Tracked Robots

Wheeled mower designs are very effective in certain circumstances. Spiked wheels can help to aerate the lawn, and the hinged design can hug the contours of an undulating lawn. With some effort they can be manufactured without access to a 3D printer. However, there are many circumstances when the wheels prove to be a problem:

• very wet conditions
• very dry conditions
• deeper holes
• off-lawn scenarios e.g. paths and patios

Climate Change is expected to cause wetter winters and hotter, drier summers, particularly in places like the UK.

A tracked design can mitigate most of the problems associated with wheels. The longer wheelbase provides a more stable platform for the vehicle, and this in turn:

• keeps the mower level when crossing lumpy ground
• keeps the mower on a straighter trajectory as the tracks don't follow contours like wheels
• keeps the cutters on a more level plane
• allows the cutters to extend further over the lawn edge, without instability
• and crucially for the Proxymow control paradigm, keeps the visual target on a more level plane

In addition, the drive motors can be placed above the baseboard, where they are better protected from debris.

When it comes to building a tracked robot mower, the design is arguably simpler than the wheeled version, as no omniwheels are required, however a 3D printer is essential in order to make the tracks.

Both wheeled and tracked robots can be added to the Proxymow server configuration without any changes to the software required. The mower software is also compatible with both designs.