity Inc.)
Bike helmet
(Credit: BIAOR)No, it's not a bike helmet. Quite the opposite in a way, because that implies way more activity than we're accustomed to. That's why this item is dedicated to the "LawnBott," a gadget close to our artery-hardened heart because it allows us to further our pursuit of laziness.
A kind of Roomba for grass, this gadget mows the lawn for up to four hours and conveniently returns itself to its recharging dock, never interrupting a single mint julep in the process. Have a big lawn, you say? Not a problem: The LawnBott covers 33,000 square feet on a single charge, according to SCI FI Tech. The only downside is the price, which ranges from $1,749 for a base model to $2,899 for a deluxe version that's even Bluetooth-compatible. On the other hand, you'll never have to find and pay another neighborhood kid again to do the chore.
And lest it begin to take on a life of its own, this bot can still be controlled (we hope) by a remote. Just don't accidentally pick it up while channel surfing in the middle of the night.
- prev
- 1
- next
