Robots ready to take on lawn mowing

Why pay the kids to do a bad job of mowing the lawn when you can have a robot do it well for you?

The Stihl iMOW is fully automated once it has been set up using GPS to map out and plot a route across a lawn.

The top model is suitable for a one-acre section, handling slopes of up to 24 degrees and mowing for up to 150 minutes on a single charge.

When it runs out of battery power, the iMOW automatically heads back to its outdoor docking station to recharge.

Warkworth Stihl shop manager Mike Bremner says the store is looking at introducing the iMOW next year, pending research on its viability in the New Zealand market.

“In general, automation of outdoor equipment is the trend, especially in Europe where the uptake is high,” he says.