The North Texas Tollway Authority uses the remote controlled robot to trim steep roadside inclines.
More than three years ago, the NTTTA paid up to $50,000 for the slope mower. A controller stands at a distance with a remote control, guiding the robot up any inclines steeper than 28 degrees. The manufacturer says the system can handle up to 40 degree inclines or 55 degree if the operators use a hydraulic winch for stability.
Safety is enhanced, but manpower costs are lower as well. The Czech company that makes the slope mowers, Dvorak, says the robot could “replace as many as 15 workers with brush cutters or one boom mower carried by a tractor.”