Asimo has a friend! Honda debuts Miimo robotic lawnmower
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Asimo has a friend! Honda debuts Miimo robotic lawnmower
Wasn't sure where this belongs, but thought it was kinda cool. A Roomba for the lawn!
Gallery:
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/honda...photo-5221822/
People who know me say that if it weren't for Autoblog, I'd probably be running a site called Mowerblog. I'm unusual in that lawn mowing, to me, is a form of relaxation, a hobby like knitting or racquetball is for someone else. As such, I try to buy the best equipment, and that means there's a Honda mower in my garage.
You didn't know? The company that builds the Accord and Civic are to lawn mowers what Lamborghini is to cars. But today, Honda has introduced a new mower called Miimo that takes me out of the equation entirely. Miimo is an autonomous robotic mower that Honda will be selling in the European market only (for now) starting in 2013.
Miimo runs on power supplied by its lithium-ion battery pack and, just like a Roomba robotic vacuum, will return to its charging station for a fresh batch of electrons when it runs out. Upon purchase, an authorized installer will set up the charging station, as well as run the boundary wire around the perimeter of the yard in which Miimo has to stay. The mower can operate in a random pattern (again, like a Roomba), a directional mode where it mows back and forth in lines, or a combination of the two. As for safety, Miimo has bump sensors so it won't break any potted plants, and if lifted off the ground, its blades will automatically stop and starting up again requires entering a unique PIN number.
Miimo will come in two models, 300 and 500, which refer to their maximum perimeter cuts, and according to Honda, a 500 can mow up to 3,000 square meters or three quarters of an acre. Honda hasn't mentioned pricing, but going by the cost of its push mowers in the U.S., Europeans should expect to pay a premium for giving Asimo's best friend a home.
Will the Miimo replace my HRX217VKA? Probably not anytime soon. While the market for robotic lawnmowers is growing, especially with green-conscious homeowners searching for less-polluting lawn care equipment, human supervision is still required and, at least for people like me, buying a Miimo would mean giving up those precious few hours a week where I can't hear the rest of the world over the sound of the blades.
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/08/21/a...tic-lawnmower/
Asimo has a friend! Honda debuts Miimo robotic lawnmower
Gallery:
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/honda...photo-5221822/
People who know me say that if it weren't for Autoblog, I'd probably be running a site called Mowerblog. I'm unusual in that lawn mowing, to me, is a form of relaxation, a hobby like knitting or racquetball is for someone else. As such, I try to buy the best equipment, and that means there's a Honda mower in my garage.
You didn't know? The company that builds the Accord and Civic are to lawn mowers what Lamborghini is to cars. But today, Honda has introduced a new mower called Miimo that takes me out of the equation entirely. Miimo is an autonomous robotic mower that Honda will be selling in the European market only (for now) starting in 2013.
Miimo runs on power supplied by its lithium-ion battery pack and, just like a Roomba robotic vacuum, will return to its charging station for a fresh batch of electrons when it runs out. Upon purchase, an authorized installer will set up the charging station, as well as run the boundary wire around the perimeter of the yard in which Miimo has to stay. The mower can operate in a random pattern (again, like a Roomba), a directional mode where it mows back and forth in lines, or a combination of the two. As for safety, Miimo has bump sensors so it won't break any potted plants, and if lifted off the ground, its blades will automatically stop and starting up again requires entering a unique PIN number.
Miimo will come in two models, 300 and 500, which refer to their maximum perimeter cuts, and according to Honda, a 500 can mow up to 3,000 square meters or three quarters of an acre. Honda hasn't mentioned pricing, but going by the cost of its push mowers in the U.S., Europeans should expect to pay a premium for giving Asimo's best friend a home.
Will the Miimo replace my HRX217VKA? Probably not anytime soon. While the market for robotic lawnmowers is growing, especially with green-conscious homeowners searching for less-polluting lawn care equipment, human supervision is still required and, at least for people like me, buying a Miimo would mean giving up those precious few hours a week where I can't hear the rest of the world over the sound of the blades.
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/08/21/a...tic-lawnmower/
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,363
Likes: 2
From: Ontario
Pricing is mentioned in this news link:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/techn...rticle4491351/
Still too expensive. I was one of the first ones to order a roomba in Canada directly from iRobot and I had paid close to $700 in 2001. No way I am paying $2500 for this.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/techn...rticle4491351/
Still too expensive. I was one of the first ones to order a roomba in Canada directly from iRobot and I had paid close to $700 in 2001. No way I am paying $2500 for this.
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 42,476
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From: California
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Lexus Champion
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,781
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From: al
Husky has had one out for a while now, but still too expensive:
http://www.husqvarna.com/us/products...or-homeowners/
John Deere as well:
http://www.deere.com/wps/dcom/en_INT.../tango_e5.page
there are quite a few companies now that offer robotic lawn mowers, some way more pricey than others.
http://www.husqvarna.com/us/products...or-homeowners/
John Deere as well:
http://www.deere.com/wps/dcom/en_INT.../tango_e5.page
there are quite a few companies now that offer robotic lawn mowers, some way more pricey than others.
Last edited by Marklouis; Aug 22, 2012 at 02:30 PM.
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