Lawn mowers operate by using power from a gasoline engine to drive a cutting disc at high speed via a transmission system; this causes a specialized polymer line (trimmer line) mounted on the disc to spin, generating the cutting force needed to sever weeds.
Some mowers (such as mower-conditioners) feature stem-processing capabilities; they use conditioning rollers (e.g., rubber rollers with herringbone patterns) to crush crop stems and break down their waxy outer layers, thereby accelerating moisture evaporation from stems and leaves to facilitate subsequent drying and nutrient absorption.
The systems of autonomous mowing robots primarily consist of a microcontroller-based control system, a sensor suite (including electronic fences, photoelectric switches, collision sensors, rain sensors, and tilt switches), and a motor drive system.
Mowing path planning is the core algorithm for autonomous mowing robots; common strategies include linear movement and boundary-following modes to achieve efficient, comprehensive area coverage-such as structured lawn coverage or S-shaped trajectories.
Modern smart mowing robots employ technologies such as RTK centimeter-level satellite positioning, visual navigation, LiDAR, and multi-sensor fusion to enable boundary-free deployment, precise positioning, and dynamic obstacle avoidance.
Flail mowers (mulchers) utilize a mounted structure equipped with hammer-style flail blades; the main unit features offset and rotating frames that allow for lateral shifting and rotation, making them suitable for weeding operations on complex terrain such as ditch bottoms and slopes.
