A US company called Husqvarna has just announced the release of an eco friendly gadget, the AutoMower Solar Hybrid, which is basically a solar-powered (topped up with mains electricity) automated robotic lawn mower. Once a garden is set up with an underground perimeter fence, the AutoMower Solar Hybrid can manage cutting lawns up to half an acre unattended.
By installing a special wire underneath the border of the garden, the automower will take care of cutting the lawn within the specific borders. The mower determines its position relative to the wire to work out what needs cutting next. The AutoMower Solar Hybrid can cut the lawn during the day and at night too. The mower will automatically avoid obstacles and keep the lawn at a pre-determined length using a simple control inside the unit. You can see how the automower works in the online demo.
For safety, the blades inside the mower are kept out of reach. If the mower is picked up, the blades are automatically concealed. For that extra bit of protection, the mower has an anti-theft device built in which will sound an alarm if someone attempts to steal it. The mower also requires a 4-digit pin number to activate it. With a price tag of around £1500 to £2000 (around $3000 to $4000) including installation, I can imagine that thieves might find it tempting.