Center-Pivot System Modified to Mow Lawn
A hobbyist named rctestflight constructed a miniature center-pivot system designed to mow a lawn using principles similar to large agricultural irrigation machines. The device utilizes semi-independent sections with flexible couplings and a proportional controller to maintain a straight path while cutting grass. The project faced challenges related to the damp Pacific Northwest climate, including corrosion, mud, and rapid plant growth.
- ▪The system was built by rctestflight to mimic the operation of large center-pivot irrigation systems found in vast agricultural areas.
- ▪It employs a control scheme that drives outer wheels at a constant speed while using a potentiometer-based proportional controller to manage inner wheel sets.
- ▪The mowing attachment consists of pivoting precision knives mounted on a carriage that moves back and forth along the linkages.
- ▪The builder located in the Pacific Northwest encountered issues with corrosion, mud, and fast-growing plants interfering with the robot's operation.
- ▪The circular mowing area was partially prepared by previous projects that tested the durability of RC cars.
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| Original publisher | Hackaday |
| Canonical URL | https://hackaday.com/2026/09/27/center-pivot-system-modified-to-mow-lawn/ |
| Publication time | Mon, 28 Sep 2026 02:00:00 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-28T02:01:06.769Z |
| Last seen | 2026-09-28T02:01:06.769Z |
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| Cluster | biKNqMRC5yt- · 1 stories |
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Basis: Derived from the published RSS/Atom feed. Contact: [email protected]. Reviewed: 2026-07-24.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Center-Pivot System Modified To Mow Lawn No comments by: Bryan Cockfield September 27, 2026 Title: Copy Short Link: Copy When flying over the United States, Australia, and a few other vast and relatively empty parts of the world, strange circular formations can be spotted. These are typically center-pivot irrigation systems, an effective way to irrigate crops if efficient use of space is not too big of a priority. Keeping these massive machines in a straight line is an interesting engineering problem, though, and [rctestflight] built a miniature version of his that works on the same principle but mows his lawn instead. These systems work as semi-independent sections that are flexibly coupled at either end.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Hackaday.
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