No setup and no human interaction — that’s the goal of researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC) as they work to improve John Deere’s Tango robotic lawn mower. 

Currently, the battery-powered mower requires the use of boundary wires and other set-up. According to a story in ChicagoInno, here are the improvements: “By equipping the Tango lawn mower with the university's omnidirectional-vision-based system, the team at UIUC is helping the device better navigate a plot of land by making cleaner, straighter lines and noticing things like rocks and other obstructions. The project, which was presented last month at the IEEE International Conference for Robotics and Automation, is nearing completion and is currently being tested at the John Deere Technology Innovation Center and in John Deere employees' yards, according to the university.”

The researches have been developing the technology for about 3 years.

The underlying theme is that mowing is a hassle, but what do your customers think? Many dealers have told us that rural lifestylers and homeowners alike enjoy the time they spend mowing and take pride in their machines. Perhaps the technology might be an appealing option for landscapers to increase their productivity.

Share your comments on which of your customers would be interested in purchasing this improved robotic mower.