Robot lawn mowers have become a preferred choice for lawn owners. Not only do they save time, but they also ensure incredible precision, low-cost mowing, and minimal maintenance.
But often, lawn owners with kids and pets worry about the safety. Can robot mowers be used around kids? Are they safe enough?
We’ll answer all these questions in this article. We will first compare the safety of robot mowers with that of traditional mowers. Then, we will explain the safety features and technologies that these mowers use. Moreover, we will also share some tips that make robot lawn mowers even safer for kids and pets.
Robot Mowers vs Traditional Mowers in Terms of Kids' Safety
For mowing lawns, we have two options: Traditional Lawn Mowers and Robot Mowers. We have to choose one option to keep our lawns maintained. Now, the question is, which one is safer when it comes to kids? Let's find out.
How Safe are Traditional Mowers?
Traditional lawn mowers include gas mowers, corded mowers, and battery-powered mowers. All of them carry a certain level of risk when operating around children. Approximately 6,400 children are injured by lawn mowers each year in the United States. And 45% of children injured were playing in the yard at the time of the accident.
The most common issue is projectile injuries. The blade of these mowers spins at an extremely high speed. Typically, it reaches 3,000 RPM, and when it hits objects like stones, sticks, and toys, it could generate an impact force that is equivalent to being hit by a .357 magnum.
Imagine a kid playing in the yard and being hit by a projectile coming from the mower. It leads to serious injuries. In fact, projectile injuries (rocks/sticks) cause 15,000 ER visits per year. Even if the child is several feet away, the projectile can cause injuries.
Another common cause of children's mower injuries is back-overs or roll-overs. Children under the age of 5 are most often injured as bystanders or "back-over" victims. Thus, being close to a traditional mower when it is mowing the lawn is a significant risk.
Lastly, children get injured because of accidental blade contact. It could happen due to slipping on wet grass or touching the blade when it is being cleaned by an adult or during maintenance. These injuries are severe and could result in amputation. According to statistics, lawn mower injuries are the leading cause of traumatic amputations for children in the U.S.
Apart from these issues, children can also harm themselves by touching the hot engine of a mower, inhaling toxic gases coming from the exhaust, playing around the loud noise of the mower, etc. Simply put, if you are using a traditional lawn mower, close supervision and extra care are necessary for children.
How Safe are Robot Lawn Mowers?
Now, coming to robot lawn mowers. They are much safer than traditional mowers.
Firstly, they don’t have large blades. They use small razor blades, so there is no chance of a high-speed projectile that could cause an injury.
Secondly, there are no engines. Therefore, there is no risk of burning hands because of a hot engine. These electric robot mowers have no direct emissions.
Thirdly, robot mowers are compact and lightweight. They can’t roll over and harm children. They automatically stop if they are tilted or lifted.
Most importantly, robot lawn mowers are equipped with advanced safety features that keep pets and children safe.
Are Robot Lawn Mowers 100% Risk-free?
Robot lawn mowers are much safer than traditional lawn mowers. There is a very low risk of serious injuries and ER visits.
However, they are not 100% risk-free. The risk is minimal, but it’s there. Lawn owners should prefer to use it when there are no children.
Secondly, while buying robot lawn mowers, make sure they have advanced obstacle detection and other safety features.
How Do Navimow Mowers Ensure Kids' Safety?
Navimow mowers can be used around kids and pets. They are equipped with advanced safety features that give lawn owners peace of mind. Let’s see why they are safe.
AI Obstacle Detection
Navimow lawn mowers are equipped with VisionFence™, which is an advanced AI-driven visual perception and obstacle detection technology.
With the help of cameras and AI algorithms, the mower is able to detect obstacles with incredible precision. It can distinguish between children, pets, everyday objects, lawn items, and even suspended objects. That’s why mowers can safely work around children.
For instance, the Navimow X4 series is equipped with a 360⁰ RGB camera. It can sense obstacles in every direction. Not only that, but it can also know the distance of the object using ToF (Time of Flight). It has a detection range of 16ft in daylight and 5.9ft at night. Thus, if there are kids or pets around, it recognizes them instantly.
LiDAR Technology
Some Navimow mowers also have LiDAR technology. They use it for navigation as well as obstacle detection. And this takes obstacle detection to the next level.
