Mowing Robot

Overcoming the Challenges of Outdoor Robot Charging

Vector Machines B.V. operates autonomous mowers across multiple hectares of solar panel fields, sports fields, and golf courses. Managing vegetation in these large-scale environments requires highly reliable autonomous grass mowing solutions that are safe, free of manual intervention, and ensure uninterrupted operation.

The autonomous mowing robots work in demanding outdoor environments, facing high wet grass, mud, small stones, and other debris. They operate across a wide temperature range, from approximately +10°C to +45°C, with seasonal operation depending on grass growth in each country. High wet grass and uneven terrain significantly increase energy demand on the batteries, making a continuous and reliable power supply critical for autonomous solar field mowing and other large-area applications.

Vector Machines B.V. needed a scalable, highly robust, maintenance‑free, and fully autonomous charging solution to support efficient mowing over multi‑hectare fields.

Key requirements included:

• Minimizing manual intervention and maintenance compared to previous self-made mechanical charging contacts, which were prone to wear and failures
• Reliable charging performance even with misaligned charging pads or soiled pad surfaces
• Robust hardware designed for wet, muddy, and humid outdoor environments
• Maximizing uptime of the autonomous mower fleet
• A scalable charging infrastructure capable of adapting to different field sizes, battery capacities, and operational hours

How Wireless Charging Increased Uptime Across Multi-Hectare Fields

To address these challenges, Vector integrated Conductix-Wampfler’s WirelessCharger 3.0, an inductive wireless charging system engineered for high-throughput and demanding outdoor applications.

Vector Machines replaced the previous mechanical contact system with contactless charging, eliminating wear, corrosion, and cleaning requirements. The wireless charging system provides reliable power to the robot's 48 V, 80 Ah (15.7 kWh) battery system. 

The solution delivers contactless power transfer with up to 93% efficiency and maintains consistent charging performance even when the IP65 rated charging pads are misaligned, soiled, or exposed to harsh conditions.

The decentralized charging infrastructure for AMRs includes multiple charging stations strategically positioned across the fields to minimize non‑productive travel and maintain continuous autonomous operation.

Autonomous docking occurs throughout the day as needed, supporting an opportunity charging strategy that keeps the robots within an optimal state of charge (SoC) and maximizes uptime. While moving parts such as blades, wheels, and bearings still require periodic inspection, the inductive AMR charger drastically reduces the need for daily manual interaction.

Results and Technical Impact

By implementing the Wireless Charger 3.0, the fleet of autonomous mowing robots now operates with 100% autonomous charging, requiring no manual intervention. Charging bottlenecks and failures caused by the previous mechanical system have been eliminated, significantly increasing fleet efficiency and uptime.

The adoption of Conductix-Wampfler wireless charging has delivered measurable benefits for Vector Machine's autonomous mowing robot operations:

• 100% autonomous charging – enabling independent, uninterrupted fleet operation
• Increased uptime – continuous operation throughout the mowing season without unexpected downtime
• Improved reliability – robust charging pads and passive cooling ensure consistent performance under wet, dirty, or misaligned conditions
• Reduced maintenance – elimination of wear-prone electrical contacts
• Scalable solution – the wireless charging network can be adapted to any field layout, making it ideal for large-scale industrial mowing, including sports fields and solar field vegetation management