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Alan3354
User Rank
Iron
Re: The ultimate in weekend convenience
Alan3354   9/5/2012 10:53:08 AM
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I'm reminded of Robert Persig's comments.

We have a riding power mower with a sunshade to cut the grass.

Inside the house, we have an exercise bicycle with a sun lamp attached.

Watashi
User Rank
Platinum
Re: AstroTurf
Watashi   9/5/2012 10:52:03 AM
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The chasing cats and dogs would be entertaining.

Why not arm it with a paintball gun and it can pull double duty as lawn mower and security guard!  More features to justify that price tag. 

Of course being French, it would just surrender to intruders.

Rob Spiegel
User Rank
Blogger
Re: Be still my heart!
Rob Spiegel   9/5/2012 10:47:06 AM
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I agree, Nadine. The beauty of solar power here is that on rainy days -- when the solar power would be weak -- you wouldn't be mowing your lawn anyway. You're right about the cost making this a tool only for very large lawns. But if this catches on, we'll see competition and the price will come down.

Tweet
User Rank
Iron
Unfair to ASIMO...
Tweet   9/5/2012 10:35:31 AM
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I'm waiting for the Lawn Mowing software update for ASIMO. Then he can push my existing mower around. In the meantime I'll be reloading some 12 gauge with rock salt for the security system.

PizzaEater
User Rank
Silver
What if you have a dog, who does what all dogs doo?
PizzaEater   9/5/2012 10:34:41 AM
NO RATINGS
Will it avoid where you dog has been?  Or will it spread said fertilizer around the yard and back into the garage?

BillyBob
User Rank
Iron
Re: AstroTurf
BillyBob   9/5/2012 9:59:25 AM
NO RATINGS
There is a certain coolness factor in owning a lawn mowing robot.  Certainly, you could program it to chase the cats and dogs off your property for obvious reasons.

Larry M
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Be still my heart!
Larry M   9/5/2012 9:55:07 AM
You didn't read the part where, as soon as it leaves the ground it shuts down and cannot be re-started without a PIN entry? Just like the fancy car radios which are no longer being stolen because they self-disable when removed from the dash.

BillyBob
User Rank
Iron
AstroTurf
BillyBob   9/5/2012 9:51:37 AM
NO RATINGS
Astroturf is green all year round.  No maintenance.  No need for $2600 robot mower.  You don't have to hear whining from your kid because you will never ask (tell) him or her to mow or weed.  The city water conservationists will be happy as well.  How can you top that?

didymus7
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Honda Robot
didymus7   9/5/2012 9:35:21 AM
NO RATINGS
roThe article says that the robot works by a 'perimeter wire', which I take to mean that you will be implanting a wire in the ground around the area you want to be mowed, so your tulips are safe (unless you want them gone).  This gives rise to the question, what about small circular flower areas within a lawn?  Can you put a perimeter wire around the whole area and then around every area with flowers within the large perimeter?  At which point will this little toe-clippiing machine get confused? 

agriego
User Rank
Gold
Re: The ultimate in weekend convenience
agriego   9/5/2012 9:31:15 AM
NO RATINGS
I saw this article about the Miimo, and it says the price point is about $2600.00. With a price like that, it will be a while before we see neighborhoods transformed by roving bands of robotic mowers. From a liability standpoint, it's probably okay for the back yard, but leaving something like this running around unattended in the front yard is just asking for trouble. I'll stick my my traditional mower.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/21/miimo-lawn-mower_n_1815412.html

 

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