ArduMower Do It Yourself Robotic Mower!

Everyone knows them, some already have one: a robotic mower! You can purchase them, sometimes they are ‘intelligent’, sometimes they are simply silly. Very often, they are missing an important piece: adding your own ideas to the robot’s ‘brain’. That’s the idea of this project (’Ardumower’): Making a new ‘brain’ available for every robot mower in the universe!

In the following robot lawn mowers, 'Ardumower' has been used successfully already:

Ambrogio L50 (with Ardumower board)
Rotenbach SPM08-320 (with Ardumower board)
Tianchen TC-G158 (with original Tianchen board)
“Sven's Mäh-Roboter” (with “DFRduino Romeo-All in one” board)
Robomow RL500 (with DIY board)

Ardumower operates in a 'Rotenbach SPM08-320' (Video link):

RC-Controll

Handy Controll

At first it was just ideas for the selection of electronic components for a simple, modular robot mower system including motor driver, sensors and microcontroller. Meanwhile, the project has developed a universal control software which can you can adapt to your own mower robot. There is also a forum available where you can input your own ideas/suggestions and download the Arduino software.


Objectives of the project:

low-cost, ready-made components (amount < 50 EUR), replacable (à la RC model: stick together receiver, controller, motor, servo !)
Little soldering - easy programming
only the minimum of components (keep it simple!)
detailed instructions for building
offering a construction kit (ready 'Ardumower-kits') with all modules, components etc. for purchasing
Arduino-Code for download
Finding a producer for a robot chassis ('Ardumower' chassis)

Questions/help for building/Ideas?
We are sure you have questions (and we are already waiting for them) - we will help you in a professional manner in the Forum

New Video :)

Comments

[randalosgood]

Sorry, can't be 'nice' here as they have not been so to me. DON'T make it. I spent a boatload of retirement money to buy the thing, and got large amount of parts in exchange. Those parts were not complete, and multiple sets of incomplete and out-of-date instructions, badly translated from German by non-German speakers, did not help. No real international support, but have to admit that maybe if you speak German you could make sense of the original instructions. The parts came incomplete, and for multiple versions of the same model. I had to buy considerable amounts of my own parts at my own expense to soldier on trying to build it. Finally gave up, and asked for a refund. They said no problem, ship it back to us, we'll deduct any parts used, and send you a check. So I did ship it all back - for $700! And now it sits in German customs because they won't answer the phone regarding it. All it is is a bunch of laser-cut plastic boards and a handful of electronics off the shelf. If you think you can build it then be my guest, but why pay the premium when simple instructions are lacking.

[JoshuaG179]

Where are the instructions/components list?

[ilham.asadov]

Seems like this is an abandoned page. I’m looking to build one too, hoped there will be some useful material here. Do you mind joining efforts and sharing info if you found something useful?

[Balto]

I'm trying to make my own version of a robot mower that's a lot different what you made and from other company, it does has similar functions like other robot mowers but different, how would I make sure to avoid a copyright law even though it's different.

[macrumpton]

Unless you are going to manufacture it and sell it for a profit, making your own copy of an existing robomower is no problem. To see if you are duplicating someone elses work, you can try looking in google patents for similar ideas.

[modulart]

Hello, is there a list of materials todownload and instructions on how to build it?
Thanks

[Bob Bowie]

I have built a remote controlled lawnmower that I use each week to mow my yard.

I would like to make this mower robotic. My thought has been to add

software/hardware to allow 2 modes: 1) learn mode using remote control, then

2) playback, robot mode placing the mower in the same starting point as

positioned in learn mode. Can this be accomplished with your hardware/software?

[mvanwynsberghe]

Cool project I've been looking to try this myself, only the site itself is very hard to understand what's needed to build your own. I've looked at the forum and found 815 Euro for the basic set.

Still a lot of money to experiment with. It should be more around 200-400 to make it interesting and get me to go and order.

[Madscientisttgenius]

Why doesnt it go in a straight line back and forth

[ArduMower]

This works with the help of a compass and odometry,
We are now working on a map.
http://www.ardumower.de/index.php/de/forum/navigation-odmetrie-gps/773-particle-filter?limitstart=0

[kingofl337]

What signal do use run down the buried wire for the sound sensors?

[eddy57]

Very nice project

[techbitar]

Good work.