Any guess what this is?

[Ford850]

A few months ago I drove by a steep grassy hill sloping down to the road from a cemetery. I didn't notice until I was passing it and it began to move, but it was a large remote mower of some sort. It was within 50' of me but I only caught a glimpse of it, and I think it was a Spider. I have no idea where the operator was but it creeped me out seeing it make a turn and move back up the hill like a 6' beetle with no one in sight.

 

[fordmantpw]

I would LOVE to have one of those! I used to enjoy mowing the yard, but my allergies have gotten to the point where it takes me out for two days after cutting grass in the early spring. I'm not sure how it would work on my 2 acres though.

 

[kenmac]

Then, about 20 mintues later walking back down the hill, I look over and it's stuck in a rut it created:laughing:

View attachment 574908

0800, no one home, at least a 2 grand remote mower stuck in a ditch just moving back and forth until someone gets home.

This mower is waaaay cheaper than my two sons that use to cut my grass.
feeding, clothing, send them to school, college, vehicles, etc,. I would have been ahead big time with one of these

 

[Fuddy1952]

This mower is waaaay cheaper than my two sons that use to cut my grass.
feeding, clothing, send them to school, college, vehicles, etc,. I would have been ahead big time with one of these

But then you wouldn't have the fun of making it.

 

[/pine]

FWIW...Several years ago Honeywell had an R&D contract with one of the big golf course maintenance co...(may have been Toro)...to design an autonomous mowing system...
...At any rate the project was shut down when the system could not meet the control guidelines that kept the machines to a 4cm stray limit...

BTW, Honeywell was the contractor that designed the guidance systems (GPS and Inertial) for the F-35...

 

[MossRoad]

FWIW...Several years ago Honeywell had an R&D contract with one of the big golf course maintenance co...(may have been Toro)...to design an autonomous mowing system...
...At any rate the project was shut down when the system could not meet the control guidelines that kept the machines to a 4cm stray limit...

BTW, Honeywell was the contractor that designed the guidance systems (GPS and Inertial) for the F-35...

Funny you mention that, because the entire F-35 fleet is currently grounded again.

If they can't do lawnmowers, what makes us think they can do stealth aircraft?

 

[MossRoad]

Lawnmowing brought to you by Cyberdyne Systems...

 

[Fuddy1952]

Maybe it's just me but I'd rather mow grass that watch TV. The robot mowers look like they just run around at random rather than cutting back and forth.
Years ago I remember seeing the equivalent "redneck" system simply by using a self propelled mower tied with a rope to a driven stake in center of yard, spirally cutting as it wound around stake.

 

[Sigarms]

Funny you mention that, because the entire F-35 fleet is currently grounded again.

If they can't do lawnmowers, what makes us think they can do stealth aircraft?

Remember the good old T87 mercury t-stat everyone use to have on the wall? Same company, different division. They used their RedLINK wireless technology from their security alarm division and applied it to their thermostats. Pretty bombproof other than guys in HVAC always get RedLINK, wireless and Wi-Fi mixed up with each other laying out jobs LOL

 

[kenmac]

Remember the good old T87 mercury t-stat everyone use to have on the wall?

Remember ? lol I still have one on the wall !