Internet-enabled Robot to Mow Lawns 194
prostoalex writes "Researchers at Massey University in New Zealand built a lawnmower operated via the Internet. The device currently needs physical boundaries of the lawn, but later this year it will be able to navigate. Here's the page of Glenn Bright, the researcher quoted in the article, unfortunately, the links to the research group and list of projects appear to be broken."
Operated via the internet? (Score:1, Insightful)
Is that a good idea?
One script kiddie, and you could lose a few toes!
Re:this is also old... (Score:3, Insightful)
2 of your reasons are based on money... if you can afford a mowbot, you can afford *$5* to some neighborhood kid that will use his own lawnmower and gas... (wear and tear on your mowbot would probably be equal, plus you would have to put the money up front just to HAVE it!)
so money as a reason: NO.
next: navigation.
if you want to control your lawmower, PUSH IT. if you want a radio control lawnmower, those are available. the reason to have this mowbot is unattended mowing.
so navigation as a reason: NO.
now the vacation one is interesting... yes you are gone for a month, and being able to go to mymower.com and send it out would be nice. downside: you would have to leave it out in your yard with a power source (battery) that will probably die by month end. also because after you say "MOW MY LAWN" it has to be outside or able to get outside to mow it and go around your yard. what i'm getting at: someone is going to steal your lawnmower. solution: GPS TRACKING! now we have a $2,000 lawnmower that is going to get stole, that needs to be manually overridden to work right, just so we can save $5 and help a hard working kid make a few bucks.
friend, you are a moron.