Exeter buying robots to help maintain parks, fields amid staff shortages

EXETER — The future is rolling into town.

The town's Select Board voted unanimously Monday to approve a proposal by the Parks and Recreation Department to acquire robots to mow the lawn and to line the town fields.

Parks and Recreation Director Greg Bisson called the $84,224.47 investment “a solution for our struggle to find affordable contractors and staff.”

Bisson said robotic lawnmowers are not new.

The technology, he said, is popular in European countries, citing the usage of over 35,000 machines in Sweden alone. Autonomous mowers, he added, “have taken the U.S. by storm” due to high manpower costs and a shortage of available workers.

He noted they are now used by towns, universities, golf courses and professional sports teams, including at Fenway Park.

"The groundskeeper from Fenway Park is endorsing these," said Bisson. "I'm pretty confident that these are going to be a total step up for us."

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Why lawn mowing robots?

Bisson said the Roomba-shaped autonomous mower is a self-propelled device that cuts grass without human involvement.

Weighing at around 35 pounds, the robots utilize sensors, navigation technology and intelligent programming to navigate a park, mow grass at the desired height, and return to a docking station for recharging.

Bisson said the robots use Bluetooth signals, allowing park staff to program and control them from a mobile device. It also has GPS tracking for theft protection and easy navigation and can operate in any weather condition.

The machines are quiet, he said, and have low maintenance costs, only needing its undercarriage to be hosed off occasionally and blade replacement once or twice a year.

“You don’t have to change the oil, refill the gas, or replace spark plugs,” he said.

Additionally, Bisson said robotic lawnmowers are less harmful to the environment. The mowers, he said, run on electricity rather than gas and are powered by rechargeable batteries, eliminating emissions that contribute to atmospheric carbon buildup.

"Did you know the environmental impact of a gas-powered lawn mower operating for an hour is comparable to that of a car driving about 100 miles,” Bisson said.

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Field lining robot could be a game changer

Bisson said they previously contracted with a local vendor to paint/line the town's athletic fields.

"Unfortunately, that vendor has retired, leaving the town to find a solution for our painting needs," Bisson said.

He said the same vendor was used by FC Exeter (Exeter Youth Soccer Association) and Exeter Youth Lacrosse, leaving them also scrambling to find an alternative solution.

The Tiny Mobile Robot, Bisson said, can line the field for various types of sports ranging from flag football to soccer and softball to field hockey in a short time. What would take two workers between five to six hours to paint each field, the robot can do it just shy of 45 minutes.

It only requires one person to operate it and will also cut down paint costs by 40% to 60%, as the robot requires less paint to complete the job.

Additionally, Bisson said the robot can paint customized logos and graphics on multiple surfaces.

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Robots will not replace park staff

Bisson said the parks department is not looking to downsize staff as it is already short-staffed.

"We will always need someone to maintain those robots," he added.

While the mowers won't solve their staffing woes, he said they will allow existing workers to focus more on park maintenance like trash pickup and tree trimming.

He said during peak season, mowing the town's 35 acres of parks accounted for most of their time during a typical work week.

"I've talked to several vendors and they're all struggling to find people to mow," said Bisson. "So why not do something that's not going to call in sick, can do it at night, can do it in the rain and always be there?"

Another benefit, he said, is the robots will cut down on injuries.

Bisson noted the state of Illinois Park Districts saw a dramatic reduction in worker compensation claims when the park districts moved toward autonomous mowers.

What are the costs and savings?

The Select Board approved the four-year lease/purchase of seven Husqvarna 550 EPOS robotic lawnmowers for $35,424.47.

They also agreed to spend $33,000 to purchase a Tiny Mobile Robot for field painting.

Both costs, Bison said, will be paid through the Recreation Revolving Fund.

Bisson said the mowing robots will initially be used to mow the approximately 17 acres at Recreation Park and Brickyard Park, with the possibility of expanding to Park Street Common and Gilman Park. They plan to spend an additional $15,800 to extend electrical services to Recreation Park and Brickyard Park to install charging stations for the robots.

Bisson said the long-term savings outweigh the initial cost. The cost to mow both parks, if relied on manpower, totals nearly $17,000 per year, he said.

Bisson said to recoup the costs of the field lining robot, the department plans to offer its services to local youth organizations, charging them anywhere between $300 for full-sized fields to $150 for youth-sized fields. He estimated they would bring in $15,000 per year, allowing the department to recover the initial cost in just over two years.

Bisson called the purchases a “win-win” for the town.

"This is a no-brainer for me," said Selectman Dan Chartrand.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Exeter buying robots to help maintain parks, fields