Honda has unveiled an all-electric prototype of the Honda Autonomous Work Mower (AWM): the company’s first battery-powered, electric zero-turn lawnmower aimed at increasing construction site efficiency through autonomous solutions.
This year has Honda successfully tested a proof-of-concept version of the Autonomous Work Mower with a leading US landscaping company. To further advance the development of the prototype AWM, Honda will launch a pilot program in 2024 and seek companies that would like to evaluate the applicability of the AWM in their work environment.
The Honda AWM prototype combines leading cutting performance and ease of use with high location accuracy and obstacle detection. It is designed to improve the efficiency of lawn care and landscaping companies while providing an environmentally conscious solution with zero emissions. The AWM can operate in manual or autonomous mode. In manual mode, the Honda AWM learns the mowing paths and patterns set by humans. When operating autonomously, the AWM reproduces these routes and patterns, which can free up workers’ time for more valuable tasks.
The all-electric AWM supports Honda’s global goal of achieving carbon neutrality – zero emissions – for all products and company activities by 2050.
“Teaching” mode allows operators to set up autonomous operation by manually maneuvering the ZTR AWM to create a mowing route map using the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) for accurate location detection. After completing the “Teaching” mode, the human starts autonomous operation in the “Playback” mode. The AWM then begins to work autonomously and mows according to the map specification, ensuring consistent and stable lawn cutting quality.
With a unique traction control system, the Honda AWM can drive straight even on hills and uneven terrain. The AWM has built-in safety features including omnidirectional sensors as well as radar and LiDAR sensors for obstacle detection.
With speed-sensitive control of the blade motor, the AWM automatically reduces blade rotation at low speeds and loads to reduce energy consumption. Under high loads, the AWM automatically reduces its speed to prevent the grass from clogging.