Autonomous technology developer Mach is launching a platform to retrofit commercial lawn mowers for autonomous deployment at solar project sites. The technology factory can be integrated with mainstream commercial lawn mowers.

"Public utility-scale solar farms are among the most challenging operating environments for autonomous off-road operations: narrow spacing, dense panel shading, GPS signal attenuation zones, and zero tolerance for infrastructure collisions," said Colin Hurd, CEO of Mach. "As a Tier 1 partner providing our full-stack autonomous system to commercial OEMs, we offer solar asset owners the rugged, dealer-supported machinery they trust, while infusing it with autonomous capabilities. This ecosystem approach enables solar developers to expand their gigawatt-scale vegetation management footprint while providing OEMs a ready-to-deploy pathway to dominate the autonomous solar market."

Utilizing Mach's proprietary RTK-GNSS automated infrastructure, the lawn mowers are designed to operate autonomously in dusty, tall grass, and sun-glare conditions while avoiding structures and electrical components on solar panels. These mowers can be deployed across multiple sites and managed by a single operator.

Due to Mach's platform being compatible with existing equipment, maintenance can still be performed through the original manufacturer of the lawn mower. Mach will showcase its autonomous solar-powered mowing platform at booth W16676 in the Las Vegas Convention Center from November 16 to 19, participating in the RE+ 26 exhibition.