Automower Part 4: Apps, alarms, and data.

This is part 4 of the series “Automower”, click here to read from the “Part 1: Introduction to the Automower”.

The Automower series 5XX are screenless, which means all the controls are in the two apps from Husqvarna. The AMC and the Fleet Service.

While the AMC is only available on phone or tablet the Fleet Service can be accessed either via the app on phone or tablets, or directly online using your web browser. What are the options?

AMC:

The AMC is the base app. This the one which asks you for the PIN code to stop the alarm, from here you can access every setting and status of the robot. It is extremely user friendly and only takes a couple of days of practice to get it working fully.

When opening the App, you will be conducted directly to the last robot status, or to the list of all your mowers.
The actual robot status and last update time can be seen in the picture on the left, along with the battery range and height of cut. If the robot sets an alarm, the status will update and more information about the problem will be explained, you will be then asked to enter the PIN code to reset the alarm.

AMC is also the app where you can change every setting of the robot: schedule, height of cut, spiral cut, but also some more precise actions such as return to station, corridor width, exit angles or reversing distances.

It’s simple, you cannot manage your robot without the AMC app… but what about the whole fleet?

The AMC is also the app to configure the security of your Automower. Using the geofence feature, the app will create a virtual circle of 500 m wide, and if the robot exits this area, you will be notified and you can track the mower in real time using the maps.

There is also a data control panel on the AMC, but the information here is brief. The only item here that really matters is the time in search. Ideally you want this to be less than 10% otherwise your return to station setting is too inefficient and you are losing working time.

2. The Fleet Service:

The fleet service is an option that normally requires a subscription fee, but the robot from the 500 series already comes included with that subscription out of the box, so why would you not use it?

Where the AMC is designed for the domestic consumer, the Fleet Service was made for professionals.
Accessible from mobiles, tablets and web browsers, you can stay connected to your fleet at all times and anywhere. (I recommend using it exclusively on a computer or large tablet due to screen size restrictions).
Changing the height of cut or mowing schedule of one robot is easy with the AMC, doing it all at once it’s even easier with the FleetService!
But where the fleet really becomes useful is the ability to park or resume all the mowers in the event of a weather change or a tournament. You can also create multiple groups (called tags) to control independently each hole or course, if you have multiple courses.

Unlike the AMC where the data are minimal, the Fleet Service offers total control on the data of each robot of the fleet. You can see cutting time, charging time, time in alarm, all very precisely. This tool can help you optimise the travel time to the station in favour of more working time!