12 smart ways to protect your robot lawn mower from theft

12 Smart Ways to Protect Your Robotic Mower From Theft

A robotic mower is an expensive device, so you certainly do not want your robotic mower to be stolen. But what can prevent a thief from simply walking into the yard and grabbing the robotic mower? Which functions protect the robotic mower against theft? I have already dealt with this in detail and would like to share my findings with you here.

How is a robotic mower protected from theft? The following methods and techniques are available to protect the robotic mower against theft:

  1. PIN protection
  2. Audible alarm signal
  3. Lift sensor
  4. Blocking function
  5. Installation lock
  6. Time lock function
  7. GPS Tracking
  8. Geofencing
  9. Theft Insurance
  10. Device registration with the manufacturer
  11. Theft-proof robotic mower garage
  12. Visual protection

Many of these functions are used in combination with each other.

In the following, I will explain each of these possibilities and functions for the theft protection of a robotic mower in detail.

1. PIN Protection

Most devices are secured with a personal PIN, which you will receive when you purchase the device. You will need to enter this code in various situations to use the device. Without a code, the device cannot be used.

With the installation protection mentioned below, for example, you must enter the PIN if you want to install the robotic mower on a charging station for the first time. This is to prevent thieves from being able to install the robotic mower somewhere else after taking it.

Strictly speaking, this is of course not a real protection against the theft itself, as many thieves certainly do not know that the device cannot be used after without a PIN. And a gullible buyer who is sold the device as a stolen good probably does not know this either.

However, the PIN has another function: when the unit is stopped (by pressing Stop) or when it is lifted, the PIN must be entered. If this is not done within a certain time, an alarm will sound.

In addition, the device is blocked for use until you re-enter the PIN after stopping or lifting the robotic mower.

The time lock function is another feature controlled by the PIN. If this function is active, the PIN must be entered every 30 days after the cover of the robotic mower has been opened.

The PIN lock also works in conjunction with geofencing. With geofencing, which only GPS-supported robotic mowers have, you set a certain GPS point, usually in the middle of your yard, from which the robotic mower may only move away up to a certain distance. If it exceeds this distance, it not only sends you a notification on your mobile phone, but also blocks itself from use until the PIN is entered.

You must also always use the PIN if you want to change settings on the robotic mower.

The PIN code is therefore a central feature that makes many other anti-theft functions possible in the first place.

2. Audible Alarm Signal

The robotic mower’s audible alarm signal is intended to alert you if someone attempts to steal the robotic mower. This alarm signal can sound in various situations.

The alarm will always sound when the robotic mower has been lifted and the PIN has not been entered within a period of usually 10 seconds. The same applies to stopping the robotic mower via the STOP button. When you lift or stop the robotic mower, you will first hear a click to remind you to enter the PIN code.

If you then do not enter the PIN within 10 seconds, the alarm signal will sound. Even then you can still turn off the alarm at any time by entering the PIN.

The alarm signal also works in combination with geofencing. With geofencing, which is available to robotic mowers with GPS, the robotic mower may only move a certain distance away from a fixed point in your yard. The robot compares its current GPS coordinates with the coordinates of the point.

If it moves too far away from this point, the alarm sounds while the robotic mower simultaneously sends a warning message via app or SMS.

3. Lift Sensor and Tilt Sensor

I have already briefly mentioned the lifting sensor in certain places. This is a special sensor in the mower which detects when the robotic mower is lifted. There is also a tilt sensor that detects when the robotic mower tips over.

These sensors serve several purposes at once. Firstly, they help ensure bodily safety, because if the robotic mower is tipped or lifted, the mowing unit is automatically switched off so that nobody can be injured.

But the sensors are also a useful function for theft protection. If the robotic mower is lifted by a thief, the mower locks itself. If the PIN is not entered within 10 seconds, the alarm will sound to alert you that someone is probably trying to steal the robotic mower.

Only when the PIN is entered again does the alarm stop and the robotic mower unlocks again.

4. Locking Function

The locking function is not a theft protection device in the strictest sense, but it is intended to prevent a potential thief from being able to use the device after a theft. The locking function works in combination with the lifting sensor and geofencing.

If the device is lifted during operation, it locks automatically and can only be unlocked again after entering the PIN. The same applies to geofencing. If the area leaves the permitted zone, i.e. the area around a coordinate point in your yard that you have defined, the device locks itself so that it can no longer be used as long as the PIN for unlocking it is not entered.

