Robot detects obstacles and determines where it can and cannot mow |
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| GARDEN AND PARK TECHNOLOGY |
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| 197 sec |
Husqvarna Vision makes mower smarter
Animals that do not move away, dropped phones, jackets and other items accidentally left on the field: robot mowers equipped with the Vision camera system from Husqvarna can detect them all.
| René Kamstra and Maurice Hilverts with the two Vision-equipped machines on the field in Deinum. |
Fieldmanager of the Year 2025 René Kamstra has been using two Husqvarna EPOS 580 robot mowers since last season to maintain the new training facility of Cambuur at football club SF Deinum. When the dealer informed him that a camera system would be available this spring to recognise various obstacles and determine whether the mower could pass over them, he quickly decided to adopt it. Even before the final update was available to make the system fully operational, he had it installed during the winter service. By the first mowing round in March, the software was complete and ready for use.
The Vision system is beneficial for animals such as hedgehogs that seek rest on a quiet football pitch. According to Maurice Hilverts of dealer$GGreidanus$G in Winsum, animals have nothing to fear from robot mowers equipped with Vision. They are given priority. 'The system either stops the machine or makes it drive around the animal. In nine out of ten cases, the animal moves away once the machine stops, allowing it to continue its route.'
After driving around an obstacle, a small section of the field remains unmown. 'No problem,' says Hilverts. 'The machine returns later. If the obstacle is still there, it will come back again, and again, until it can mow the area.' Hilverts became enthusiastic about the Vision system during a demonstration at the dealer days of Husqvarna in Belgium last year. Together with other Husqvarna Pro dealers, he attended training sessions earlier this year. 'There we learned how to work with it in practice. Without that, it would be harder to advise customers properly.'
Prepared
The Vision system is available as an option on all so-called P22 models from Husqvarna, explains Ron Bakker on behalf of Husqvarna Netherlands. 'That includes the 540, 560 and 580. All these models are already prepared for it. It is easy to install. For around €500 excluding VAT, you can add it.'
According to him, the system recognises a total of 200,000 objects and, for example, avoids items such as pens or keychains because they should not be cut, while allowing the machine to pass over thin twigs with similar shapes. The system is intended as an addition to the existing sensor system, which already enables autonomous operation through transmitter control. 'Thanks to the Vision system, the mowers can now also move forward in places where this was previously not possible due to signal loss. When that happens, for example under trees, the machine continues using the camera.'
The feature benefits both animals on the field and owners of items left behind. Although this was not a major issue in Kamstra's working area, the municipality of Waadhoeke, it still adds value. This large municipality in northern Friesland has 41 villages, each with its own football and handball facilities. In two of these villages, a total of three robot mowers are in operation.
With depreciation over five years, the annual cost of the Vision system amounts to around €100, the dealer calculates. 'If a machine can continue working twice instead of stopping and requiring intervention, you already recover those costs.'
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'The machine returns to mow the skipped area once the obstacle is gone'
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'Two mowing tractors are just not enough for us. Compared to purchasing a third one that we only need occasionally, these robots are very cost-effective'
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 | | The machine recognises the gloves and will mow around them. |
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Cambuur
The municipality previously had to maintain as many as 63 football and handball fields using only mowing tractors across a large area. The significant travel distances made this a challenge, Kamstra explains. This led him to consider adding robot mowers. 'The arrival of Cambuur in Deinum last year accelerated this development. Cambuur initially planned to maintain the training pitch themselves with a cylinder mower.' In addition to the training pitch, Deinum also has an artificial turf field, mainly used by local club SF Deinum, and a handball field. The municipality purchased a robot mower for the latter so tractors no longer needed to travel to Deinum. Cambuur then asked whether the municipality could also handle their mowing using the same robot. A second machine was purchased for Cambuur, supported by a rental agreement for the training field. This was followed by a third EPOS 580 for the handball field in nearby Boksum. 'This gives us an alternative to mowing tractors in this part of the municipality.'
According to Kamstra, the purchase of the three Husqvarna EPOS 580 mowers for Deinum and Boksum has eased operational pressure. 'Distances between villages are quickly 5 to 6 kilometres, which takes time. Deinum and Boksum are located at the edge of the municipality, near Leeuwarden, effectively at the end of the route for tractors. It saves significant time that tractors no longer need to go there, especially since mowing would otherwise be required twice a week during the season.'
 | | The two machines operating in Deinum with the camera system installed. |
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Advantage
In addition to saving travel time, Kamstra mentions another financial benefit. 'The two mowing tractors we have are just not enough. Purchasing a third would require a significant investment, while we only need a bit more capacity. In that case, these robots are relatively inexpensive.'
He mainly sees robot mowers as a supplement. 'They deliver a good mowing result. But we are also satisfied with the quality achieved by tractors. Those machines use rollers that smooth out minor unevenness during the season. Robots do not do that. Where we use robots, additional work such as rolling, harrowing and brushing is required more often.'
Overall, he considers them an equally sound choice from an economic perspective. 'So if the municipality were to take back maintenance of previously privatised fields in the future, increasing the workload, I would certainly consider investing in robots again.'
This article was previously published on 30 April 2026 on the Fieldmanager](https://www.fieldmanager.nl/article/53701/robot-herkent-obstakels-en-bepaalt-waar-machine-wel-en-niet-overheen-mag]Fieldmanager) website.
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