An ignition system for outdoor power equipment driven by a petrol or gasoline engine may include a safety interlock system, a starter motor, a starter solenoid having an activation coil, and a solenoid monitor. The ignition system may be configured to selectively apply power to start the engine based on application of a start attempt. The safety interlock system may be operable to actuate the starter solenoid via the activation coil to apply current to the starter motor for starting the engine during the start attempt. The solenoid monitor may be configured to determine a status of the activation coil and starter solenoid contacts and provide a fault indication based on the status determined.

A control system including a drive system and a blade system; a collision sensor; a main board having a main processor and in communication with the collision sensor, the drive system, and the blade system; the collision sensor, upon sensing a collision, capable of transmitting a collision signal to the main processor; the main board capable of transmitting an adjustment command to the drive system or the blade system; a vision sensor; a vision processor in communication with the vision sensor and the main processor, and capable of determining whether the image data represent an obstacle; the vision sensor capable of transmitting image data to the vision processor; when the vision processor determines the image data represent an obstacle, the vision processor capable of transmitting a collision-replicating signal to the main processor, prompting the main board to transmit the adjustment command to the drive system and/or the blade system.

A mower includes a frame, at least one cutting unit, and a lifting unit. The lifting unit is connected to the at least one cutting unit and includes a yoke assembly, a first arm assembly, a second arm assembly, and a third arm assembly. The yoke assembly is connected to the cutting unit. The first arm assembly is pivotably mounted to the vehicle frame about a first pivot axis. The second arm assembly is pivotably mounted to the first arm assembly about a second pivot axis and to the yoke assembly about a third pivot axis with the second pivot axis and third pivot axis being non-parallel to the first pivot axis. The third arm assembly includes a first end pivotally connected to the frame and a second end pivotally connected to the second arm assembly.

A mower includes a main body having an electric motor configured to drive a mowing member, a pair of front wheels, and a pair of rear wheels. A supporting portion is associated with the main body and a handle is connected to the main body and rotatable between a first position and a second position. The handle comprises an operation assembly operable by a user to control the electric motor. A controller prevents the electric motor from being activated by a user operation of the operation assembly when the mower is in a first state in which the supporting portion and the pair of rear wheels are used to support the main body on a supporting surface with the handle in the first position.

An ignition system for outdoor power equipment driven by a petrol or gasoline engine may include a safety interlock system, a starter motor, a starter solenoid having an activation coil, and a solenoid monitor. The ignition system may be configured to selectively apply power to start the engine based on application of a start attempt. The safety interlock system may be operable to actuate the starter solenoid via the activation coil to apply current to the starter motor for starting the engine during the start attempt. The solenoid monitor may be configured to determine a status of the activation coil and starter solenoid contacts and provide a fault indication based on the status determined.

An electric lawn mower includes an electric motor and battery supported on a wheeled motor deck, a handle mounted on the deck and pivotable between first and second handle positions, and a pivoting failsafe switch system for respectively enabling and disabling powered operation of the electric motor when the handle is in the first and second handle positions. The pivoting switch assembly includes a magnet and a magnet sensor sensing the magnet. The magnet is carried by a turning member that moves when the handle is moved. The magnet sensor respectively generates high and low signals when the handle is located in the first and second handle positions. The sensor signals are transmitted to a motor control unit for respectively enabling and disabling the operation of the electric motor.

An autonomous lawn mower is described. The autonomous lawn mower comprises a chassis supporting a podium. In some examples, the podium comprises a top portion that may support one or more sensors, antennas and/or cameras that may be used to provide environmental information regarding the surroundings of the autonomous lawn mower. In additional or alternative examples, the autonomous lawn mower receives, via a wireless receiver, a signal from a remote controller, the signal comprising one or more of an emergency stop signal or a pause signal. Based at least in part on the signal comprising the emergency stop signal, causing the autonomous lawn mower to invoke an emergency stop procedure, or based at least in part on the signal comprising the pause signal, causing the autonomous lawn mower to invoke a pause procedure.

An autonomous lawn mower is described. The autonomous lawn mower comprises a chassis supporting a podium that is raked forward with respect to a horizontal plane. In some examples, the podium comprises a top portion that may support one or more sensors, antennas and/or cameras that may be used to provide environmental information regarding the surroundings of the autonomous lawn mower. In additional or alternative examples, the podium may facilitate communication services to and/or from the autonomous lawn mower. Such a podium may improve the operation of the mower by a user when manually (or semi-autonomously controlled) while optimizing a field of view of such sensors with respect to the mowable area.

A control panel, a self-propelled switch apparatus, and a power device (13). The control panel comprises a pushing rod (1) connected to a machine body and a panel assembly (2) reciprocatingly sliding on the pushing rod. The control panel further comprises locking assembly (41, 42) connected to the panel assembly. The locking assembly (41, 42) are adapted to lock the panel assembly on the pushing rod and unlock the control panel and the pushing rod. The control panel further comprises a self-propelled switch (134), and when the self-propelled switch (134) is triggered, a device in which the control panel is disposed can be switched from a manual-power driving mode to a self-propelled driving mode. By means of the solution, a garden tool can walk in a self-propelled manner, and can also be pushed to walk.

A step and rail system adapted for riding mower so that a physically challenged operator can assist themselves in mounting the seat is provided. The step and rail system provides a horizontal support rail configuration of two spaced apart rails. The present invention includes a front mounting plate for an intermediate step and two rear mounting plates for supporting the two spaced apart rails that extend from the rear of the riding mower to the front mounting plate. The horizontal support rail configuration may provide a compound bend fore the seat so that the horizontal support rail configuration is wider adjacent the seat as compared to the mower stepping surface.