The primary task of a robotic lawn mower is to keep the lawn mowed and maintained all the time, while improving its quality over time – thanks to the positive side effects that it brings. In this article we are going to discuss some smart solutions that complement the robotic mower, to enhance quality of the lawn and/or to provide added security and convenience to the ownership aspect of a robotic mower.
- Smart Sprinkler System – The most obvious solution that would complement a robotic mower would be a smart sprinkler system. A system such as Spruce Irrigation would automate the watering of the lawn such that the user does not have to guess the amount of watering required per zone. A smart sprinkler system takes into account the kind of zone (lawn, trees, flower beds etc), temperature , weather, seasonal coefficients etc and continuously calculates the duration of time for which a zone needs to be watered. This ensures that a zone is not over or under watered, providing the right level of moisture. This enhances the positive side effects of the robotic mower as the mower’s constant mowing leaves small clippings of grass which decomposes fast and converts into nitrogen fertilizer. Proper watering ensures that the nutrients from this natural fertilizing is absorbed efficiently for healthy lawn growth. Apart from providing accurate watering requirements per zone, a smart sprinkler system also makes it easy for end users to schedule the robotic mower and sprinkler system such that their schedules do not overlap – This will avoid damage to the sprinkler heads while the mower mows the lawn.
- Soil Sensors – A smart sprinkler system typically calculates watering times based on some standard coefficients and inputs from local weather station. However, for more accuracy a soil sensor within a zone can report the exact moisture content which the sprinkler controller can use to accurately calculate the watering time for that zone. This can particularly be helpful for zones that get a lot of sunlight or too little sunlight, or for zones that have steep slopes. Even for gardeners who like their lawn short (with help of a robotic mower) in the middle of summer, a soil sensor can provide accurate feedback for increased watering time due to rapid evaporation.
- Smart Flow Meter – A flow meter helps you detect the rate of flow of water, when you sprinklers are in use. This is especially useful when your sprinkler controller can use this information to notify you proactively about any leaks when the heads or pipes are broken. A robotic lawn mower could potentially damage a sprinkler head that sticks up and fails to go in after watering cycle. Having a flow meter to catch such issues proactively would be a great benefit.
- Smart Lighting – Smart Lighting may not directly contribute to the quality of lawn, but it will definitely help towards enhancing the security of the mower while it is operating. If the mower is scheduled to mow at night, through IFTTT integration, security lights can be turned on anytime the mower has an error or even when the mower is mowing.
- Voice Assistants – Lets talk about the integrations that Husqvarna Automower provides with common voice assistants. Husqvarna Automower X-Line models come equipped with Automower Connect (for other models, it’s available as an upgrade). Automower Connect links your mower to your Amazon Alexa or Google Home device. This makes Automower a natural and fully integrated part of your home automation system. You can simply say “Alexa! Ask Automower to start mowing” and your mower can mow your lawn for you.
To learn more about these solutions, you can reach out to SmartDots at www.smart-dots.com.