Robots Taking Over the Yard

Robotic lawn mowers can save time and money. Slope Care makes the Dvorak Spider ILD02, a remote control mower that can handle slopes up to 55 degrees. Photo Courtesy of Slope Care

If Dale Johnson mows his yard after going to bed, he's not sleep walking. A robotic lawn mower trims Johnson's grass multiple times per week, and it doesn't need eyes to supervise it.

''Cuts every bit of it,'' Johnson said. ''Never missed a spot. Looks beautiful.'' It's likely Johnson is the first homeowner in Decatur, Ga. to employ a robotic mower, but based on growing sales and the practical and economic advantages of the machines, the computerized clippers could become common.

Among the selling points for the LawnBott, which comes in four models priced $1,600 to $3,600, is that it doesn't need gas or oil and uses about $12 worth of electricity yearly for Johnson's model.

Other models are even more efficient, with energy bills as low as $8 annually. The electric motor also makes little noise, so it can operate at night, while its owners and neighbors sleep.

Customers range from tech-savvy engineers -- including two NASA engineers in Huntsville -- to the elderly who never owned a computer.

Their reasons also vary. Some simply don't like cutting grass; some say it's cheaper than buying a higher-end riding mower or hiring a lawn service.

The top competitor is Husqvarna, which has four robot mowers ranging in price from $1,300 to a $3,000 solar-powered model.

Used by state Motorists traveling Northwest Alabama highways may have already seen a robotic mower in action. The Alabama Department of Transportation Division 2 uses a robotic mower on steep slopes as a safety precaution. The $38,000 machine can work on 35-to-41-degree angles.

Besides convenience, you could expect robotic mower sales to climb as the government puts tighter regulations on the gas engines that power conventional mowers.

- Courtesy of TMCnet.com