By Madelyn Ostendorf
You’ve heard of robotic vacuums, but have you heard of robotic mowers? Adam Thoms (’06 horticulture), associate professor of horticulture and turfgrass management specialist, is researching robotic mowers, focusing on how they affect the quality and performance of turfgrass.
“With my extension position, I hear all the time that people want to incorporate a robotic mower in their turf or lawn care but don't know how it will work or affect their process,” Thoms says. “That’s the heart of the research we are doing.”
During the past two years, Thoms and Zackary Messer (’23 agronomy, horticulture), a horticulture graduate student and turf manager at Iowa State’s Horticulture Research Station, have found no significant difference in using a robotic mower versus a traditional one when it comes to impacting turfgrass quality.
Implementing robotic mowers has proven successful, from athletic turf maintenance to home lawn care. Not only is there little demonstrated negative impact on the quality of the cut, but in many cases, there is an increase in efficiency, both in time and cost. The mower's path and frequency can be controlled from an app, freeing up time for turfgrass professionals to do other tasks.
For example, Thoms says robotic mowers, also called autonomous mowers, have gained traction at golf courses. Golf course superintendents can set the mower on its path and use the time they’d normally spend mowing to check the sprinkler system, monitor plants for disease or do landscaping.
“It's not going to take jobs away from humans because whoever's taking care of that facility can focus on other things,” Thoms says.
Coming to a lawn near you
Messer says robotic mowers are becoming more popular for residential lawns. A bonus is robotic mowers are electric, making them much quieter than their traditional counterparts. They can run at almost any time without bothering neighbors.
Robotic mowers also make possible the ability to mow lawns more frequently, keeping grass at an ideal height rather than risking going too long in between cuttings, resulting in taller grass to mow. Thoms says removing more than a third of the grass can weaken the plant.
“The technology in these mowers is continually improving,” Messer says. “It’s already impressive how quiet and intuitive it is, and it can tell where obstacles are to avoid getting caught. I check the app once a week to make sure the mower is all tuned up, otherwise it does its thing.”