Teenagers looking to earn cash cutting grass this summer could find themselves displaced by robots. Robot lawnmowers are gaining ground, and now an Italian company says its model is greener than ordinary lawnmowers. Zucchetti Centro Sistemi says its electric Ambrogio Robot recycles grass clippings back into the lawn, where they act as a natural fertilizer.
The Ambrogio Robot also uses cellular networks to connect to a mobile app that lets users control their mowers remotely. The robot uses Telit’s internet of things platform, embedded SIM cards and cellular modules.
The Telit IoT platform is a cloud-based IoT subscription service. Most IoT devices require cloud connectivity because the chips that power the devices are not big enough to store or process the data collected. The data collected by Ambrogio is used to create instructions for the robot about when and where to cut the grass. Ambrogio runs according to programmed intervals, and alternates cutting cycles with recharging.
Embedded SIM cards are used to identify the mowers on cellular networks. Telit offers pan European roaming plans for connected devices, and its SIM cards support 2G, 3G and LTE.
Telit’s IoT modules are part of the “brain” of the smart mowers. Modules include modems, analog-to-digital converters, and antennas. Modules often include integrated microcontrollers as well. In addition, the Ambrogio Robot has its own patented sensors which help it to vary blade speeds based on the height of the grass.
Zucchetti Centro Sistemi, the maker of the Ambrogio Robot, was founded as a software development company and later extended its activities into robotics, automation and renewable energy. The company has now been making robots for 17 years.
