Building the Mower
Welcome to the OpenMower Building guide!
Note: This WIKI was only just started on 2022-04-22, but are actively working on filling it up and making a good documentation for the new builders out there!
Warning
Please note that this project currently is in a very early stage! So don't go buying stuff right away! You will need to order and solder your own boards, since there are no assembled boards for sale yet.
Please make sure that you're actually allowed to build this device in your area. There may be laws / patents prohibiting you of doing so!
Please just be responsible and if you're not sure what you're doing, please don't do anything.
BTW the warranty of your brand new mower will obviously be void as soon as you modify it in any way, so be aware.
Intro
Below you can find an overview of the major parts and components in the OpenMower.
There is a also another page with a Builder Road Map that gives guide to how to go about building your own OpenMower project.
Bill OF Materials
| Name | Description | Optional | Availability | Quantity Required | Source Link 1 | Alternate Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mower (Yardforce Classic 500) | Base building block | Off the shelf | 1 | https://amzn.to/3NWgIxk | Note: Earlier, we had a reference to myrobotcenter. However, they have gone into reconstruction, so be aware of that vendor! | |
| OpenMower Mainboard | The core of the new electronics. | Custom | 1 | WIP | WIP | |
| xESC | Motor drivers | Custom | 3 | WIP | WIP | |
| Raspebrry Pi 4 | The brain of the robot. Also used to send RTK correction data from the base station.
|
Off the shelf | 2 | WIP | WIP | |
| Ardusimple RTK2B GPS | Positioning system for the bot | Off the shelf | 2 | https://www.ardusimple.com/product/simplertk2b-basic-starter-kit-ip65/ | https://www.ardusimple.com/product/simplertk2b-basic-starter-kit-ip65/ | |
| Raspberry Pi Pico | Microcontroller talking to peripherals, soldered to the OpenMower mainboard | Off the shelf | 1 | Widely available | ||
| 3D printed brackets | To hold the GPS inside the bot | Custom | 1 | https://www.printables.com/fr/model/175826-openmower-gps-mount-for-yardforce-classic-500 | WIP | |
| SMA Angle Adapter | Needed to connect the GPS without bending the wire too much | Off the shelf | 1 | https://amzn.to/3K913b1 | WIP | |
| CC/CV Step Down module | As charger for the docking station | Off the shelf | 1 | https://amzn.to/3NUdRVL | WIP | |
| Docking Station Adapter PCB | A PCB to hold the module in place. | Custom | 1 | WIP | WIP | |
| GPS PCB | A ground plane PCB to improve GPS reception | Custom | 1 | WIP | WIP | |
| USB Angle Adapter | If you want to use the Classic 500's USB port | YES | Off the shelf | 1 | https://amzn.to/3ukNAIj | WIP |
Building the bot
We are working on providing step by step instructions on how to build the bot. At the moment, we only have Clemens's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bImqD-pQSA