You could most definitely have multiple mowers running simultaneously, each running a mission that covers a portion of a large area.
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Hello . I am Attila from Hungary. I have been watching the events for quite some time and I would like to thank each participant individually. Everyone should be very proud of themselves, because what you have achieved here is brilliant. I would also like to build a similar machine, but the huge amount of information does not fit together in my head. Does anyone have a clean and transparent complete project description, hardware, software, parts, circuit diagrams, etc.? The rest in private.
I don’t know how to answer your post exactly, but in the spirit of trying to help, I will try. The DIY mowers are machines many of us have built to be fun projects as well as useful tools to mow large acreage in locations where it is safe to operate them. They are complex pieces of electro-mechanical hardware that generally require many months to build, and requires the builder to have many skill sets (which is what makes them fun and involves a lot of learning). These machines can be programmed via your laptop to go out and mow a defined complex area and then return back to base (much like a drone would do). In fact, they use the same onboard computer/navigational systems that a drone uses.
Every mower is built differently! A key component is the base mower. Some people build them from scratch and some people start out with a commercially built mower and convert them over. They can also be electric or gas, which makes for an infinite number of possibilities. People think differently and choose many different equipment options to put on these mowers based on cost, and experience. Every machine is as different as the people that build them.
Many of the questions you ask can be answered from reading the
https://ardupilot.org/rover/index.html
The posts in this thread and a few others also have good information.
https://discuss.ardupilot.org/t/best-gear-for-starting-ardupilot-mower/
https://discuss.ardupilot.org/t/new-build-dev-prod-setup-toro-60-zero-turn/
https://discuss.ardupilot.org/t/yuris-mower-updates/
Note, in general we try to keep most of the posts public, so other interested people might benefit.
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Dear Steve. Thank you very much for the answer and I must say you are absolutely right. I have read through many forums and related descriptions. However, they all agree, regardless of the basic machine, how the operating hardware and software are structured (ardupilot, arduino, h-bridge, gps cards, etc.), because in principle this is the point. I am also aware that a finished project works well after a lot of time, energy and failure. For starters, the control, hardware and software connections, of which it is not very easy to find a complete description (it may not be a coincidence) of what needs to be connected and configured. Although I am not a complete layman, I still get lost in the sea of information and cannot see through it in such a way that I dare to stand up for it. I know that I also have to put in the time, energy and learn a lot, and there is nothing wrong with that. I used to build a hobby cnc machine that still works. I have two types of 3d printers. I designed electric motor parts etc. in 3D. But the automatic GPS-controlled lawnmower is a different story. Thanks again for writing. I wish you good health . Best regards, Attila from Hungary.
Here is a basic interconnect diagram for the main components on my mower. It shows the connection of the main pieces. If I was starting from scratch now based in how things have evolved, I would probably be picking a different flight controller and different servos. My machine works fine but there are cheaper flight controllers like the Holybro Kakute H743-Wing out there that will give you the same capability for use on a mower. As far as servos go, there are just better servos out there. The servos are a whole big topic and driven largely by what base mower you are using.
Don’t dismiss the information on the Ardupilot Wiki that will lead you set-by-step in selecting and configuring all of the pieces.
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Your diagram will be a bit different with a different flight controller and a different RC transmitter/receiver that actually uses a UART instead of the RC/PPM port.
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Agree! Great diagram Steve.
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