Development of User-Integrated Semi-Autonomous Lawn Mowing Systems: A Systems Engineering Perspective and Proposed Architecture

Abstract

This concept paper outlines a conceptual framework for the design and development of user-integrated semi-autonomous lawn mowing systems. This is approached from a systems engineering perspective, considering both hardware and software elements and integration with the user. This is an important and emerging field of study within the several engineering communities, including robotics, agricultural engineering, smart city development, and general systems engineering. In several sections of this paper, a review of current progress on this problem is presented (both in general and related to specific aspects of the system), followed by a discussion of the problem from a systems engineering perspective, a general system architecture developed by the authors, a preliminary set of design requirements, and a discussion of some practical implementation strategies. This work is meant to provide a baseline and motivation for the further development and refinement of these systems within the agricultural engineering and robotics communities and is relevant to both academic and commercial research.