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Warning
DISCLAIMER:
IF YOU ARE NOT 100% SURE WHAT YOU ARE DOING, PLEASE DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME! ASK IN DISCORD, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS!
Important
New users: start here → openmower.de
This repository is the central entry point for the OpenMower project. The actual code, firmware and hardware designs live in dedicated repositories — see the Ecosystem section below.
If you want to see a quick overview, check out this video:
Let's be honest: The current generation of robotic lawn mowers sucks. Basically all of these bots drive in a random direction until they hit the border of the lawn, rotate for a randomized duration and repeat. We can do better.
OpenMower started by disassembling the cheapest off-the-shelf robotic mower we could find (YardForce Classic 500) and replacing its brain with custom hardware and open-source software — turning a dumb random-walk robot into a GPS-guided, map-aware, app-controlled mowing machine.
✔️ Autonomous Lawn Mowing: The device mows the lawn automatically.
✔️ Good Safety: Emergency stop if lifted or crashed.
✔️ No Perimeter Wire Needed: Flexible support for multiple mowing areas.
✔️ Low Cost: Cheaper than a mid-range off-the-shelf product.
✔️ Open: Share knowledge and enable others to build their own OpenMower.
✔️ Nice to Look At: You should not be ashamed to have an OpenMower mowing your lawn.
✔️ Avoid Obstacles: Detect and avoid obstacles during mowing.
✔️ Rain Detection: Detect bad weather and pause until conditions improve.
Full documentation and step-by-step build guide: openmower.de
The docs cover everything: compatibility checks, hardware shopping list (~€700 excl. mower and RTK base station), robot modification, software setup, and recording your mowing areas.
Before buying anything, read the System Architecture overview and the