Development of Solar Operated Multipurpose Machine for Grass Cutting and Water Sprinkling

Abstract

The global landscaping industry faces unprecedented challenges with 285 million metric tons of CO₂ emissions annually from gas-powered lawn equipment, while simultaneously wasting approximately 9 trillion liters of water through inefficient irrigation practices. This research presents a groundbreaking solar-powered multipurpose machine that synergistically integrates precision grass cutting and intelligent water sprinkling systems into a single autonomous platform. The system architecture incorporates a 12V 15W high-efficiency monocrystalline solar panel with Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) technology, coupled with a 12V 9Ah deep-cycle lead-acid battery for energy storage, achieving 87.3% energy conversion efficiency under Standard Test Conditions (STC). The control subsystem features an Arduino Uno microcontroller (ATmega328P) with customized firmware that manages bidirectional communication through an HC-05 Bluetooth 4.0 module (operating at 2.4GHz frequency with Class 2 radio transceiver), enabling real-time wireless control within a 10-meter radius. Mechanical components include four 12V 200RPM gear motors with 10kg-cm torque output for locomotion, a 3000RPM brushless DC cutting motor with hardened steel rotary blades (adjustable from 2–10cm cutting height with ±1mm precision), and a 5L/min diaphragm water pump with programmable flow control. Comprehensive field testing demonstrated the system’s capability to operate continuously for 9.15 hours under combined solar-battery power, covering 18.3km at 0.556m/s (2km/h) velocity while maintaining 92% cutting efficiency across varying grass densities. The integrated design reduces manual labor requirements by 63.7% compared to conventional methods while eliminating 2.4kg of CO₂ emissions per operational hour. This innovation represents a paradigm shift in sustainable landscaping technology, offering a commercially viable solution that combines renewable energy utilization, smart automation, and multifunctional operation with a projected ROI of 2.8 years based on current fuel and labor cost savings.