Laser Lawnmower

Lawnmowers are heavy and loud, and with many moving parts, require frequent maintenance and repair. They require the storage and handling of flammable, toxic, and carcinogenic fuels, and they present dangers both from contact with the blades and from projectiles thrown by the blades. And lawnmower engines are notoriously bad polluters. On top of all this, the mower does not work well on wet grass.

So replace the blades and engine with a large battery that powers a powerful laser or lasers under the mowing deck and let the laser(s) cut the grass. Of course, the deck cowling would have to be made to ensure no chance of stray laser beams. For push mowers, this approach would (I think) solve all of the above problems. For self-propelled and riding mowers, an engine would still be required, but with a lighter mower, there would be less need for propulsion in the first place. There is also still besome danger with sticking your hand under the mowing deck, but I would think the danger of serious injury would be less. Lasers capable of cutting are still pretty expensive, I think, but could the cost be made reasonable at high volume?

A water jet could perhaps cut better, but I think might not provide as many advantages as the laser, though it would still be better than rotating blades.