cross-posted from: https://programming.dev/post/36230046
Let’s be honest: The current generation of robotic lawn mowers sucks. Basically all of these bots drive in a random direction until they hit the border of the lawn, rotate for a randomized duration and repeat. I think we can do better!
Therefore, we have disassembled the cheapest off-the-shelf robotic mower we could find (YardForce Classic 500) and were surprised that the hardware itself is actually quite decent:
- Geared sensored brushless motors for the wheels
- A sensored brushless motor for the mower motor itself
- The whole construction seems robust, waterproof and all in all thought through
- All components are connected using standard connectors, therefore upgrading the hardware is easily possible.
The bottom line is: The bot itself is surprisingly high quality and doesn’t need to be changed at all. We just need some better software in there.
I’ve followed this project, and they’re very limited on the off-the-shelf mowers that are supported.
Frankly, I’d prefer a generic version that lets me slap some servos against the wheels on a basic cordless mower and drive it around with differential steering. I don’t need it to look pretty, I just want it to cut my grass.
Actually, they seem to be launching into a new phase of compatibility, with a version 2 component set being discussed on their website that has much broader capabilities.