Some readers are certainly going to think I’m twisted, but the fact is that I like mowing my lawn.  My lawn isn’t large, so it’s not an overwhelming, time consuming ordeal, but it’s at least large enough to work up a sweat.  One of the reasons that I like mowing is that when I’m done I can clearly see what I’ve accomplished.  In my day job, the projects on which I work can take years to finish – I just finished one project that’s been 9 years in the making.  Lawn mowing, on the other hand, is a project that I can finish in less than a couple of hours.  Lawn work is not, however, something that I typically associate with, ahem, cutting edge technology.

So it caught my attention this week when Husqvarna announced that they are introducing a new robotic mower featuring text messaging capabilities.  The Husqvarna Automower 260 ACX can mow up to yards up to 1.5 acres in size on a single charge.  It has ultrasonic sensors to help it avoid obstacles and lift and tilt sensors to force it to shut down if it flips over accidentally.  The kicker, though, is that you can program it to send you a text message if it runs into problems, such as getting stuck.

Of course, a lawn mower capable of establishing a one-on-one relationship with you doesn’t come cheap.  Husqvarna hasn’t announced a US version of the 260 ACX yet, but the European version will set you back €4,000 (about $5,300).

I, of course, will continue with my Black and Decker electric lawnmower because I’d hate to give up that sense of accomplishment I get from a lawn well-mowed.  (Okay, that price tag might also have something to do with my choice.)

But let me know if my lawn mower gets its own Facebook page, because that might make me feel differently.

via Digital Trends and Engadget