Mowbot 4.0!

The last mowbot was a hack.  They all were.  The future for the mowbot is something that will hopefully last much longer.   I'm using FreeCAD to design what I hope will become the last major iteration of the mowbot frame.

Things will be different this time... Maybe. 

Maybe a roadmap will help keep this project on track.  A timeline would probably be a good idea too.

• better balance 
• improved traction
• adjustable and removable mower
• rake attachment
• striping bar
• unified power system (gas engine charges main batteries or fully electric)

Mowbot 3.1 new toolbox

Unfortunately I ran into too many things with the mowbot and cracked the old tool box that protects the electronics. Fortunately I had a new toolbox laying around to replace it. Here are some pictures of the new hotness.



I've also added a foil insulation layer on the top to prevent sun damage, added a bumper to help me resist the urge to run into (and destroy) things, and cleaned up the controls.

Turning a free copier into ... recycling ?

Some time ago I picked up a free copier from craigslist (Sharp AR-M355N) with hopes of turning it into a 3d printer or some type of robotic project. Foolishly I was also hoping to sell some of the parts that would not be interesting to me (AR-FX12, AR-DU4, AR-MU2). Now it seems as though most of that will go to recycling. Here are some mixed tear down and eBay listing photos from the salvage operation.

It turns out that interest in buying my salvage parts on eBay was very low, well zero to be precise. Oh well, the copier was free anyway. My hopes of turning this into a 3D printer were also dashed by the lack of any high precision linear shafts or bearings or screws. There were a lot of drawer slides, though, so I might still try to make a RepStrap, JunkStrap, or DeltaBot. Here are some shots of the good stuff that I kept for making robots. There are DC steppers, motors, solenoids, wire, and photointerruptors. I even found a complete linear slide with a stepper already attached to position the slide. 

I'm still trying to figure out what to do with all of these motors, gears, and solenoids. My latest idea is a robotic orchestra or sorts. In the meantime the rest of the copier is off to recycling where it can one day become useful again.

Mowbot dies, long live edgebot

Due to unfortunate mechanical failures on my mowbot robot I was able to piece together a prototype for my long running edgebot project. Here is a video. Yes, wheelies are awesome. 

Edgebot Prototype from Daniel Epperson on Vimeo.

UPDATE: It cuts!

edgebot trimmer first run from Daniel Epperson on Vimeo.
The mowbot suffers mechanical failures from time to time that require interesting fixes. This time around the mowing deck has broken around the motor mount.

Additionally, the plate holding the carburetor to the engine has split into two pieces. This is preventing the engine from getting the proper air/fuel mixture and causing it to run erratically. I haven't been able to find a replacement mounting plate for this carb yet. I am also considering looking for a clamp-on style carb instead of this tricky plate shenanigan.

Hopefully I'll have these sorted out by the time the yard needs mowing again, as the mowbot is my only mower. 

Mowbot 2.1 solar charger

My 2013 mowbot now includes a working solar battery charging system. The batteries are full, but they only provide the propulsion, not the cutting power, so it still requires gasoline.

There have been a mess of improvements made since I last updated the "Robot Mower" page above, and I am obviously terrible at documenting things like this, so here are some nice lists for your enjoyment. 

Current feature list

• Solar power charger
• 110v wall charger
• 5ghz video feed
• Grass bagging option
• Adjustable cutting height

Future features list

• 24v alternator / generator charger
• more cameras
• remote kill servo 
• better traction (tank treads or bigger tires)

The solar panel was donated by my mom's neighbor (thanks!) and outputs around 19 volts under full sun. This thing must have been old, because it came with aluminum wiring, which I found odd. My mowbot gets propelled by 24 volt DC motors, so the panel alone won't do me much good. 

Inside the toolbox (at the front of the mower) all of the electronics sit somewhat protected from the elements. From left to right you can see the battery "fuel" gauge, charger enable/disable switch, charger ammeter, 110 volt wall charger input, brake controls and 2.4ghz receiver (RX). The antenna in the middle belongs to a 5ghz video transmitter (TX) providing a video feed to my nonexistent base station. There is also a camera mounted just under the toolbox, facing forward, providing the video stream.

On the inside of the toolbox you can see my collection of "brain" components for the mowbot, which are charging components (left side) the motor controller (middle) and power distribution. The solar panel puts out around 19 volts DC to a small red board in the middle, which steps the voltage up to 30 volts DC. Under the red board is a black box containing a DC to DC solar battery charger, which manages applying power (or not) to the batteries to maintain a full charge.

Mowbot 2.0 lives!

It has been about a year since Mowbot 1.0, or RALF, came to life, and I have not done much with it (other than mowing) for the last year. I decided to add some features, which required a new mowing deck, so I am advancing the hardware to 2.0

I started with a new deck and 1 inch square tubing.

 

 After many hours, I have added a control panel (the toolbox), grass catcher, adjustable height, and master power switch. 

It mows quite nicely, but the back wheels do not get very good traction. I will soon be swapping out the battery and control panel positions to try and put some more weight over the rear wheels.

Videos coming soon.

Robot mower roundup

I am not the only person on YouTube with a remote controlled lawn mower. It seems like more and more show up every day, so I decided to document a few of my favorites.

Lawnbot 400

This is the project that inspired me to create my own remote controlled mower. His website is here. What I liked about this mower is that it appears to have adjustable cutting deck height, and the dirt carrier on top.

One thing that I don't like about this design is how bulky the frame is compared to the size of the cutting deck. I took this design into consideration when building my mower, and it still comes to mind when I'm thinking about how to solve my rigid cutting height problems. The fit and finish on this project is top notch, and that is probably why it is listed in Make Magazine. Good work, Sir.



Lawnrover m3736

Right away I saw "Can I get this in Blue?" from the YouTube comments. This tells me that someone out there wouldn't change a thing and would enjoy this mower as is.

Based on the number of features on this mower, I suspect that this is not the first revision of this project. I'm just guessing here but the balance looks to be as such that if you sat on it, you might be able to pull wheelies! Imagine! I like the toolbox on this one as it is a great way to keep electronics safe from grass and dust and it is easy to open and get at the components if you need to.



thekruck2009 radio control lawn mower

This one deserves a name. I really like the compact size of everything on here. The little caster wheels might prove problematic when transitioning between different surfaces, but they look to be working just fine here.

There are not a lot of details posted about this project, and the viewer comments on YouTube appear to go unanswered.

I posted a question about the electrical system, but I may not get an answer. I was interested in whether the system is 12 or 24 volts. It seems like it must be a single battery at 12 volts, as I'm not sure where you would fit another battery on there. It also appears to be in the same situation as my project regarding height adjustability. I have to say it again, though, I just love how compact this one is.



DIY Robot Lawn Mower

This one is 100% custom and it represents an entire genre of custom mowers that are otherwise missing from this post. The guy combined a barbie jeep, razor blades, batteries, and an electric dog fence to create a completely autonomous mowing platform.

This device is not remote controlled, it works entirely on its own by bumping into things and turning itself a little bit each time. I think it would take ages to mow the yard based on how it moves and the fact that it is going to mow over the same tracks multiple times. I think this is a great device, though, as it is so totally different from the other projects in this category. I can really appreciate the effort that was put forth to make this, especially the custom logic board parts. Good work, Sir.