Eco-Friendly Automower Solar Hybrid – The World’s First Solar Powered Robot Lawnmower

Lawns are great but, for all the freedom to roam they grant you, your children and Schumacher the tortoise, they, much unlike my hair, unfortunately have the a somewhat annoying habit of growing – but, thanks to this Automower Solar Hybrid robot lawn mower you may never actually have to get involved with mowing your lawn ever again (thus leaving you free for other, more important things, such as cracking open another cold beer).

Billed as being ‘the world’s first dollar electric hybrid lawn mower’, the Automower Solar Hybrid – which was designed at the Husqvarna Global Design Centre in Sweden and is manufactured in Aycliffe, UK – will power itself around your lawn for around 45 minutes before running low on juice – at which point the clever fellow will make its way back automatically to its recharging station for a quick, free feed courtesy of the Sun’s rays. Additionally the Automower Solar Hybrid also sports solar panels on its back which can be used to supplement the device’s charge if the Sun happens to have put in an appearance whilst the bot is away from its charging station on a grass cutting mission.

According to the official product site the Automower Solar Hybrid is suitable for lawns sized up to 2,100 meters and, if you happen to live in an area known for having residents with particularly light fingers its nice to know that the device comes with an integrated PIN code based alarm system – just in case someone decides to try to spirit your lawn mowing bot away when you’re not looking.

Automower Solar Hybrid Specifications:

• Maximum working area capacity: 2100 m²
• Area capacity per hour: 87,5 m²
• Navigation system: Irregular
• Charging system :Automatic
• Maximum incline inside working area: 35%
• Maximum incline at boundary wire: 10 %
• Keypad: 19 buttons
• Information panel: LCD display with settings menu
• Battery type: NiMH
• Battery capacity: 2,2 Ah
• Battery voltage: 18 V
• Charging current: 1,75 A
• Drive & blade motor type: Brushless DC motor
• Cutting system: 3 pivoting razor blades
• Cutting height: min-max 20-60 mm
• Cutting width: 22 cm
• Sound level: measured: 63 dB(A), guaranteed: 69 dB(A)
• Lift sensor
• Tilt sensor
• PIN code Alarm

As with all devices designed specifically to free you up from labour intensive chores, the Automower Solar Hybrid comes at quite a premium – circa £2000 ($4030) – but, for those that have money to burn who would rather not employ someone else to undertake the task, it’s sure to prove a great time saver. Just make sure that Schumacher the tortoise is safely housed prior to the Automower being let loose as the consequences of a chance meeting between the two don’t bear thinking about.

Automower [via Gizmodo UK]