Time is precious. We’ve all heard that before, and it’s not a happy thought to have when minutes tick away during the day’s unpleasantries: waiting at stop lights, sitting in traffic, cleaning the house, playing chauffeur to kids, meetings… the list goes on. Much of our time isn’t our own.

It is no wonder that the Roomba was such a hit when first introduced to the market. This little vacuuming robot has saved buyers countless hours by diligently rolling around the floor and picking up crumbs, hair and specks that would otherwise have needed attending to. Following the footsteps of the Roomba comes an independent self-charging, solar powered lawn-mowing machine made by the Swedish firm Husqvarna.

Couples don’t need to argue over whose turn it is to cut the lawn while business-folk can leave their homes for a week and come back to an elegantly cut lawn. Husgvarna’s ‘automower’ is a futuristic looking device-the first of its kind- that functions on solar and electric power.

Having a robot equipped with sharp blades rolling around the garden may sound like a half-hazard idea, but Husgvarna has taken every possible precaution. Just like with any lawn mower, there are chances of getting cuts if feet or hands find their way under the hood.  Typically, the automower will gently bump into an obstacle, whether it be a tree, fence or lethargic pet, and safely turn around continuing on another route.  When it needs charging, it will return to the charge port until it is ready to continue another cycle.

With the ability to tend to almost  a full acre of grass, and able to transverse the same terrain as a traditional lawnmower, autmower is a cool little gadget to have rolling around the yard while you sip your lemonade and read a book in the sun.

Another major benefit of the device, besides an eliminated chore, is that this mower is environmentally friendly; releasing absolutely no emissions. The fine mulch produced also makes excellent fertilizer and is quickly reabsorbed into the ground. Neighbors will also appreciate the silence: At 63 dB this mower is much quieter than traditional mowers that operate at up to 100 dB.

Costing around $2000, it is a large investment that many buyers have already deemed worthwhile. Thanks to an anti-theft device, owners don’t need to worry about their precious lawnmower getting stolen. As an added precaution, autmowers will only function with their individual charging docks and require a PIN number.

For individuals concerned with emissions, but who don’t want to spend more money on their lawnmower than they do on the family can opt for the battery powered lawnmower designed by Neuton. At around $350 you get similar environmental benefits as you would using the automower, but you have to put a little more work into your lawn.