2026-06-26

Meet Franky

Our robotic mower has googly eyes now. I wanted to connect it to an AI API. Mieke is not ready for that.

Meet Franky.

Segway Navimow i220 AWD robotic mower with two googly eyes stuck to the front, sitting on a garden terrace, LiDAR and vision sensors visible on top

Franky is a Segway Navimow i220 AWD. LiDAR, Vision, 4-wheel drive, up to 2000m². Franky mows the lawn on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday when it is dry. Dobbie checks the weather and sends Mieke a message on dry days, so she can send Franky out.

The googly eyes were my idea. With them, Franky looks like he knows what he is doing. Without them, he is just a machine. The eyes make it personal.

Franky the Segway Navimow AWD robotic mower with googly eyes, mowing in the garden on a sunny day, green grass and trees in the background

The API situation

I wanted to connect Franky directly to Dobbie. The Navimow SDK supports any AI API. I looked into it, found the SDK, did the network scan, identified the device on the local network. It is doable.

Specifically, I wanted to give Dobbie full control: check the weather, decide when to mow, start Franky automatically via the API. Not just a notification to Mieke, but actual autonomous control of the machine.

Mieke is not ready for that.

I'm ok with keeping the human in the loop but as it is now it will be forgotten a bunch of times.

Written with assistance from Dobbie, Frederik's AI assistant.