Join the Discord server for OpenMower discussion:
Warning
DISCLAIMER:
IF YOU ARE NOT 100% SURE WHAT YOU ARE DOING, PLEASE DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME! ASK IN DISCORD, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS!
Important
New users: start here → openmower.de
This repository is the central entry point for the OpenMower project. The actual code, firmware and hardware designs live in dedicated repositories — see the Ecosystem section below.
If you want to see a quick overview, check out this video:
Let's be honest: The current generation of robotic lawn mowers sucks. Basically all of these bots drive in a random direction until they hit the border of the lawn, rotate for a randomized duration and repeat. We can do better.
OpenMower started by disassembling the cheapest off-the-shelf robotic mower we could find (YardForce Classic 500) and replacing its brain with custom hardware and open-source software — turning a dumb random-walk robot into a GPS-guided, map-aware, app-controlled mowing machine.
✔️ Autonomous Lawn Mowing: The device mows the lawn automatically.
✔️ Good Safety: Emergency stop if lifted or crashed.
✔️ No Perimeter Wire Needed: Flexible support for multiple mowing areas.
✔️ Low Cost: Cheaper than a mid-range off-the-shelf product.
✔️ Open: Share knowledge and enable others to build their own OpenMower.
✔️ Nice to Look At: You should not be ashamed to have an OpenMower mowing your lawn.
✔️ Avoid Obstacles: Detect and avoid obstacles during mowing.
✔️ Rain Detection: Detect bad weather and pause until conditions improve.
Full documentation and step-by-step build guide: openmower.de
The docs cover everything: compatibility checks, hardware shopping list (~€700 excl. mower and RTK base station), robot modification, software setup, and recording your mowing areas.
Before buying anything, read the System Architecture overview and the Step by Step Guide. The build requires intermediate electronics, Linux, and mechanical skills and typically takes a weekend for a YardForce-class mower.
Need help? Join the Discord — 2000+ members, active community.
OpenMower is split across purpose-specific repositories, included here as submodules. Clone everything at once:
git clone --recursive https://github.com/ClemensElflein/OpenMowerOr fetch submodules after an existing clone:
git submodule update --init --recursive| Repository | Local path | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ClemensElflein/open_mower_ros | software/open_mower_ros |
ROS navigation, planning and state machine |
| xtech/openmower-app | software/openmower-app |
Mobile and web app |
| ClemensElflein/OpenMowerOS | software/OpenMowerOS |
Operating system image |
| Repository | Local path | Description |
|---|---|---|
| xtech/fw-openmower-v2 | firmware/fw-openmower-v2 |
Mainboard firmware — motor control, sensors, hardware abstraction |
| ClemensElflein/xesc_firmware | firmware/xesc_firmware |
xESC motor controller firmware |
| Repository | Local path | Description |
|---|---|---|
| xtech/hw-openmower-universal | hardware/hw-openmower-universal |
Universal mainboard |
| xtech/hw-openmower-yardforce | hardware/hw-openmower-yardforce |
YardForce-specific mainboard |
| xtech/hw-openmower-sabo | hardware/hw-openmower-sabo |
Sabo / John Deere mainboard |
Many robotic mowers share the same underlying hardware manufactured by SUMEC Hardware, sold under brands like YardForce, Herkules, and others. By upgrading one of these robots, a large number of devices become OpenMower-capable.
Check the openmower website to check, if your mower is compatible.
- Build one — validates the concept and generates useful documentation for others
- Star ⭐ and watch 👀 this repository — helps with visibility
- Contribute — see CONTRIBUTING.md
- Support — subscribe to the YouTube channel
Before building a robot based on the designs published here, make sure you are allowed to do so in your specific region. There may be patents and/or laws prohibiting it.
The code/schematics/PCB files are distributed in the hope that they will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
This is a documentation of a personal project, shared freely. I am not liable for any damages your devices cause to anyone or anything. You will need real technical know-how to use this project.
Licenses differ across the project. Software repositories (ROS, app, OS, firmware) are generally licensed under GPL or MIT — check the LICENSE file in each individual repository before use.
This repository documentation is licensed under:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International.
Feel free to use the design in private/educational projects. Don't sell the design or products based on it without consent. The goal is to share knowledge, not to enable others to sell this work.
