Best Robot Mower Ambrogio, Advantage #3: Sophisticated Software

Software is embedded and hidden inside robot mowers. Features can be compared, but will one feature mow your lawn better than another feature? No.The ability to interact with your robot over the internet, available in many robot mower brands and models, has no affect on the robot's maneuverability in tight spaces your lawn may have. In robotics, software sophistication comes down to how the robot moves, and, what capabilities are built-in that enable the robot to overcome difficult situations. The latter works hand-in-hand with the physical design.

One thing you will notice when comparing features between brands is you will find a lot of similarities. Many robots will have the ability to navigate between zones defined by the perimeter wire, many use GPS for more efficient mowing. The high-end robot mowers use a perimeter wire plus GPS to navigate and for theft recovery. There really isn't much point in comparing features line-by-line because the manufacturers tend to copy each other anyway. If a certain robot does not have a feature now, it will in the future. And, potentially, new features could be added after your purchase via a software update.

So what, then, does Ambrogio have that other robot mower brands lack? It boils down to these key items:
  • Incredible tight-space mowing
  • Guide wire-free fast zone/base-return navigation
  • Excellent narrow passage navigation
You might be thinking I am bold to include words like "incredible" and "excellent". I would not say this if it was not true. I will cover each in detail.

Ambrogio Robot Tight Space Mowing

So, why do I say Ambrogio has incredible tight-space mowing? Take a look at the drawing below. 


Ambrogio Base Under Deck
How to Place Ambrogio Base Under a Deck
The factory specification for mowing (not navigating) between two parallel perimeter wire placements is 70cm/2.3 feet. Envision this for a moment. Standard home ceramic floor tiles are typically one foot square each. Put two and one third of them together and you get 2.3 feet. Got a family member with extra large feet, such as US Men's size 12? Convert it to inches and the length is 11.25". 2.3 feet equates to about 2.5 shoes placed end-to-end. On contrast, most robot mowers require 4-5 feet of area between two perimeter wires to mow without error.

Now that I have made this bold statement, of course someone will try to prove me wrong. Fine. Try. But first, let's get our terminology correct. We are talking about mowing in tight spaces, not navigating through a narrow passage. 

Here is the Ambrogio robot L35 robot mowing a strip of approximately the same width as the fence opening in the competitor video.



According to the manufacturer's specification, the wires can be placed even closer together than what is seen in this video.

Ambrogio's uncanny ability to mow tight spaces also enables atypical opportunities for charger base placement. The base can be tucked into a convenient place such as under a deck, or on a narrow strip. Competitors indicate the base should only be placed in wide open spaces, which means it will be far more visible. This is quite undesirable.

Ambrogio Robot Guide Wire-Free Fast Zone and Base-return Navigation

The main Ambrogio competitor uses "guide wires" to return to the base or to navigate to zones quickly. The guide wires have to be installed in addition to the perimeter wire, which is a lot of extra work. Ambrogio's sophisticated software eliminates the need for guide wires.

Zones are created with the perimeter wire. The best way to create a zone is to use the wire as a gate to trap the robot in an area. This enables the robot to complete mowing that area without slipping into another area, whether GPS assisted mowing is enabled or not. Zone gates are completely optional, in most situations, zone gates are not needed. But for some lawns, the result is more efficient mowing - especially if the satellite signal is not dependable due to trees or buildings.


Ambrogio Robot Mower Zone Gate for Secondary Area
Ambrogio Zone Gate for Secondary Area

Once the zone is created, there are two ways to navigate to the zone (a.k.a. "secondary area"): clockwise and anti-clockwise. I find the terminology "anti-clockwise" a little humorous; I assume it is normal in other parts of the world. Here we say "counter-clockwise". Anyway, the ability to program the distance to the next zone as anti-clockwise reduces the traveling time to the zone.

What about getting back to the base? How does Ambrogio accelerate that without the use of guide wires? Depending on the model, Ambrogio either uses Rapid Return Triangles that are strategically placed, and/or, Ambrogio uses GPS via a GPS Reference Point.  Here is an illustration of the rapid return triangle:


Ambrogio Robot Mower Guide Wire-Free Rapid Return Triangle
Ambrogio Guide-Wire Free Rapid Return Triangle


The software detects a different signal strength due to the wire shape. A few feet later, the robot turns 90 degrees and crosses the yard, effectively taking a short-cut back to the base. 

The GPS Reference Point is a GPS location programmed near the base during installation. Ambrogio robot mower takes the shortest path to the reference point while also navigating narrow passages and obeying rapid return triangles. The Zucchetti "Innovation Inside","i",models and the 4.0 Elite models all have the GPS reference point capability.

Ambrogio Robot Narrow Passage Navigation

Ok, now let's talk about narrow passages. Not the 3-5 foot passages that are easy to see on YouTube. Let's talk about "the minimum width passage" Ambrogio can travel through. It is the width of the robot itself, plus a few inches - 17"-21" (model dependent). Only a competitor robot that uses a guide wire can come close, and even then, it cannot match Ambrogio. The competitor's FAQ indicates that it can handle passages as narrow as 24 inches, depending on the model, in other words, 24 inches and up.

Ambrogio's sophisticated software includes a "corridor" feature and an anti-clockwise setting to drive to the next zone. These software features enable Ambrogio robot to navigate through the center of the passage without a guide wire. 

First, let me explain "corridor". The software automatically detects when the wire is one to two feet apart from itself. Upon detection, Ambrogio robot decides to ride on top of the wire for a programmed distance, after which, it comes off and continues mowing. 

But how can Ambrogio avoid placing two perimeter wires through the passageway? Ambrogio drives clockwise back to the base; doesn't it need two wires to travel on? One to go **to** the next zone and one to **come back**

The reason it works is two-fold: 1) the use of "anti-clockwise" to travel to the next zone and 2) the use of the bump sensor to cause the robot to go around the opening when it does not need to travel through it. 



Ambrogio Robot Mower Guidewire-free Narrow Passage Navigation
Ambrogio Robot Narrow Passage Navigation
The "anti-clockwise" setting enables the robot to travel on the same wire side when going through the opening and also when coming back. The parallel wire is routed under the physical opening. The "anti-clockwise" capability allows Ambrogio robot to drive dead-center through the opening. Ambrogio robot only drives clockwise to travel back to the base. As shown, when it encounters the fence, Ambrogio robot gently strikes it and then travels in an arc over the opening to return to the base.

Here is an example of a competitor that uses a guide wire to navigate through the center of a fence opening. Notice the long tracks due to the robot following the same path every time. These will become permanent over time and do not look very attractive. 


Competitor Navigating Narrow Passage

Conclusion


This discussion has clearly shown that the software sophistication of Ambrogio robot mowers is unmatched by competitors. Ambrogio can mow narrow strips of grass with ease, and, Ambrogio has more options for placement of the charging base. It eliminates the need for guide wires, therefore simplifying and speeding-up installations. At scale, such as when a landscaper deploys many robots quickly, this will save significant  installation labor cost. Customer satisfaction increases as well because the base may be hidden in a convenient location.

This is the fourth of eight articles my series, "Best Robot Mower, 7 Reasons to Choose Ambrogio". Subscribe via email or follow "TheRobotLadysBlog" to read them all.

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