Self-driving lawn mower developed in Central Florida

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Researchers at Embry-Riddle have developed a self-driving lawn mower that is intended to keep people safe.

The mower looks like a typical grass cutter.

“This particular mower is a new phase of research for the Florida Department of Transportation,” said Eric Coyle of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

The mower works the same way as the driverless car that has been tested for years on Florida roads. It scans its surroundings constantly and knows where it's going.

The mower technology is even more difficult, researchers said. Not only does the mower have to drive itself, it has to cut the grass at proper levels and stay out of the flowers.

"Currently we're looking into the requirements to the sensing capabilities of this mower so we can identify the things we need to see, areas where grass has been cut, where it hasn't been cut, identify the roadways and avoid going onto the roadways,” said Coyle.

The mower though could also end up being a lifesaver, said Coyle.

Mowing medians in the state can be very risky, and mowing grass at airports during the day is dangerous for planes because it stirs up birds.

Eyewitness News found out workers have trouble cutting grass at night because the airports can't use excessive lighting, which throws off the pilots.

The driverless mower doesn't need light to see.

Channel 9’s Jamie Holmes asked if the mower could take away jobs. Researchers said the mower will still be operated by people, but they just won’t be in harm’s way.

“It's not taking away jobs, it's improving the quality of the jobs they're doing. (It’s) potentially even creating a higher- paying job for those individuals,” said Coyle.

Researchers said workers could monitor the mower from a safe location, much like a drone operator.

The testing phase will last a year. An on-the-marker version that is on the market is about three years away.

Contact Jamie Holmes for more on this story.

Cox Media Group