Autoblog

Asimo has a friend! Honda debuts Miimo robotic lawnmower

John Neff — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 10:15:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Europe, Honda, Middle East, Electric, Luxury

People who know me say that if it weren't for Autoblog, I'd probably be running a site called Mowerblog. I'm unusual in that lawn mowing, to me, is a form of relaxation, a hobby like knitting or racquetball is for someone else. As such, I try to buy the best equipment, and that means there's a Honda mower in my garage.

You didn't know? The company that builds the Accord and Civic are to lawn mowers what Lamborghini is to cars. But today, Honda has introduced a new mower called Miimo that takes me out of the equation entirely. Miimo is an autonomous robotic mower that Honda will be selling in the European market only (for now) starting in 2013.

Miimo runs on power supplied by its lithium-ion battery pack and, just like a Roomba robotic vacuum, will return to its charging station for a fresh batch of electrons when it runs out. Upon purchase, an authorized installer will set up the charging station, as well as run the boundary wire around the perimeter of the yard in which Miimo has to stay. The mower can operate in a random pattern (again, like a Roomba), a directional mode where it mows back and forth in lines, or a combination of the two. As for safety, Miimo has bump sensors so it won't break any potted plants, and if lifted off the ground, its blades will automatically stop and starting up again requires entering a unique PIN number.

Miimo will come in two models, 300 and 500, which refer to their maximum perimeter cuts, and according to Honda, a 500 can mow up to 3,000 square meters or three quarters of an acre. Honda hasn't mentioned pricing, but going by the cost of its push mowers in the U.S., Europeans should expect to pay a premium for giving Asimo's best friend a home.

Will the Miimo replace my HRX217VKA? Probably not anytime soon. While the market for robotic lawnmowers is growing, especially with green-conscious homeowners searching for less-polluting lawn care equipment, human supervision is still required and, at least for people like me, buying a Miimo would mean giving up those precious few hours a week where I can't hear the rest of the world over the sound of the blades.

Continue reading Asimo has a friend! Honda debuts Miimo robotic lawnmower

Asimo has a friend! Honda debuts Miimo robotic lawnmower originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bobby Cleveland brings Fastest Lawnmower crown back to USA [w/video]

Jeff Glucker — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 16:55:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Videos, Specialty, Racing

World's Fastest Lawnmower - Click above to watch video after the jump

One minute, you're the king of going fast on a lawnmower. The next, you're number two behind a man from the UK. That's what happened to Bobby Cleveland, but he didn't sit idly by on his grass clippings - he went out and brought the title of World's Fastest Lawnmower back to the United States with a new speed record of 96 miles per hour.

Cleveland set a world record back in 2006, with a speed of 80.792 mph. His mark was then bested by Don Wales whose Project Runningblade mower was clocked going 87.833 mph. Bobby Cleveland wanted to be the first to cross the 100 mile per hour threshold, but 96 mph is still a mighty leap over Wales' mark. The way these two are going back and forth it's only a matter of time before one of them hits that magic number, but until they do, check out Cleveland's latest run after the jump.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Bobby Cleveland brings Fastest Lawnmower crown back to USA [w/video]

Bobby Cleveland brings Fastest Lawnmower crown back to USA [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Followup: World's Fastest Lawnmower newly crowned [w/video]

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Videos

Project Runningblade - Click above for high-res image gallery. Watch video after the jump

Hold on to your grass clippings, folks... there's a new World's Fastest Lawnmower. You may recall the story we recently published about Don Wales of the UK, whose Project Runningblade seemed destined to wrest the record away from American Bob Cleveland.

It all worked out just as intended when Wales took to the Pendine Sands, as Runningblade tripped the timing and scoring lights with a certified top speed of 87.833 miles per hour (141.235 kilometers per hour). The previous record, held by Cleveland, stood at 80.792 mph and was set at Bonneville in 2006.

According to Wales, the next rung in the speed ladder sits at 100 mph, and he plans to reach that elusive velocity in short order. For his part, former record holder Cleveland plans to take another stab at the books as well. In the meantime, check out the video of Project Runningblade during its record-setting run on the sand along with a press release from lawnmower manufacturer Countax after the break.

Gallery: Project Runningblade

[Source: Project Runningblade]

Continue reading Followup: World's Fastest Lawnmower newly crowned [w/video]

Followup: World's Fastest Lawnmower newly crowned [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 05 Jun 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Project Runningblade will attempt 100+ MPH lawnmower land speed record [w/video]

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 13 May 2010 14:58:00 EST

Project Runningblade - Click above for high-res image gallery

There are some people who would tell you that Formula 1 is the pinnacle of four-wheeled motorsports. Those of us in the know, however, have other ideas. Clearly, F1 ain't got nothin' on a well-tuned John Deer. That's right, we're talking about the competitive world of lawnmower racing.

For those who don't know, American Bob Cleveland currently holds the record for the World's Fastest Lawnmower, which was set at 80.7929 miles per hour at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 2006. If Don Wales of the UK has anything to say about it, though, that record will fall by May 23rd as Project Runningblade takes a crack at 100 mph.

In case you were wondering, Runningblade is powered by a Kawasaki V-twin engine that is in fact designed for lawnmower duty and can indeed cut grass... at 100 miles per hour. If I had had that at my disposal when living as a teenager in Ohio, perhaps cutting the back 40 wouldn't have been so bad after all.

See our high-res image gallery below and check out the video pasted after the break. There, you'll also find a press release from Toyota touting the use of its diesel-powered Hilux pickup as the transportation and support vehicle for the project.

Gallery: Project Runningblade

[Source: Project Runningblade, Toyota]

Continue reading Project Runningblade will attempt 100+ MPH lawnmower land speed record [w/video]

Project Runningblade will attempt 100+ MPH lawnmower land speed record [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 May 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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F1 lawn mower cuts down the competition like Schumacher

John Neff — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:57:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

click above image to view more high-res pics of the F1 concept lawn mower

I absolutely hate mowing the lawn, so anything that can help accomplish this task quicker than my hand-me-down Toro is worth considering. An F1-inspired mower just might do the trick. Complete with an F1-style front wing, full race suspension, rear view mirrors, vintage John Player Special-style livery and a steering wheel sporting an LCD gauge display, this CG mockup of a concept racing mower by Kadeg Boucher of France could easily shave a few tenths off my mow time. We particularly like the pull start that's been relocated front and center, as well as the race helmet cap on the single spark plug. Within the gallery below you'll find a bunch of images showing Boucher's concept cutter from every angle, and some versions of the machine appear more production feasible than others. Seriously, there are at least a few of us out there who would lay down cash on the spot if we passed this thing in Home Depot.

Thanks for the tip, Mason!

[Source: CG Forums]

Gallery: F1 concept lawn mower

F1 lawn mower cuts down the competition like Schumacher originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Lawnmower drags

Dan Roth — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 08:38:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Videos

Our friends over at Streetfire never fail to unearth some cool video. While this isn't quite as amazing and hilarious as the flying lawnmower they managed to dig up, it's still pretty wild. It's unbelievable how this thing sounds just like a top-fuel dragster with the volume turned down when the driver gets on it. We love the wild-cam idle, too. The most amazing thing of all is that it launches down the track and hits 70 miles per hour. Holy crap, that'd get the lawn done in no time!

[Source: Streetfire.net]

VIDEO: Lawnmower drags originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 10 Dec 2006 08:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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