Industry to shift to autonomous mowers
AEA CEO believes that, within two years, stadiums and parks will be cut with small, intelligent robot machines
There will be a paradigm shift to autonomous commercial and domestic gardening machinery in the next two years, according to Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA) chief executive Roger Lane-Nott. Speaking at GLEE’s Hothouse seminar he said that it was a big jump for manufacturers to make, but said they will have to take the risk to keep up with the industry.
Lane-Nott told visitors to the exhibition at Birmingham’s NEC to look around the halls, saying the technology was there already and that, as it improved, autonomous vehicles would become a regular feature in manufacturers ranges. “I think we are going to see fully autonomous vehicles as a regular pattern, rather than as an occasional pattern within two years,” he said.
In commercial applications, such as football stadiums and parks, Lane-Nott said small, intelligent machines are going to replace some of the larger, manned vehicles, which would lead to a reduction in staff. “Increasingly, I think you will not see a football pitch, a racecourse, a rugby pitch or a park that isn’t cut autonomously,” he said. He added that there were currently some health and safety implications as some
elements of the technology still needed to be refined.
Domestic grass cutting in the UK, Lane- Nott said, was shifting away from stripes and cut-and-collect methods towards the European mulching method; a fact that will make autonomous domestic mowers more acceptable in the marketplace. He warned manufactures to be cautious about the level of functionality they introduced into machinery for the domestic market when moving into this technology, and advised them to keep the customer’s level of competence at the forefront of their minds.
Other trends set to change marketplace in coming years, Lane-Nott said, included the shift toward eco-power machinery. While he wasn’t convinced the consumer was demanding it yet, he said legislation will push industry towards hybrid and electric power. In about five years, he claimed, consumers will expect to be able to plug a lawnmower into the mains and charge it up. However, Lone-Nott said fuel cells, rather than electric power, will be absolutely key to a lot of machinery in the future as they are easier to charge and retain power more efficiently.
Greenkeeper wins US learning trip
Luffenham Heath greenkeeper to head off to Massachusetts courtesy of Toro
Mat Wormald, of Luffenham Heath Golf Club, has been named as the top young greenkeeper in the country after just two years in the job.
The 24-year-old was nominated for the Toro Young Greenkeeper of the Year Award and has now clinched first place and a six-week study trip to the University of Massachusetts before heading off to the Toro factory and the Golf Industry Show in New Orleans.
Mat, of North Luffenham, said: “I’m just passionate about grass. No one really understands how much work goes into greenkeeping and I’m looking forward to learning much more about it during the course.”
His trip will condense two years of learning into six weeks and teach Mat valuable lessons which he hopes will benefit his work at Luffenham when he returns.
Mat said: “I really want to use this award and the trip to open people's eyes about what goes on. It’s an awesome job and I would recommend it to anyone.”
The former Uppingham Community College and Rutland College student wasn’t looking for a career in this field but fell into it as a part-time job after studying business and marketing at university. He now has big ambitions to become head greenkeeper at a golf course used for the British Open.
Mat said: “If you like being outdoors and playing on machinery every day, this is the perfect job. There is always something different.”
He leaves for America on 5th January 2009
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