Project 17 · Robotics / Grounds Maintenance

Autonomous Zero-Turn Lawn Mower System

Ground-up Autonomous Platform for Commercial Grounds

Industry
Robotics / Grounds Maintenance
Services
Robotics Electronics Mechanical Engineering
TRL
2 → 8
Duration
11 months
Technologies
Differential drive LiDAR GNSS RTK ROS 2
Sensor coverage envelope
Figure 1 — 360-degree sensor envelope diagram.
ROS 2 stack graph
Figure 2 — ROS 2 node graph (sensors → perception → planning → control).
Coverage plan map
Figure 3 — Property coverage plan with no-go zones.
Real-world Autonomous Zero-Turn Lawn Mower System installation
Figure 4 — Real-world deployment.

Project background

A full ground-up autonomous zero-turn mower was commissioned for commercial grounds-maintenance operators who needed higher productivity per labor hour across large properties.

Challenge

Delivering ride-on-class cutting performance from an autonomous platform — including slope handling, edge-following, and debris tolerance — while keeping the safety case defensible. Managing runtime and recharging across long workdays.

Approach & solution

We architected the vehicle around a robust differential-drive platform with redundant safety sensors and a ROS 2 software stack. LiDAR and vision provide 360° awareness, while RTK GNSS anchors absolute position. Coverage planning respects no-go zones, slope limits, and operator-defined priorities.

Results & benefits

Prototype units completed real properties end-to-end without operator intervention, handling typical obstacles and edge cases. Runtime was long enough to support practical commercial duty cycles between charges.

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