They charge on site, some conventionally through electrical outlets and others by solar power. Langton now has a fleet of 200 robotic mowers, each about 2 by about 2.5 feet and just over a foot tall, operating in this zone. The zone comprises a large corporate campus as well as an 11-acre group of townhouses.

Mabe of AGZA, they designated a 29-acre green zone in Woodstock, which Mr. “I began to realize that we not only saved labor, but helped the environment.” “I just couldn’t find enough people to hire, and I saw robotics as a way to solve my labor problems,” said Joe Langton, president of the company. “Labor challenges” in the landscaping market are helping to bring about changes, said Kris Kiser, president and chief executive of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute.įor example, a labor shortage first propelled the Langton Group, a landscaping company in Woodstock, Ill., to make the transition to emissions-free and quieter equipment about five years ago. In the United States, a few companies have begun to offer robotic services, according to Frank Rossi, an associate professor at the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Robotic mowers are more prevalent in Europe, where yards tend to be smaller.

Like LEED certification for buildings, the AGZA designation will mean that the community or commercial area has achieved emission-free status in its green spaces. Leaf blowers, he said in an email, “are potentially quite dangerous,” because when close to the ear they “have been measured at 95 dBA.” A person standing 50 feet away is exposed to levels of 65-80 dBAs, he added.įor noise reduction alone, “robotic mowers are the biggest bang for the buck,” said Dan Mabe, the founder and president of the American Green Zone Alliance, or AGZA, a California-based consulting firm that is creating its own standards and certification for areas that move to emission-free lawn care. Any “sound above 45 dBA is likely to start having negative effects,” said John Medina, an affiliate associate professor at the University of Washington department of bioengineering.

Robot lawn mower