Engineer designs the Mowerino, an Arduino-based DIY robotic lawn mower

Electronic engineer salmec has designed the Mowerino, an Arduino-based DIY robotic lawn mower. The autonomous grass cutting robot runs on an Arduino Mega 2560 board with a 3D printed housing and wheels.

The Mowerino's AUTO mode enables the robot to travel forward until it detects an obstacle using ultrasonic sensors and limit switches. The device will then change direction. Other sensors included in the project are an inclinometer used as an anti-tipping sensor and a voltmeter to measure battery life, shown on a matrix LED display.

The gadget's MANUAL mode lets you drive the mower via a Bluetooth connection to your smartphone and the linked Bluetooth RC Controller app. You can also use the app to configure settings like the cutting height of the Mowerino.

Bulkheads are used to protect the blades, and an emergency push button on top of the device will shut it down immediately. On the back of the device are buttons to turn the robot on and off, control the blade speed and switch between automatic or manual Bluetooth modes.

In a recent update to the project, salmec installed an internal USB cable on the edge of the Mowerino, making it easier to connect to the gadget. The full instructions and parts list for the DIY robot lawn mower, including the 3D print models, are listed on Hackster.

Buy the Arduino Mega 2560 on Amazon