For instance, the Navimow H2 series is equipped with LiDAR and Vision obstacle detection. It senses even tiny objects in the lawn. Not only does it spot objects, but it also recognizes 20+ animal types.
With the help of LiDAR, the H2 mowers offer detection accuracy up to 0.4 inches, which is exceptional. Thus, if there is a kid or pet around, it gets to know about it in no time.
Distance Maintained & Rerouting
When a person, child, or pet is identified, Navimow mowers maintain a safe distance of at least 3.3ft. They stay away from the moving object to ensure safety.
And when the object is near, the mower automatically reroutes within a fraction of a second. It continues mowing even if kids are playing on the lawn.
The Navimow X4 maintains a distance of 3.3ft. It reroutes within 0.1 seconds, which does not affect the mower’s performance.
Lift and Tilt Sensors
Navimow mowers have lift and tilt sensors. If one wheel of the mower is lifted, it will stop mowing and send a real-time alert to the connected devices.
Moreover, it has a lifted alarm. It’s actually designed to prevent theft, but it also works for kids’ safety. Suppose a child playing in the lawn lifts the mower. The blade of the mower will stop, and the alarm will trigger instantly.
The user will receive the notification through the application. The alarm won’t stop until the PIN code is entered. Thus, kids can’t restart the mower. It’s an incredible safety feature to prevent kids from lifting the mower, and if they do so, it keeps them safe and alerts the user.
Enclosed Blade Design
Navimow mowers have blades at the bottom of the mower. You can’t see them or touch them from the sides. They are completely enclosed.
The blades are only visible if you flip the mower. During mowing, the ground profile is low. There is no way anyone can touch the blades.
It prevents projectile injuries. Even if someone tries to flip the mower and touch the blade, the mower will turn off automatically. It won’t turn on until it is put back in its place and the secret PIN is entered.
Quiet and Eco-friendly
The best thing about Navimow mowers is the quiet operation. It won’t disturb your neighbors and family members. The noise level ranges from 53-68 dB(A), depending on the mower model.
For instance, the Navimow i2 AWD series has a noise level of only 59 dB(A). It can work around children without disturbing them. It is quiet enough that there is no need to wear hearing protection. Its noise is just like the noise of normal conversation.
Even the powerful robot mower, the X4 series, has a noise level of 68 dB(A). It’s also extremely quiet despite having powerful motors.
On top of that, Navimow mowers are battery-powered. Thus, there are no direct emissions. They are completely safe for children. They do not pollute the lawn environment.
How to Make Robot Mowers Safer for Kids?
Robot lawn mowers are safe for kids, but with a few measures, you can take the safety to the next level.
Schedule the Mower
Robot lawn mowers can automatically mow your lawn. You only need to select the time and desired mowing height. Even if you are away, it will do everything on its own.
You can schedule your lawn mower to mow when the kids are at school or asleep. It’s the best time to eliminate risks.
Some Navimow mowers can even work at night. It’s the perfect time for mowing as there are no pets or kids in the lawn.
Create No-go Areas
If there is a certain area in the lawn where your kids play, you can set it as a no-go area. The mower will not go there, and your kids can play freely.
But if you want to mow the grass in that area, you can make it a separate zone. It allows you to mow the zone when there are no kids around, while you can mow the rest of your lawn whenever you want.
Educate Children
The most important thing is to educate your children. Tell them that it’s unsafe to touch the mower or lift it. Also, make them aware of the possible injuries.
They should know that a robot mower is not a toy. It’s a lawnmowing tool that involves a risk of serious injury.
Final Words
Robot lawn mowers are much safer for kids than traditional lawn mowers. They are compact, lightweight, and automated. There is no risk of projectiles, roll-overs, or accidental blade injuries. Most importantly, they are equipped with advanced obstacle detection, which helps them detect kids, maintain a safe distance, and mow safely.
Other than that, robot mowers have tilt & lift sensors and an enclosed blade design to prevent injuries. They can work around kids and pets without harming them. Moreover, lawn owners can smartly schedule lawn mowing when kids are asleep or at school. They can select the areas they want to mow and those they want to avoid. All these things make robot mowers the safest mowing option when you have kids and pets around.
