3D printing and robotic lawn mowers are both relatively new technology, but with the speed at which advancements
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German engineer Andreas Haeuser designed the Ardumower, as it is known, to be easy to assemble and use, and cheap to build, costing around £200 compared to around £1,000 for a low end off-the-shelf model. The Ardumower is powered by a 12v rechargeable battery, and controlled by an Arduino Uno (hence the name) and open source software. This allows people with coding knowledge to set up their mower to do whatever they want it to, including returning to the base station when it is dark, or to alter the cutting height remotely. These code changes can be shared with other users, allowing for fast moving functionality changes without having to wait for a manufacturer to build a new unit, and crucially, without having to shell out a considerable amount of money for it.
Of course, like any robotic lawn mower the Ardumower needs a boundary fence to operate in, but this only needs to be set up once and then all lawn mower activity is automated, leaving you free to do other things and enjoy the fruits of your labour. The digital files will set you back $12 and the rest of the cost lies in the materials and batteries that you will need to complete the build. If you are interested in 3D printing and electronic engineering you may already have most of the parts you need, making the build even cheaper. You may never mow manually again!
3D printing has also helped a victim of a lawn mower accident. 6-year-old greyhound Romina, from Mexico, was injured by a lawn mower and lost the use of her front legs. Although veterinary surgeons were able to rebuild one leg with titanium plates, the other was too badly damaged to be saved and had to be amputated. Romina can use her front right leg, but it is almost welded straight, and her missing left leg is being replaced with a prosthetic limb that mimics the anatomy of her original legs. Vets are using 3D printing technology to develop the prototype, which will be made in aluminium when it is finalised and tested. They hope to be able to use the same technology to help other animals missing limbs, even turtles (although they are unlikely to have been in an accident with a lawn mower!). We’re not sure how Romina would react to a 3D printed lawn mower after losing a leg to a push along mower, but as the cutting blade is plastic and therefore could not hurt her, and uses the same technology as her new leg, we think she might approve.