What is Systematic Mowing?

Selectable mowing pattern, commonly also called Systematic mowing patterns, is a feature that enables your Automower® robotic lawn mower with EPOS® wire free technology to cut grass systematically in parallel tracks, creating a striped effect on the lawn.

Supported mowers

  • Automower® 305E NERA, 310E NERA, and 320 NERA equipped with EPOS® technology
  • Automower® Aspire™ R6V
  • Automower® 308V and 312V
  • Automower® 405XE NERA and 410XE NERA equipped with EPOS® technology
  • Automower® 430X NERA and 450X NERA equipped with EPOS® technology
  • Automower® 405VE NERA, 410VE NERA, 430V NERA, 450V NERA
  • Automower® 435X AWD NERA
  • Automower® 520 EPOS®, 540 EPOS®, 550 EPOS®, 560 EPOS®, 580 EPOS® and 580 L EPOS®
  • Automower® 535 AWD EPOS®
  • CEORA™

Advantages of systematic mowing versus irregular mowing

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  • Increases the work area capacity by at least 50% in typical residential lawns.
  • In open areas such as football pitches and other large green spaces, the work area capacity can increase by up to 100%.
  • Provides more predictable mowing times for designated work areas.
  • Offers three different mowing patterns: parallel, checkered and triangle, creating a striped effect in the lawn.
  • Allows for a flexible selection of cutting direction, to ensure optimal area coverage and grass health.

Pattern alternatives

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  • Parallel pattern: The mower navigates the lawn in parallel tracks. It starts every mowing session in the designated corner of the lawn and moves in the same direction, creating a striped pattern in the lawn.
  • Checkerboard pattern: The mower mows the entire lawn in one direction, and during the next mowing session it mows at a 90-degree angle to the previous mowing. It alternates direction between sessions, creating a checkerboard pattern in the lawn.
  • Triangle pattern: The mower mows the entire lawn in one direction, and during the next mowing session it mows at a 60-degree angle from the previous session. It changes direction between sessions, creating a triangle pattern in the lawn. With this pattern, the stripes in the lawn are less visible than with the parallel or checkerboard patterns.

Note: Commercial robotic lawn mowers may offer additional pattern options.

Steps to select mowing pattern

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  1. In the Automower® Connect App, navigate to the map section and select the work area you want to update.
  2. Tap Pattern settings and select the preferred pattern.
  3. Close the Pattern settings section.
  4. Set the pattern direction by moving the orange dots.
  5. Tap Save.

When to choose systematic vs. irregular mowing

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The choice between systematic and irregular mowing depends on the characteristics of your lawn, and on your personal preferences.

When to choose systematic mowing?

  • Systematic mowing is most suitable for flat, open areas with few obstacles, such as large yards, football fields, or golf courses.
  • To achieve a striped effect on the lawn.
  • For Automower® 435X AWD NERA, when using systematic mowing patterns, uncut grass can occur in sharp corners due to the mower's size and the space required for turning.

When to choose irregular mowing?

  • Irregular mowing is ideal for lawns with slopes, complex work areas, and areas with many obstacles like trampolines or flower beds.
  • To achieve an even mowing effect as the lawn is cut uniformly from all directions.

Combining systematic and irregular mowing

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  • If an irregular work area is scheduled before a systematic one, the mower will start mowing the irregular work area. When the scheduled time for the area with systematic mowing starts, the mower will move to that area, finish mowing, and then return to the irregular mowing area until the scheduled time ends.
  • If an irregular and a systematic mowing area are scheduled to start simultaneously, the mower will begin mowing in the work area that hasn't been mowed for the longest time.

How does Systematic Mowing work?

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Mapping of the yard

After installation, the robotic lawn mower creates a cutting path based on the pre-selected mowing direction and the lawn's shape and known obstacles such as islands and stay-out zones.

Starting the mowing

The mower begins mowing in a corner of the lawn selected by the mower. It then proceeds to cut along the calculated paths, keeping a slight offset at each mowing session to prevent track marks and ensure full coverage.

Completing the mowing process

The mower continues to cut until the entire area is completed or the scheduled time ends. A final mowing along the perimeter ensures the removal of any uncut grass along the boundary and obstacles.

Systematic mowing and scheduling

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  • The mower will park itself if it finishes the work area before the end of the scheduled mowing session.
  • If an area is not completed during a mowing session, the mower will start the next scheduled session where the previous session ended.
  • If the lawn isn't fully cut after a mowing session, extend the scheduled hours to give more time for the mowing.
  • If another mowing session in the same work area is scheduled on the same day, the mower will mow the area again.
  • A mowing session will be interrupted if the virtual map or pattern settings are changed, or if the work area is not completed within 72 hours.
  • The mowing progress can be monitored via the Automower® Connect App. The message 'Areas completed' will appear when a session is completed.

Systematic mowing and object avoidance

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When systematic mowing is enabled and the mower detects an unexpected object on the lawn, it stops in front of the object and continues mowing as planned (yellow lines in the illustration below), avoiding the area where the object is located. The area behind the object remains uncut until the rest of the scheduled area is mowed.

After finishing the planned area, the mower moves to the uncut area behind the object to complete the mowing (red lines in the illustration below).

Please note, any areas less than 1 meter / 3.3 feet between an unexpected obstacle and the virtual boundary will remain uncut.

Systematic mowing for EdgeCut mowers

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Optimal edge-cutting patterns

  • To achieve optimal edge-cutting results, use a mowing pattern that alternates directions.
  • Patterns like checkerboard or triangle are effective because they cover the edges from multiple angles. In contrast, a parallel pattern, where the mower runs only in one direction, can leave edges uncut.

Edgecut and systematic mowing on slopes

When mowing in slopes, it's generally recommended to mow straight up the slope. Using a checkerboard pattern can cause the mower to cross the slope side to side in the other direction, potentially causing wear on the lawn or causing the mower to slip. Setting the mowing pattern at a 45-degree angle to the slope can help the mower handle the incline better and cut edges in both directions.

  • If your EdgeCut mower still struggles, consider changing mowing pattern to mow in only one direction or create a separate work area with an irregular mowing pattern for the slope.
  • For information on EdgeCut, please refer to our article: What is EdgeCut and how to use it.

Additional information & tips

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  • Alternate cutting direction: For optimal area coverage and grass health, we recommended to alternate the cutting direction. This ensures that all areas of the lawn are evenly cut and maintained.
  • Mowing on slopes: For sloping lawns, we recommend to set the pattern direction straight up the slope to prevent grass wear.
  • Obstacle management: For work areas with obstacles, create stay-out-zones around the obstacles and select a pattern with varying directions to achieve good cutting results.

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