Cutting-Edge DIY Robotics

Summer is here, and for many of us that means long, sun-soaked days filled with freedom and adventure. It is a season where the world seems to slow down while we enjoy the warmth and light that stretches into the late evening. Beach trips, barbecues, and outdoor activities fill our weekends as we connect with nature and each other. The scent of sunscreen and fresh-cut grass fills the air. Wait a minute … grass? Few things can snap us out of an idyllic daydream so fast as the thought of toiling in the yard week after week as the scorching sun beats down on us. So much for the summer plans!

Or maybe not. We are hackers, after all. When we have a problem, we solve it. YouTuber Nerdy Things came up with an interesting solution to the problem of summertime lawn maintenance. Rather than pushing that clunky old mower around, Nerdy Things decided to build a remote-controlled lawn mowing robot called Lawny. With the help of Lawny, one can sit in the shade sipping lemonade and scrolling through Hackster projects while the robot does all of the real work.

This may sound like a major build, but it is actually fairly simple and uses mostly off-the-shelf components. Lawny is built into a custom wooden case with an optional but highly recommended face painted on the front. Inside this case, there is a Raspberry Pi 5 single-board computer that is used to process sensor data, control the motors, and support wireless communication. A Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3 was also included to give an FPV view of what Lawny sees so that you do not have to get up from your chair when it goes around to the back of the house.

The vehicle is driven by a pair of seven-inch wheels (studded with wood screws for grip) that are powered by windshield wiper motors. Steering is achieved by differential rotation of these wheels. A third caster wheel gives Lawny stability as it zooms around the lawn. To actually trim the grass, an electric grass cutter mower is attached to a steel trimmer head. Power is supplied to the motors via a 12 volt, 9AH battery, and a 5 volt, 3AH USB battery bank powers the Raspberry Pi and other electronics.

The robot is controlled via a smartphone app wirelessly over Wi-Fi. A user can see the FPV video stream provided by the camera, and also steer the mower. This setup works quite well, however, Lawny was designed for fairly light-duty work. If you keep up with the mowing, things should go pretty well, but if the grass has gotten a bit wild, Lawny might struggle. You may need to upgrade the motors and wheels depending on the difficulty level of mowing your yard. I have a feeling that the thick St. Augustine grass commonly found in Florida, for example, would eat Lawny for lunch without a few enhancements.

As previously noted, this build is actually a lot simpler than it may seem at first. If you have a few weekends free, building your own Lawny is probably an achievable goal. Make sure you watch the video for some more tips and inspiration from Nerdy Things.