Project
Mobimower
Modular autonomy retrofit · commercial zero-turn platform
Could a commercially available zero-turn mower be retrofitted with modular autonomy components without redesigning the underlying vehicle platform?
Prototype iteration
Areas explored
Architecture
System overview
┌─────────────┐ serial ┌──────────┐ USB ┌─────────────┐
│ RTK GPS │ ──────────────► │ Arduino │ ──────────► │ Host / UI │
│ receiver │ │ bridge │ │ (Android) │
└─────────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────┬──────┘
│
┌───────────────────────────────────────────┘
▼
┌───────────────┐ CAN / GPIO ┌────────────────┐
│ Control layer │ ◄──────────────────►│ Mower actuators │
└───────────────┘ └────────────────┘
▲
┌───────┴───────┐
│ Safety override│
└───────────────┘ Key engineering challenges
Constraints & tradeoffs
Tree canopy & RTK
Repeatability under multipath — months of iteration before first successful fix.
Battery chemistry
48V lead-acid vs Li-ion: surge current, weight, and range tradeoffs.
Controller migration
VX3 → phone-based stack: externalized controls and new failure modes.
Human override
Any autonomy path must preserve immediate operator stop.
Project log
Posts & experiments
Related posts and experiment logs for this project.
AI tools implemented in the Mobimower project
I had mentioned in my last post that I would add AI to my project next. Here is an update on this project. The video below has the details. Under that is a summ…
Significant milestone - Mower controls externalized
In my last blog on the robotic lawn mower, I had indicated that I rewrote the old Python code using AI. Since then I have refactored the entire codebase and mad…
RTK GPS
Success! As a part of the mobimower project, my goal was to implement centimeter level accuracy using GPS for navigation. Finally after months of research and f…
Mobimower — project overview
Why Mobimower exists, the problems it solves, how the platform works, prototype evolution from 0.1 to 3.0, and the tools and technologies used in the build.
Replacing lead acid battery with lithium battery
Apr-29-2023 This weekend I changed the battery on my lawn mower to a lithium battery. Not counting the research and preparation, it was about 2 hours of work. T…
Washers - how they aid in mechanical fastening
Why am I talking about washers? Almost lost a wheel and could have ran the mower into the pool because the mower did not have any kind of washers at the wheel h…
Lawn mower battery - repair
Continuing from my battery replacement project from here , after a few days of installing the new lithium battery, I realized it needed a new cell. More details…
vlog- mobimower update - 4-8-2022
Minor setback. But chugging along .
