We’ve been fans of commercial robotic lawn mowers for some time. Their use in larger spaces seems inevitable, but domestically, their use by professionals seems a slow undertaking. On the Louisville Slugger Field, the Husqvarna CEORA robotic mower made some strides as it became the first robotic lawnmower used by professional baseball.
The Louisville Bats are the Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They’ve tasked the Husqvarna CEORA with maintaining the grass at the Louisville Slugger Field in Louisville, Kentucky. This is the first Pro baseball organization in North America to use a robotic mower as part of its field maintenance program. Coincidentally 2022 marks the Bats’ 40th anniversary as a franchise team.
“The Louisville Bats are proud to partner with Husqvarna to bring this new technology to the world of Minor League Baseball. We are excited to be at the forefront of turf management innovation and implement the very best solutions at our facility.”
Brett Myers, VP of Operations for the Louisville Bats
Emissions-free and Low Noise Mowing
The Husqvarna CEORA robotic mower gives the team in Louisville a way to mow the field using a low noise, emission-free solution. Because of the GPS capabilities of the Husqvarna CEORA, the Bats’ grounds team can define specific work areas, set mowing schedules, and even choose different cutting heights from a smartphone or tablet.
Because the mower can mow at a near-constant rate, the Louisville Slugger Field can be kept in a game-ready state at all times. As opposed to consumer-based systems that use boundary wires, the CEORA mower uses satellite-based EPOS (Exact Positioning Operating System). For multi-use fields and larger commercial properties like the Bats’ field, this helps considerably.
Using the Husqvarna CEORA Robotic Mower in Louisville
Obviously a random mowing pattern doesn’t work in professional landscaping. As such, the Husqvarna CEORA mows using a systematic straight-line approach. Robotic mowers like the Husqvarna CEORA can mow in the rain or whenever needed. As such, the mower performs similarly to more traditional methods Pros use to maintain sporting fields.
“The Louisville Bats take tremendous pride in their ballpark... CEORA is the perfect solution to maintain the turf of Louisville Slugger Field. Husqvarna is proud play a part in their continued efforts to be more efficient and sustainable.”
Jason Connor, Director of Commercial Robotics
The Louisville Bats unveiled the new Husqvarna robotic mower on their 2022 home opener. The debut took place Tuesday, April 5 at Louisville Slugger Field. We imagine additional teams and sporting venues will add similar technology before too long.
*Featured image credit: Louisville Bats
