How Do Robot Mowers Work?
Bob Rogers
Much of the technology behind robotic lawn mowers is actually quite simple and has been available for many years.
But in the past the economic realities made using advanced technology in a commercial lawn mower prohibitively expensive.
Robot lawn mower companies need to be able to compete on a reasonably level playing field with traditional petrol-powered mowers; now, as technology has reduced in price, they can.
Robot lawn mowers look something like the current range of modern vacuum cleaners and feature small cutting blades or a cutting disc.
A robot mower runs on lithium-ion batteries that are recharged from a charging base powered from your home AC power supply.
Nearly all current models use a charged perimeter wire which the mower can detect with sensors to keep the mower within preset boundaries.