Solar-Powered Remote-Control Lawn Mower

RMUTT has designed a solar-powered remote-control lawn mower that is highly secure, as there is a cover on the lawn mower blade so excess grass is eliminated through the back of the lawn mower. The lawn mower is also lightweight, easy to operate, and reduces fuel consumption.

The lawn mower was designed and developed by three students from RMUTT’s Agricultural Machinery Engineering program in the Faculty of Engineering, with consultation from Asst. Prof. Dr. Kriangkrai Samsimuang from the Faculty of Engineering. Ms. Anyika (Benz) Sawangjitr said that using hand tools or a lawn mower in which one had to stand and use centrifugal force is likely to result in fatigue when working outdoors for prolonged hours, such as when cutting grass to make a soccer field, a children’s playground, or pasture. However, besides the lawn mower’s steep price, safety and maintenance of the lawn mower, as well as the area it will be used on, must be considered.

“To alleviate these problems, we have decided to share our knowledge with one another to create a prototype that is useful and may be further developed to improve people’s quality of life, which led to the creation of a solar-powered remote-control lawn mower” said. Ms. Anyika (Benz) Sawangjitr.

Ms. Pannaphat (Punpun) Surachawaja said that she initially had to research about lawn mowers and did some analyses to determine pain points and how to create value-added products to solve those pain points. Then, she stared to create designs using SOLIDWORKS software and gathered parts and equipment from a large outlet due to its reasonable price, to create a prototype, with advice from Asst. Prof. Dr. Kriangkrai Samsimuang. This lawn mower can cut all types of grass, including soft grass. The front wheel of the lawn mower is a freewheel and can be operated using a remote control with a frequency of 2.40 – 2.48 GHz. It receives solar energy through solar cells, which are stored in the battery. Two DC motors, one DC motor in the blade, and an Arduino panel were used to control the rotation of the lawn mower’s wheels.

“This lawn mower can be controlled using a remote and can be steered forward, backward, left, and right. The forward capability has three speed settings according to the intensity of control and can efficiently turn in small areas. Most importantly, it can be charged via solar energy when operated outdoors, which is a beneficial way to make use of solar energy. The lawn mower is very effective, convenient, and saves storage space due to its small size” said Ms. Pannaphat (Punpun) Surachawaja.

Moreover, Mr. Thanayut (Ooy) Nethibaht highlighted that the design of the lawn mower and placement of solar cells have great benefits. The solar cell panels are placed on top of the lawn mower at a 13-degree angle to obtain the most solar energy from the sun. The lawn mower can operate continuously for two to three hours a day and can be controlled from a distance of up to 80-100 meters. Although it is a prototype, it can be used and can be further developed to include the ability to store grass. The design of the lawn mower may also be modernized. The lawn mower blade sizes may also be increased to make it more efficient to cut grass. The lawn mower machine is also easy to maintain. It should be lubricated after use and the blades should be removed and sharpened. Excess grass on the blades and in the lawn mower should be eliminated. For more information about the lawn mower, please contact 087-142-0787.