this post was submitted on 24 Aug 2025
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cross-posted from: https://programming.dev/post/36230046

YouTube Video.

Let's be honest: The current generation of robotic lawn mowers sucks. Basically all of these bots drive in a random direction until they hit the border of the lawn, rotate for a randomized duration and repeat. I think we can do better!

Therefore, we have disassembled the cheapest off-the-shelf robotic mower we could find (YardForce Classic 500) and were surprised that the hardware itself is actually quite decent:

  • Geared sensored brushless motors for the wheels
  • A sensored brushless motor for the mower motor itself
  • The whole construction seems robust, waterproof and all in all thought through
  • All components are connected using standard connectors, therefore upgrading the hardware is easily possible.

The bottom line is: The bot itself is surprisingly high quality and doesn't need to be changed at all. We just need some better software in there.

top 13 comments
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[–] DarkAri@lemmy.blahaj.zone 12 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

I have a similar idea for one day when we can actually use the government for good again. We should build a low bandwidth nationwide digital radio network. Not owned by corporations but by the people. Include things like rtk capability by default. The telecomms and isps will try to fight this with billions of inflation dollars, but if we do manage to get this in, everyone could have access to the internet at low speeds without paying, and it would be relativly easy to maintain. An open standard that would allow many cool technologies like robotics that are much safer and precise.

Potential aplications are, nonsibscription medical devices, realtime rtk everywhere, a huge boon for construction with a standard coordinate system. Documenting things like underground cables and pipes easily. Property lines. Self driving cars that can communicate with each other and work together. Access to the internet and communications for the poor. Cheap animal tracking collars. Drones that can fly across the country without needing a data plan. So many things. It would be an efficency gain accross the entire economy.

[–] scytale@piefed.zip 2 points 4 hours ago

I just bought a Mammotion robot mower 2 months ago. It’s been working well and I only have minor complaints. I definitely would’ve looked into this if I hadn’t gotten my mower yet. Note that so far the author can only guarantee it works on only one model, the one they tested it on.

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 8 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) (3 children)

I need this but for Roombas.

[–] digger@lemmy.ca 21 points 6 hours ago (2 children)
[–] friend_of_satan@lemmy.world 9 points 6 hours ago

It's so ironic that valetudo doesn't support roomba considering roombas used to be a hackable robotics platform, even selling the robots without the vacuum components, with many models of vacuums shipping with serial ports right on top.

[–] besmtt@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago

Been using valetudo for years. Love it.

[–] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 14 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

The world has needed it for printers for decades.

[–] hemmes@lemmy.world 3 points 6 hours ago

OMG, yes please 🙏

[–] Decq@lemmy.world 4 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Hasn't this problem long been solved in roomba's? Mine is about 8 years old and it doesn't go around randomly. I assumed all new models don't do that anymore, except for some very cheap off brand vacuum robots.

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 8 points 6 hours ago

I mean the open firmware. And mine is older.