WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) – Aspirus Health recently introduced autonomous lawn mowers at six locations in its system to support its environmental sustainability efforts.
These battery-powered, self-propelled lawn mowers are controlled via an app and run on electricity instead of gasoline.
“Switching from gasoline-powered lawn mowers to these autonomous lawn mowers at sites that can currently support this technology was an easy decision,” said Andrew Miller, director of systems facility management and safety at Aspirus Health. “These autonomous lawn mowers help reduce the environmental impact of our lawn care operations and provide greater value to our landscape operations and campuses.”
Aspirus Health autonomous lawn mowers are currently in use at the following locations:
- Aspirus Wausau Hospital
- Headquarters of Aspirus Inc. (Wausau, Wisconsin)
- Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital (Portage, Wisconsin)
- Aspirus Merrill Hospital
- Aspirus Rhinelander Hospital
- Aspirus Tomahawk Hospital
The autonomous mowers, which have been in use since July, use navigation technology, sensors and programming to move around lawns, cut the grass at the desired height and pattern and return to a docking station to recharge. They can operate rain or shine, day or night.
To support the initiative and minimize electricity consumption and costs, Aspirus maintenance teams built solar charging stations for the lawn mowers.
“The mowers have performed well and we have kept them running despite the recent rains,” Miller added. “The mowers are also well received by our patients and staff.”
The autonomous lawn mowers also reduce air pollution and noise levels. Unlike petrol-powered lawn mowers, which emit pollutants and greenhouse gases, they do not produce any direct emissions during operation. They are also almost silent, which drastically reduces noise pollution.
Other advantages of the mowers are:
- More efficient electric motors that require less energy and maintenance to operate.
- Lightweight bodies that do not compact the soil and reduce rainwater runoff.
- Blades that cut the grass and work it back into the soil, minimizing the need for fertilizers and chemicals.
“These autonomous mowers not only help reduce our carbon footprint, they also make our grounds and landscaping teams more efficient,” said Miller.
Aspirus Health has purchased the autonomous lawn mowers from Power House Lawn & Leisure in Merrill.
There are plans to introduce autonomous lawn mowers at other Aspirus Health locations in the future.
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