AS-Motor will be demonstrating its high-tech lawn innovations at Demopark 2023, Europe’s largest open-air exhibition for the green sector. A remote-controlled (RC) fleet – consisting of AS 940 Sherpa 4WD RC mowers – will be on display in the innovation area of the exhibition grounds, working a defined green area fully automatically. AS-Motor will be presenting this special innovation in conjunction with the Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (Fraunhofer IVI) and Sensor-Technik Wiedemann GmbH (STW). 

Together, the team will present three professional ride-on RC mowers that work on green areas – even on rough terrain – fully automatically. The demonstration will show how a ‘driver’ operates and monitors the AS 940 Sherpa 4WD RC mowers to not only achieve three times the area output, but also to work more precisely and without fatigue. Depending on the application, the fleet of mowers can be activated directly on site or remotely (for example, from an office). 

A key technology in this innovation is the control tower software helyOS® (highly efficient online yard Operating System), which was developed at the Fraunhofer IVI with the aim of efficiently developing, testing and deploying autonomous mobile machines. From small to large projects, helyOS® acts as a central hub for connecting, controlling and monitoring fleets of machines via a local network or the cloud. Trucks and agricultural machinery can already be networked and automatically controlled. Now the digital control tower also delivers missions for professional lawnmowers. 

STW provides the on-board technology for control centre integration. Its Linux-based TCG-4 connectivity and data management module is used to network the AS 940 Sherpa 4WD with helyOS® and is also responsible for vehicle automation. The travel orders are received and processed by helyOS® via wireless LAN (WLAN) or long-term evolution (LTE). For this purpose, a track controller determines suitable control signals based on the actual and target position of the AS 940 Sherpa 4WD and transmits them to the mower via the CAN bus. 

Come and get an insight into the future! Visit the innovation area at Demopark (near the lawn competence tent) from 18 to 20 June in Hörselberg near Eisenach, Germany, or at the AS-Motor stand, E595.