Robotic lawn mowers have some appeal

If Dale Johnson mows his yard after going to bed, he's not sleep walking.

The Southwest Decatur resident is likely under the covers dreaming of the extra time he has to go fishing.

A robotic lawn mower trims Johnson's grass multiple times per week, and it doesn't need eyes to supervise it.

"Cuts every bit of it," he said. "Never missed a spot. Looks beautiful." It's likely Johnson is the first homeowner in Decatur, Ill., to employ a robotic mower, but based on growing sales and the practical and economic advantages of the machines, the computerized clippers could become common, according to a recent report from InfoTech News.

Among the selling points for the LawnBott, which comes in four models priced $1,600 to $3,600, is that it doesn't need gas or oil and uses about $12 worth of electricity yearly for Johnson's model.

Other models are even more efficient, with energy bills as low as $8 annually. The electric motor also makes little noise, so it can operate at night, while its owners and neighbors sleep.

Clint Dawson, owner of LawnBott.com, a distributor in Birmingham, said customers range from tech-savvy engineers -- including two NASA engineers in Huntsville -- to the elderly who never owned a computer.

Their reasons also vary, he said. Some simply don't like cutting grass; some say it's cheaper than buying a higher-end riding mower or hiring a lawn service.

"Obviously, they're not to the mainstream level yet," Dawson said. "You can't just go down to Walmart and pick one up, but last year, while we were in the big downfall with the economy, we exceeded sales from the previous year. And this year we're exceeding last year." Built in Italy, LawnBotts arrived in Europe in 2001, and U.S. sales started 31/2 years ago. There are about 2,500 LawnBott brand mowers in the nation.

Its top competitor is Husqvarna, which has four robot mowers ranging in price from $1,300 to a $3,000 solar-powered model.

Used by state Motorists traveling Northwest Alabama highways may have already seen a robotic mower in action.

The Alabama Department of Transportation Division 2 uses a robotic mower on steep slopes as a safety precaution. The $38,000 machine can work on 35-to-41-degree angles.

Besides convenience, John Tarvin, marketing manager for Kyodo America, which has U.S. selling rights for LawnBott, said he expects robotic mower sales to climb as the government puts tighter regulations on the gas engines that power conventional mowers.

That will increase prices of conventional mowers and reduce the gap of the more expensive robotic mowers, he said.

And there's a growing clientele attracted to LawnBott's low carbon footprint, he added.