City Trees

the exposure to hazards like fuel spillage, objects sent flying from the blades, and mowing high-risk areas. Most of the robot mowers on the market can handle slopes ranging from 15 to 45 degrees, reducing the risk of rollover for an operator. The robot mowers have a charging station that is their base of operation. A boundary wire connects to the charging station and is run around the perim- eter of the area to be mowed, forming a loop. The boundary wire works like an electric dog fence, and the mower can be set at varying distances to stop and turn around once it registers the wire. If the area being mowed has obstacles like trees or a flower garden, a loop can be run around it and the mower will avoid colliding with the object. The robot mower has collision detection in the form of a floating frame, so if it does collide with an object, it will stop and turn around. The bigger units also use sensors to determine when an object is near and it will slow down to create a softer impact. Also coming out of the charging station are guide wires. These are used to help the robot mower find the charging station or navigate through tight and difficult areas. When the battery reaches a certain charge, the robot mower will begin looking for a signal from the charging station. After an adjustable amount of time, it will start looking for the guide wire or follow the boundary wire back to the charging station. Adjusting time spent looking for the charging station, guide wire, or boundary wire helps the robot mower find the quickest and best way back to the charging station in more complex mowing areas. When leaving the charging station, the robot mower can be set to follow the guide wire to a predeter- mined length. This is useful if you have two areas that are separated by a driveway, narrow path, etc. Timers are used to schedule the mowing when it's convenient for you. Parking lots can pose a problem with cars overhanging the curb and causing the mower to miss areas during the work week. The easy solution is to start the mower after 5:30 p.m. and have it back at the charging station by 7:00 a.m. If the need exists, it can be set to run 24 hours a day on Saturday and Sunday. 30 CityTREES When the mower is stopped, lifted, or moved outside the boundary wire, an ear-piercing alarm sounds until the pin code is entered. Security is a big feature on these devices. When the mower is stopped, lifted, or moved outside the boundary wire, an ear-piercing alarm sounds until the pin code is entered. The robot mowers have an app that can be downloaded to any mobile device that will send alerts anytime something is abnormal. Tracking can be done through the app with the global positioning system (GPS) installed in the devices. Knowing where the robot mower is at all times helps with piece of mind. The GPS also help the robot mower navigate through the lawn to ensure com- plete coverage and know where it needs to mow more frequently based on growing conditions. Given all of these examples, you may be wondering why there is not a robot mower in every yard. Just like any tool, they need to be used in the right place, and finding new and creative ways to utilize them will be up to future users. Robot mowers are an excellent example of how technology can help reduce costs, help the environment, and make operations safer. This article originally ran in the Nov/Dec 2019 issue of Utility Arborist Newsline.

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