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Why some people mow a lawn better than others

pudding.cool

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Re: Why some people mow a lawn better than others

#81

Post by cortesoft »

LocalH wrote: post #45
cortesoft wrote: post #3

This is a very different problem than actual efficiency when mowing a lawn or vacuuming a rub. Turning takes more work and time, and you miss a part of the 'square' when you are turning (the arc of the curve is not a straight line). In addition, vacuums especially have an area at the edge of the machine that is not cleaned as well, which is why you want a bit of overlap in your lines. Plus, when mowing a lawn, you of…

> and you miss a part of the 'square' when you are turning (the arc of the curve is not a straight line) This can heavily be mitigated through technique. If you walk straight and just turn? Yeah, the corner is missed. If you explicitly come to a stop and do your best to do a full 90-degree turn before moving? The only curve there is going to come from the shape of the blade, and is almost guaranteed to be a tighter c…

> Yes, it takes longer. But if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right, even if it takes twice as long, no?

This is debatable, but either way it is the opposite of the purpose of this article, which is about 'efficiency' in mowing.

Also, even if you do it very carefully, and walk a perfect 90 degree turn, you are still going to have an arc. You wont mow the whole 'square' like in the game.

Re: Why some people mow a lawn better than others

#85

Post by peterabbitcook »

crylo wrote: post #79

> Sarah, an avid gamer, seemed to recognize this strategy immediately. As soon as I read this, I immediately thought of the puzzle in the last gym of the Gen 3 Pokémon games (Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald). It was a big ice platform that cracked after stepping on it once, and backtracking meant falling through the ice and having to start all over again.

It made me think of the “step on all the colored tiles without crossing your path” puzzles in Links Awakening!

I wonder how the optimal path changes if turns are penalized as well as steps - in real life turning a lawnmower takes a lot more effort than moving the same spot twice in a straight line.

Re: Why some people mow a lawn better than others

#86

Post by ijjtpt »

In addition to the obvious things already mentioned, the authors miss a subtle but important point. Regardless of one’s preferences for efficiency, turning, patterns, grooves, etc.. once you are done mowing the lawn you don’t just leave the mower in the yard and go to sleep. Their ‘perfect’ solutions take 11 steps longer than finishing on the right.

Re: Why some people mow a lawn better than others

#88

Post by sunrunner »

gdhkgdhkvff wrote: post #55
sunrunner wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> hitting with a (relatively) blunt object in the first place Well there's your problem right there.

Lawn mower blades are meant to be somewhat blunt. Like a butter knife. Too sharp and the blade will chip away on the harder materials.

That I did not know. I still wouldn't stick a finger near one of course.

Re: Why some people mow a lawn better than others

#89

Post by sunrunner »

Finnucane wrote: post #67
sunrunner wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And not enough people are reacting to the rocks that should just be removed in the first place to make the optimised algorithm a lot simpler. And I thought I was on HN.

There's a spot where you could just lift up the mower over the rocks to get from one side to the other. Or at least, that's how I would have done, but I have a tiny lawn and a reel mower.

I used to do it as a side wheelie for small enough rocks. Good enough, and made me feel like a pro mower when I was younger.
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