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Photos: (Above left) Plants Creative Landscapes (Above right) Color Burst Landscapes


go wrong and they need to be reset,” Mosely says. “We have combatted that using the Fleet Services app and training all of our management, like PCMs and the crew leaders, to be vigilant and if you see a property that has a mower that’s not in the charging station and not mov- ing, so if it’s just sitting still in the yard, something’s wrong.” Previously, Plants Creative wouldn’t


know if there was a problem with the mower until a customer called to say the mower hadn’t moved in three days. This season, they sent out a postcard to customers giving them the steps on how to reset the mower if they notice it’s not operating. Mosley says there’s a wide spectrum of


reasons the mower might stop running, including a kid coming up and hitting the stop button. It could get stuck in a mulch bed or hung up on a toy in the yard.


KEYTAKEAWAYS


 Robotic mowers don’t replace labor but allow you to redeploy team members to more spe- cialized tasks.


 The nature of properties will determine the useful- ness of deploying robotic mowers.


 While robotic mowers will become more prev- alent over time, humans will always be needed in the field.


 It is best to test out robotic mowers early on so you know where to implement them in your operations.


32 The Edge //July/August 2024


Another limitation manufacturers are


working to overcome is the dependence on guidewires or GPS. “As far as robotics go, we’re always


looking to see what’s coming out, but Husqvarna Automowers had a lot more time in R&D,” Mosely says. “The next big- gest thing in robotics is going to be the wireless installs. So once that technology gets better, we’ll definitely be interested in that.” Herold says they chose to build in common sense into their robotic mow- ers via AI so there is no need to map the site prior and the robot is not dependent on GPS like other models. “We want to be the open-source,


tech-enabled landscaping business,” Herold says. “Open-source meaning here’s what we’re doing. Here’s how we’re doing it. Here’s access to the same tools that we’re building because at the end of the day, our goal is to really to upskill the industry with technology.”


EYE ON THE FUTURE For the companies already using robotic mowers, they are all open to future robotic innovations. Willams says Color Burst intends to utilize additional robotic and autonomous applications. “The adjustment to the iMows, and the success we have seen with them certainly does have us thinking about what else we might be able to use robot- ics to simplify,” Chetwynd says. “If larger units came out, we would certainly be


interested. Robot edgers would probably also be on our wishlist. In short, having the iMows here has made the team comfortable with the idea of investing in this sort of technology, and looking actively for ways it can bring efficiency to our operation.” Herold says they are focused on


automizing the first beachhead, which is mowing. “I would say anything, any tool that is mechanized, 1,000% will be in our product pipeline,” Herold says. Despite a willingness to add on more


robots to their team, these businesses agree there will always be need for a human touch in the landscape. “While robotic mowers excel at mowing grass and are likely to take on additional tasks in the future, manual oversight will remain essential,” Williams says. “Tasks such as detailing flower beds, hand pruning, and engaging with customers will always require human intervention.” Chetwynd encourages landscape companies with limited staff who are better utilized elsewhere to consider using a robot for repetitive tasks like mowing. As robotic mower technology ad-


vances, Williams it’s best to stay ahead of the learning curve and lead the way in pioneering this technology. “It’s coming, whether you like it or


not,” Blinten says. “So best to think about it now and get your toe in the water. In four years, if you’re not on board, you’ll be behind everybody else.” TE


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