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OpenMower – An open source lawn mower

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Re: OpenMower – An open source lawn mower

#81

Post by reitanuki »

cuu508 wrote: post #79
boomskats wrote: post #74

So is this like Valetudo[0] but for mowers? Very cool! I wonder how much overlap / shared code there is between robot vacuums and robot mowers. [0]: https://valetudo.cloud/

Unlike Valetudo, this uses the chassis and the motor of the lawn mower, but completely replaces electronics.

The Mowgli project is reusing the mainboard of the original lawnmower (might be enhanced with a RPi though). It's not currently as well-baked (or at least, well-trodden) as the default OpenMower approach which does indeed involve ripping out the mainboard and replacing it.

Re: OpenMower – An open source lawn mower

#82

Post by lm28469 »

WillAdams wrote: post #5
WalterBright wrote: post #3

My dad's solution was simple: "Mow the lawn!" directed at me.

My solution has been even simpler --- I just use a reel mower (on an admittedly small lawn, ~1/3rd of an acre) --- it's a decent workout, esp. when I strive to finish quickly. (the one time I asked my son to cut the grass he broke the reel mower)

I'm on the scythe team, it's quite relaxing and a good workout, 0 noise, almost no insect/animals killed. Sure it's slow, but you can skip the gym for a few days after mowing, it hits my abs harder than 200kg dealifts or a day of rock climbing. < $100 for a top of the line that will serve you, your kids and their kids

Re: OpenMower – An open source lawn mower

#83

Post by WillAdams »

conductr wrote: post #27
WillAdams wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My solution has been even simpler --- I just use a reel mower (on an admittedly small lawn, ~1/3rd of an acre) --- it's a decent workout, esp. when I strive to finish quickly. (the one time I asked my son to cut the grass he broke the reel mower)

I made another comment about it but consider adding a drivetrain. My v1 was RC but then I added lidar when I got tired of driving it by controller.

If it becomes easier to do, then I get less exercise --- getting the Fiskars w/ the chain drive gearing was as much reduction as I can justify.

Re: OpenMower – An open source lawn mower

#84

Post by pabs3 »

jeremysalwen wrote: post #66
lionkor wrote: post #63

CC-BY-SA 4.0 is an interesting choice. I know this isn't a ShowHN, but was this chosen because it's copyleft, but hardware?

The hardware+software used to both be under that same non commercial cc license, but there was recently a relicense of the software to GPL3. I think the goal is to just prevent someone else from profiting off of Clemens's work without him (while still allowing community use).

The GPLv3 does allow profiting off his work though, so that might not be the best choice of license. Especially since hardware vendors often deliberately don't comply with the GPL, and the only recourse is an expensive lawsuit.

Re: OpenMower – An open source lawn mower

#85

Post by WillAdams »

jabl wrote: post #39
ornel wrote: post #31

Lawn mowing seems like such a useless thing. I mean domestic lawns themselves, especially in a crisis of biodiversity loss, are such a waste of possibility. I had to stop the video when I saw the mower was going for a patch of clovers, thus reducing plant diversity to a single boring, useless species

Indeed. Sure, lawns do have their place, like for playing sports or for kids to play around. But otherwise, what a waste. Just plant some local flowers or whatever and have a meadow. As an example, at some point my father stopped bothering to mow his lawn all the time (basically only once per year). It's now a nice meadow with all kinds of grasses. Frogs, butterflies, dragonflies, bees like it. An additional issue wi…

That's only an option in areas where the township will allow it.

Big reason to cut the grass is to keep pests away from the house.

That said, I rather consciously arrange deadfall along one steep bank between our house and that of a neighbor so as to encourage/foster lightning bug egg laying/larvae/pupae.

Re: OpenMower – An open source lawn mower

#86

Post by lukan »

reitanuki wrote: post #80
lukan wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anything having lots of rpm ain't silent. Especially not at night. So they surely ain't as loud as a combustion lawn mower and are pretty silent in comparison, so maybe you won't notice them in the city with its background noise. But in rural areas I perceive them as noisy even on daylight with normal noise level. And I never saw anyone using them at night - for a reason. And as for gp .. he is already shadowbanned a…

Can only disagree there (I built an OpenMower based on a SA650B), in a rural area, also cannot hear it from about 10m away, even at night. Though I don't run it at night except when it is just finishing up from the afternoon

Either there is a new generation of ultra silent mowers, or we have vastly different hearing levels.

Edit: but I only know of mowers noise level from what I experience walking around, I don't own one, nor did I research that model number. Maybe I will.

Re: OpenMower – An open source lawn mower

#87

Post by toolis »

ornel wrote: post #31

Lawn mowing seems like such a useless thing. I mean domestic lawns themselves, especially in a crisis of biodiversity loss, are such a waste of possibility. I had to stop the video when I saw the mower was going for a patch of clovers, thus reducing plant diversity to a single boring, useless species

clowers work only if you never use the lawn, even with mild foot traffic it just dies off and you are left with patch of mud. all the biodiverse no lawn movement only works in pinterest photos and chronically online subredits. my lawn is for recreational activities outdoors, hard to do that in the mud or grass taller than my 7 year old.

Re: OpenMower – An open source lawn mower

#88

Post by swores »

pabs3 wrote: post #84
jeremysalwen wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The hardware+software used to both be under that same non commercial cc license, but there was recently a relicense of the software to GPL3. I think the goal is to just prevent someone else from profiting off of Clemens's work without him (while still allowing community use).

The GPLv3 does allow profiting off his work though, so that might not be the best choice of license. Especially since hardware vendors often deliberately don't comply with the GPL, and the only recourse is an expensive lawsuit.

> "hardware vendors often deliberately don't comply with the GPL, and the only recourse is an expensive lawsuit."

Isn't that unrelated to exact license choice, and going to be the case with any software that's wants to be open source but not allow commercial use?

There's no license or wording in a license that can change the fact that, if you let people get the source for non-commercial use, there's nothing except the threat of lawsuits to stop anyone from ignoring the license and using it commercially.

Re: OpenMower – An open source lawn mower

#89

Post by swores »

unwind wrote: post #53
deckar01 wrote: post #24

I have been dreaming of small solar robots that quietly trim the grass all day. Static blades pulled across the grass in short bursts. RC orchestration guided by security cameras.

Wouldn't the small solar robot have to move pretty fast in order for the blade to be able to cut through grass? I can't imagine cutting grass very effectively by just (manually) dragging a knife through it, it will just bend out of the way instead of cut won't it?

Well scythes are a typical way to cut grass, and they are basically just swinging a blade to do it - they just use a long handle to make it easy to move the blade fast enough.

https://m.youtube.com/results?search_query=scythe+grass+cut

(I've no idea about the physics of required speed or blade sharpness, so don't know how feasible or not a robot cutting this way would be.)

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