Reel lawn mowers are categorically known to be better than rotary lawn mowers. They do a better job of trimming grass to a low height, are much more energy efficient, and can be found at every single golf course for their ability to leave a turf looking flawless. The problem, however, is that reel lawnmowers are still fairly manual. Sure, they run on motors, but you still need a human to push the mower around – something that seems odd given that robotic lawnmowers have existed for a good 5 years at this point. Nobody ever tried building a robot version of the reel mower (don’t ask me why) until now. The Oasa R1 is bringing the advancements of autonomous mowers to the perfection of reel blade cutting. The world’s first lawn mowing robot to employ a blade reel, the Oasa R1 turns your backyard into a perfectly manicured turf, with precisely cut grass in every corner. The R1 maps your lawn out, trims the grass to its very edge, avoids humans/pets/obstacles, and takes care of your entire lawn just with the push of a button. It’ll stay away from your prized flower bed, will cross over pathways to get to different zones of your lawn, and will automatically retreat to its shelter once the job is done.
Designer: Oasa Team
$1,599 ($400 off). Hurry, 42/452 left! Raised over $685,000.
Most companies building lawn mowing bots prefer rotary mowers given how compact the entire mechanism is. Reel mowers, although much more superior in performance, use a much larger drum and blade that results in a bigger overall product. That didn’t stop Oasa from building the R1, albeit with a surprisingly small product footprint. The R1 bridges both worlds wonderfully, offering all the cutting-edge features of a self-driving mower, with the perfection that the spinning reel blade can offer. The blade’s cutting height can be adjusted down to as low as 0.8 inches, or as high as 4 inches (depending on how you want to trim your yard), and the R1 has a cutting path that’s an impressive 13 inches wide, covering more ground in lesser time. A LiDAR sensor hub and multiple cameras allow the R1 to map out your lawn as well as sense obstacles. The mower gets to work, choosing the most efficient path to get the job done, while avoiding obstacles and no-go zones perfectly.
An automatic blade resharpening system reduces the need for manual replacement or realignment, distinguishing it from other robotic and traditional reel mowers.
The reel blade is perhaps the R1’s crown jewel, setting it apart from other robot mowers. While rotary mowers tend to tear the blades of grass, the R1’s reel blade gives them a clean, scissor-like cut that leaves your lawn looking lush and perfect, and allows the grass to grow back in a healthy, non-patchy way too. Spiral blades on the reel help it shear the grass instead of ripping it apart, and here’s the kicker, the R1 has its own blade sharpening feature that automatically works in between mowing sessions to ensure that the blades are as razor-sharp as possible. Moreover, it’s also incredibly silent, with a working decibel level of under 60db, which is about as loud as a normal conversation.
Using the Oasa R1 is about as simple as using any automated lawn mower. The R1 performs a precursory 3D scan of your lawn for you, allowing you to determine different zones, pathways, fences, and even no-go areas. Once you’re done, all it takes is to press a button to get the R1 started. It automatically maps out its path, cutting precisely near fences and along edges, leaving just a 2-inch gap as it moves along fences, skirting, and walls. It relies entirely on LiDAR to navigate your lawn, eschewing GPS which can sometimes have signal issues. The advanced LiDAR tech allows the R1 to conveniently sidestep and avoid obstacles like humans, pets, parcels, or anything that may be blocking its path. Meanwhile, large treaded wheels allow the R1 to easily climb up 45% inclines, letting it cover every single inch of your lawn regardless of the terrain. The entire process can be tracked on Oasa’s smartphone app, which gives you insights on the mowing progress, as well as allows you to set up mowing routines/schedules on-demand. The app also lets you choose mowing height and pattern, as well as activate the R1’s blade-sharpening cycle, which takes mere minutes.
The R1 comes with its own charging shelter where it retreats to when it’s low on battery, when it detects rain, or when it’s done mowing your lawn. Although it doesn’t use GPS during mowing, it does have its own geofence that you set up when you first get the R1 – the minute the R1 leaves the geofence, you get an anti-theft alert along with your lawn-mower’s live location. Maintenance in between mowing routines is a breeze too, thanks to an IPX6 waterproof design that lets you hose down your R1 from either side to wash off any grass stubble that may be stuck to it.
The Oasa R1 ships globally, with a discounted starting price of $1199 – this includes the mower itself, along with the charging shelter, a 2-year warranty, and even the customs fee.
$1,599 ($400 off). Hurry, 42/452 left! Raised over $685,000.
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