City testing autonomous mowers at two athletic parks this summer

Calgary is testing autonomous grass mowers at Glenmore and Frank McCool athletic parks as part of a summer pilot project aimed at improving operations and maintenance.

The city's recreation and social programs department is leading the trial to understand how the technology performs in real-world conditions and where it may be appropriate to use in the future.

"This is a small, controlled trial that allows us to explore how new technology can support our crews and day-to-day operations," said Marc Sackman, the city's team lead. "We're focused on learning what works well and where it makes sense to use tools like this."

The autonomous mowers are designed to handle routine grass cutting in open areas along preprogrammed routes. By handling this routine work, staff can focus more time on detailed maintenance and site upkeep.

The units also enable more consistent mowing throughout the week, which can help maintain healthier and more evenly cut grass. They can operate overnight or between bookings, which is difficult to achieve with traditional equipment. The mowers operate at a low noise level of up to 52 decibels.