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Robot Lawnmower Being Tested at City Hall
By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 8, 2009
Modified Sep 8, 2009
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By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 8, 2009
Modified Sep 8, 2009
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The Parks Department says it's not trying to replace its well-paid union workers with a fleet of efficient, obedient, tireless robot lawnmowers, but why has a new Husqvarna Automower been busy cutting the grass at City Hall? Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe tells the Daily News, "It's on loan from the manufacturer for just a few weeks. We're trying it out to see how it works." At the same time, Benepe warns citizens, "If you see a strange machine coming toward you, it's a good idea to walk away from it." The environmentally friendly Automower 230 ACX, which retails for $2,699.95, gets an hour on a single charge and can send its master a text message when the work is done; it's also equipped with an upgraded anti-theft alarm and shuts off automatically if tampered with. It's currently operating under the watchful eye of City Hall security, and Benepe says it might be put to use elsewhere—but only when paid human workers can stand around and monitor it. Below, video of the Automower in action, but for our money we'd rather have a robot make pancakes.
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Husqvarna Automower
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robot lawn mower
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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