AUTONOMY IN ACTION

Experiencing autonomous mowing with the Kress EyePilot

By Brian Ethridge

utonomous mowing is no longer a glimpse into the future; it ' s a growing segment of today ' s outdoor power equipment market. As the technology continues to advance, more homeowners and landscape professionals are exploring robotic mowers as an alternative to traditional equipment. To better understand what it ' s like to live with one, OPE + Landscape recently spent several weeks with the Kress EyePilot RTKn autonomous mower, putting it to work on multiple properties. Rather than serving as a formal product review, this article shares firsthand observations from a first-time autonomous mower user, highlighting both where the technology shines and where there is still room to grow.

The EyePilot combines RTKn satellite positioning with vision-based navigation, eliminating the need for a perimeter wire. After creating digital mowing zones in the companion app, the mower can navigate between areas, avoid obstacles and return to its charging station automatically. Features such as multi-zone management, over-the-air software updates and the option to mow in either structured or random patterns make it part of a growing category

of robotic mowers designed to automate routine lawn maintenance.

Firmware updates were required before the initial setup was complete. Software updates are an expected part of owning connected equipment, but they added time before the mower was ready to begin working. Mapping the property also required a little more effort and patience than anticipated.

Each mowing zone, travel path and no-go area must be created in the app. That includes defining the routes the mower uses to cross driveways or sidewalks as it moves between different sections of the property.

The process is straightforward, but it can be time-consuming, especially on larger or more complex properties. Kress offers an optional mapping cart designed to simplify the process, and it would likely make setup faster and more efficient for users with extensive properties. However, it also represents an additional investment.

Rather than waiting until the lawn needs cut, the EyePilot performs best when it mows on a consistent schedule. On one of the test properties, some areas grew much faster than others. Allowing those sections to become too tall or too dense occasionally caused the mower to become stuck or struggle to complete its mowing cycle.

Running the mower every couple of days produced much better results than treating it like a once-a-week mower.

That ' s less a limitation of the machine than a reflection of how robotic mowers are designed to operate. Instead of tackling overgrown grass, they ' re intended to continuously maintain a lawn at a consistent height.

The mower also displayed behaviors that occasionally raised questions.

At times, its mowing routes appeared somewhat unpredictable, even within established mowing zones. While the mower consistently covered the assigned areas, it wasn ' t always clear why it selected certain paths or changed direction when it did.

On rougher terrain or in thicker grass, the mower would also occasionally stop mowing and need to be returned to its charging station before completing the job. Whether that decision was triggered by software logic or the conditions it encountered, it resulted in interrupted mowing sessions in some areas.

Because autonomous mowers rely heavily on software, these types of behaviors are the kind of refinements that can continue improving through future firmware updates.

One area where the EyePilot exceeded expectations was on steep terrain.

A particularly steep slope on one of the test properties has always been challenging to mow. It ' s too steep for a riding mower, and even using a push mower has led to a few dangerous slips over the years. The EyePilot climbed the hill without difficulty. For properties with challenging terrain, that capability could prove to be one of the mower ' s biggest advantages. Beyond convenience, autonomous mowing has the potential to reduce the need for operators to tackle some of the most difficult or potentially dangerous areas.

Like any evolving technology, autonomous mowers continue to improve, and the EyePilot reflects both the progress that ' s been made and the opportunities that remain.

Initial setup requires time, mapping takes patience, and taller or thicker grass can still present challenges. There were also moments when the mower ' s navigation decisions seemed overly cautious or even confused, particularly when encountering rougher sections of the lawn.

At the same time, its ability to handle steep slopes and maintain a lawn with little day-to-day involvement highlighted why interest in autonomous mowing continues to grow.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the EyePilot isn ' t where it is today, but where it could be tomorrow. As software continues to evolve through future updates, the overall user experience has the potential to become even more refined. The hardware demonstrated impressive capability throughout testing, and it will be interesting to see how future software enhancements continue to unlock that potential.