Husqvarna Austria GmbH has launched EPOS, a new product in the robotic mower division. A test carried out together with AIL demonstrated the use of this revolutionary technology at a substation of Austrian Power Grid.

According to Husqvarna, EPOS (Exact Positioning Operating System) is “the next technological breakthrough in autonomous mowing”. Instead of laying boundary wires, the EPOS robotic mower system uses satellite data to define the working area of the robotic mower. Husqvarna’s EPOS system is already in function, with 36 EPOS Automowers currently operating throughout Germany on golf courses, public parks, and business premises.

Application in Austria

EPOS technology is also already being used in Austria. At the premises of Austrian Power Grid AG (APG), which controls the Austria-wide extra-high voltage electricity grid from Vienna, the Automower mows wirelessly around the individual parts of a high-voltage installation.

This demonstrates the completely new potential applications and advantages of the EPOS solution:

  • The lawn to be mowed is located in the middle of the switchgear field, where people are only allowed to enter after receiving safety instructions.
  • The many system components also massively restrict the ability to tend to the lawn.
  • Furthermore, the prevailing voltage fields mean that no cables can be laid for the tried-and-tested installation of the mowing robots. The EPOS Automower is the first to permit the constant mowing of the site.

Paul Zachoval, project manager for APG’s EPOS project, reports: “Previously, the area around the electricity pylons was only mowed four times a year by a team of around 20 specialists after extensive instruction. With EPOS, we have found a solution that will enable us to have a permanently well-maintained lawn on the company premises in future – with significantly less effort.”

AIL tests a new business model for the Lagerhäuser

The solution is being provided in collaboration with the Agro Innovation Lab. It will allow the service “Autonomous Green Space Management” to be evaluated as a new business model for the Raiffeisen Lagerhäuser.

“Thanks to our previous experience with mowing robots for agricultural areas, we were able to quickly identify an additional area of application for this promising technology. Our goal is to offer interested Lagerhäuser an attractive business model for the ongoing management of the mowing robots,” explains Hannes Schauer, Innovation Manager at the Agro Innovation Lab.

Image © Husqvarna Austria GmbH