Honda Miimo is an adorable Roomba for your lawn
After being announced years ago, it's finally coming to the US.
If you've always been too lazy to mow your lawn, there's finally a Honda-branded robot that will do it for you.
The Miimo is Honda's robotic lawnmower. It can do the job entirely on its own, within a defined area. That mow-friendly patch is defined by installing a boundary wire either underground or just above the grass. The Miimo detects the wire's electrical field, which can also be used to cordon off trees, ponds or gardens.
This little guy has a variety of cutting modes. Random takes a more scatterbrained approach to mowing the lawn, operating solely off boundary wire detection. Directional mode turns the robot at a narrower angle, providing a more traditional set of "stripes" on the lawn. Mixed mode is, well, a mix of the two modes. Spiral mode is meant for lawns that grow at different rates in different areas, and Edge mode will carve a border along the boundary wire before moving to a different mode.
I would slap some googly eyes on mine, but I'm a weirdo.
It might sound like the robot isn't that smart, but it is. It has 360-degree sensors that will stop cutting if it detects an object, whether it's a dog or a human. It will also sound an alarm if it's picked up off the ground, and it can only be restarted using a unique PIN on a control panel hiding under its body.
Fans of bagged mowers will appreciate Miimo's approach to cutting. It's designed to cut less grass more frequently, so smaller clippings can reintegrate into the lawn, which Honda claims can act as a natural fertilizer. Timers can allow the Miimo to run day or night.
The Miimo comes with a docking station that it will enter on its own for charging, which happens when the battery runs below 30 percent. Two models are available -- the HRM 310 has a 1.8-Ah battery that can mow up to 30 minutes and is capable of tackling about a half acre of lawn. The HRM 520 has a 3.6-Ah battery that can run for up to an hour and should be able to cover 0.75 acres, charging as necessary along the way.
If this sounds expensive, you're right, it is. The HRM 310 will go on sale this June for $2,499, while the more capable HRM 520 will siphon $2,799 from your wallet. You can pick one up at a Honda Power Equipment dealer near you, unless you live in California, for some reason.