It is not directly an anti-theft protection because a thief does not necessarily know that the device cannot be used without the PIN. And even if he did know, he would simply resell the device to an unknowing buyer or use or resell it for spare parts. So it does not directly prevent the thief from stealing the device, but it does make it a bit less of an attractive target for more in-the-know thieves.

5. Installation Lock

The installation lock works in conjunction with the PIN function. If the unit is to be installed on a new charging station, the PIN must be entered. This is to prevent the unit from being installed on a new charging station after a theft.

But even this is not a direct protection against theft; it just makes stealing the device a little less attractive. As already mentioned, thieves still attempt to resell such devices to those who do not know that the mower needs a PIN they do not have to function. Or they just take parts and resell them or use them as spare parts, or even resell the whole device as a “defective spare part device”.

6. Time Lock Function

In particular, HUSQVARNA and MCCULLOCH units have a time lock function. This is an integrated timer for 30 days. Every 30 days, after opening the cover, the PIN must be re-entered to use the device. Otherwise, it simply locks and cannot be used again until the PIN is entered.

However, if the cover is not opened (because nothing is changed in the settings), the robotic mower will continue to mow beyond the 30 days without having to re-enter the PIN code.

7. GPS Tracking

Mowing robots that have a GPS module often have the possibility to use GPS tracking. With GPS tracking, the position of the device can always be determined exactly. This can, for example, be displayed on the smartphone via app, or on a computer.

In the event of theft, the device can then be quickly located and the thief can be tracked down. If you report the theft of your device to the police, you can then give them direct access to the GPS location. The police are always especially helpful when it comes to theft of items that can be tracked by GPS, as such a theft can usually be solved very quickly (it also makes for nice statistics).

This makes it a great advantage to have a robotic mower that is equipped with GPS tracking. One problem, however, is that it can be switched off by removing the robotic mower’s battery. Then the GPS module is no longer supplied with power and the GPS signal goes out.

However, a thief must of course know that the device is equipped with such technology in order to know to switch off the technology. It is of course also possible that he removes the battery anyway out of sheer caution. Therefore, GPS tracking is not a solid guarantee that the device will always turn up again if it is stolen. Also, with good shielding the signal of the GPS transmitter can be interrupted.

Retrofitting GPS Tracking

You can also retrofit your robotic mower with GPS tracking. This can be useful if your robotic mower does not come with GPS tracking. On the other hand, it can also be useful if your robotic mower already has GPS tracking, but you are afraid that a thief could remove the battery to switch it off.

Separate GPS trackers are equipped with their own power supply, so they cannot be deactivated so easily. They are usually hidden in the body of the robotic mower.

The unit can be mounted either under the outer hood of the unit or under the actual housing of the unit. In the latter case, however, you will have to open the housing, which may invalidate the warranty. On the other hand, the GPS tracker is much more difficult to find there.

With a little tinkering, you can even build the whole thing so that the GPS tracker recharges itself by siphoning power from the robotic mower itself. If the mower is switched off and the battery is removed, the GPS tracker will power itself from its own battery, so it will continue to send a signal. Such trackers are also used for cars and are said to be able to transmit through thick concrete ceilings (e.g. in parking garages).

8. Geofencing

GPS is also used for geofencing. Here, however, it is not a matter of locating the robotic mower, but rather of telling it where it is allowed to be and where it is not. You determine a point in your yard, which ideally should be as central as possible. At the same time, you tell the robotic mower how far away from this point it is allowed to go. 

The robotic mower knows the geo-coordinates of this point and constantly compares them with its current position. From this it calculates how far it has moved away from the point. If it has moved too far away, for example because a thief has stolen it, it locks itself and an alarm sounds, which can only be deactivated again with the PIN. 

Furthermore, robotic mowers equipped with the geofencing function are usually also able to inform their owner via SMS or smartphone app when they are outside the “geofence”.

Why is it called “geofence”? You can think of it as a virtual fence, based geographical position. It forms a virtual circle in a certain radius around the center, the center you have chosen. This fence cannot be crossed by the robotic mower without triggering an alarm and blocking access.

