Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!hobbes.physics.uiowa.edu!news.iastate.edu!IASTATE.EDU!mikef
From: mikef@IASTATE.EDU (Fahrion Michael J)
Subject: Re: CALM (computer-aided lawn mowing)
Message-ID: <1991Jun23.150009@IASTATE.EDU>
Keywords: feasibility, beer
Sender: news@news.iastate.edu (USENET News System)
Reply-To: mikef@IASTATE.EDU (Fahrion Michael J)
Organization: Iowa State University
References: <1991Jun20.192334.24623@auto-trol.com> <20073@csli.Stanford.EDU> <27089@ttidca.TTI.COM>
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Date: Sun, 23 Jun 1991 20:00:09 GMT
Lines: 17


Funny, I was just discussing this the other day with an M.E. colleage.  Our idea
was more commercial application, businesses with large, mostly obstacle-free
lawns.  The idea was to replace the $4k-10k lawn tractors used by these
companies.

We were thinking electric, very small path, and very slow.  The system would run
at night, until it ran out of charge.  Then hopefully have a solar charge cycle
during the day.  The buried boundary idea was favored, also with a cut
grass/uncut grass sensor system and some intelligence (microprocessor) to keep
it running straight (relative to the last path), reverse directions at the end
of each pass, and to sense simple obstacles.

Theres some definate problems, and it sounds like similar attempts have already
been made, but I'd say there's still something to it.

mikef