9. Theft Insurance

Even with all of this technology, there is no guarantee that a thief will not somehow manage to get their hands on your robotic mower. Therefore it is not a bad idea to have insurance against theft.

Often you do not need to take out additional insurance. In most cases, you can have your robotic mower insured via your home insurance. There may be an additional fee, but this is not mandatory. Whether your robotic mower is insured via the home insurance depends very much on the insurer.

What is important here is whether your home insurance covers “simple theft” and to what extent. Objects that are “unprotected” in the yard, i.e. not under lock and key (like everything in your house), fall under this term. A thief can “simply” go into the yard and help himself there. He does not have to break a door or a window, but can simply get ahold of the objects.

While more outdated contracts usually do not cover “simple theft”, it is more commonly included in many newer contracts. However, robotic mowers are only very rarely explicitly mentioned there. If the contract does not explicitly state in writing that robotic mowers are also covered, you should have your insurer confirm in writing that these are also covered by the clause. In many cases, traditional push and riding lawn mowers are covered, so there is a good change that your robotic mower will be, too.

If this is not the case, you may actually have to increase the sum of your insurance a little. In most cases, however, this is not necessary.

10. Registration of the Device with the Manufacturer

Another way to protect yourself against theft is to register your device with the manufacturer. Many manufacturers offer this option. The whole thing works as follows:

The device is registered to you. If the new illegal owner – be it the thief himself or the unlucky person who bought the device at auction – has a service case, for example because something is defective in the robotic mower, the registration of the robotic mower is automatically checked by the service employee. If the service technician finds that the registered owner does not match the current owner, the situation is carefully checked and any theft is detected. With a bit of luck, the device will then be returned to your address.

11. Theft-proof Robotic Mower Garage

One way to protect the robotic mower from theft while it is in the charging station is to use theft-proof garages. These are designed in such a way that it is impossible for a thief to get to the robotic mower.

There are two different types of garages that can be considered for this: Theft-proof garages with a locking rolling shutter, and underground garages.

Theft-proof garages with a rolling shutter are made of a robust material, e.g. metal, and are securely locked during the rest periods of the robotic mower. These garages are usually equipped with a time lock that can be programmed to open exactly when the robotic mower is scheduled to start mowing.

The garage will then remain open during the mower’s operation. When the daily mowing work is finished and your robotic mower is back in the garage, the rolling gate closes and no thief can get at the robotic mower anymore.

Robotic lawn mower garage with rolling shutter
Robotic lawn mower garage with rolling shutter

However, the cost of such a garage can usually be well over $800; the garage from the example even costs around $1200.

The other interesting alternative, the underground garage, can protect the robotic mower just as well, and at the same time offers probably the best visual protection – since the unit and the garage are completely underground, a potential thief will never suspect that there is a robotic mower to steal.

With an underground garage, a hole is dug in your yard into which the garage is sunk. The garage has a lifting platform with which the robotic mower is lifted up during its mowing times – similar to the garage with a rolling door.

When your robotic mower has finished its daily work, it returns to the platform, which then sinks back down.

If you are interested in robotic mower garages, in this article you will find a collection of my recommended robotic lawn mower garages for different budgets and purposes.

12. Visual Protection

You can also reduce the chances of your robotic mower being stolen by taking small measures such as trying to shield your mower’s charging station and/or garage from view. For example, it helps to place the charging station in a place that is not easily visible.

Even simple robotic mower garages that are not theft-proof can help, as they too offer a certain degree of privacy protection. Especially closed robotic mowers garages made of wood offer a good view protection and can also easily be mistaken for a doghouse.

Special privacy fences can provide additional privacy protection so that not every potential thief can see the robotic mower directly. On top of that, privacy fences usually blend in quite well with the yard scape and can even enhance the landscape’s look in the end.

Related Questions

What should I do if my robotic mower was stolen? If a robotic mower can no longer be found and there is a suspicion of theft, it is advisable to first make sure that the robotic mower has indeed left the work area. If this is the case, the police should be informed immediately. It makes sense to make existing GPS tracking available to the police. The robotic mower’s insurer, such as your home insurance company, must also be notified of the theft immediately, which means the same day if possible.

Matthias

Matthias Müller is the founder of robolever.com. He is passionate about all topics related to automation, robotics and future technologies. At the same time he is a great nature lover and therefore fascinated by the unusual interaction between robots and nature.

08/20/2020

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