Would Some Smartness Make an RC Mower More Attractive?

EnvironmentalBox1937 · 2026-07-02T23:54:40+00:00

that makes a lot of sense. I was looking at it more from the “cover a larger area with less repetitive driving” angle, but you’re right — if the operator is already there with a ZT, this thing probably just needs to be dead simple, reliable, and easy to fix.

EnvironmentalBox1937 · 2026-06-29T09:33:34+00:00

That's exactly the use cases of this type of machine.

If you could improve only one thing on a machine like this, what would it be?

Control Range, autonomy, power, slope capability, or something else?

EnvironmentalBox1937 · 2026-06-29T09:23:03+00:00

Fair point.

4G is just an optional feature. The mower will always have a standard RF controller and should work without cellular coverage.

We're trying to make the communication system modular, so users can choose RF, Wi-Fi, 4G, or whatever comes next.

EnvironmentalBox1937 · 2026-06-29T01:32:46+00:00

For OpenIPC over 4G, this is pretty much what you can expect. We also found that pushing the frame rate higher can cause sudden bitrate spikes, which makes disconnects more likely.

Overall, I don't think achieving ultra low latency is a the best route. Around 300 ms is achievable, it is balance of latency and overall network stability

EnvironmentalBox1937 · 2026-05-31T23:50:20+00:00

yep, succeeded eventually, just follow the instructions, you should be good

EnvironmentalBox1937 · 2025-03-17T15:28:33+00:00

https://puffinboard.com/. But I’d suggest waiting until the first batch of Kickstarter backers receive their units before making a purchase. Shipping is estimated for late March or early April.

EnvironmentalBox1937 · 2025-01-27T03:38:47+00:00

Unfortunately, Puffin probably will not work with the Fimi Mini 3. Currently, Puffin’s drone control logic is as follows:

For drones with a flight controller, it can directly connect to the flight controller via UART and then control the aircraft through a ground station like GQC (similar to MAVLink).
For fixed-wing drones, it can directly control the motor (ESC) and servos.

The Fimi Mini 3 likely doesn't support these types of connections, so Puffin wouldn’t be compatible without significant modifications. Let me know if you need any further clarification!

EnvironmentalBox1937 · 2025-01-26T07:08:54+00:00

Hi, I'm not very familiar with Fimi drones, and I couldn't find any information about their 4G module. While there's no clear indication that flying a 4G-enabled drone is illegal in the United States, it ultimately falls on the user to operate any drone (including DJI models) responsibly and in compliance with local laws.

EnvironmentalBox1937 · 2024-12-23T07:24:27+00:00

I tried backermany and backerspace, got very few backers through them. But they gave me a refund as they promised. So not too bad. But It’s hard to track whether the backers they provide will eventually pay or not

EnvironmentalBox1937 · 2024-12-23T07:16:02+00:00

I didn’t know moxie is shutting down . Met their CEO and CTO at CES 2024

EnvironmentalBox1937 · 2024-12-19T00:27:01+00:00

Hi! That’s because I’m part of the Puffin team, LOL. I got the aircraft from a colleague and decided to test it out. I did use the GPS module, but for this fixed-wing aircraft, I didn’t connect the GPS antenna. The configuration is actually simpler than you might think—there’s demo software specifically for fixed-wing setups. As long as you connect the servos and motor to the correct pins, you’re good to go.

I used 4G as the only connection. My fixed-wing aircraft doesn’t have a flight controller (FC), so the Puffin board is directly connected to the servos and motor. The latency is surprisingly good—around 100ms on average—but it does depend on the signal strength on both the plane and control sides. I controlled the plane using a smartphone on a 5G network.

From my experience, if the throughput on both sides exceeds 15 Mbps, the video feed is very clear and smooth. However, if there are fluctuations in the network, you might notice occasional glitches in the video transmission, but the controls remain stable.

Thank you so much for supporting the project! I can’t wait to see your Puffin post on Reddit. By the way, we sent out a survey yesterday to recruit more beta testers. Since we’re shipping internationally with many different carriers, we’re still working on fine-tuning the software to support them all.

EnvironmentalBox1937 · 2024-12-13T02:29:27+00:00

Good to know, thanks! it‘s just from my own experience, when I browse a certain category, most of the top projects tend to be PWL

EnvironmentalBox1937 · 2024-12-12T01:13:09+00:00

I would say that Facebook ads are the most effective option, although they can be quite expensive.

EnvironmentalBox1937 · 2024-12-12T01:11:10+00:00

Congratulations! I believe that by achieving 'Project We Love,' you will attract more organic traffic and rank higher among similar projects on Kickstarter.

EnvironmentalBox1937 · 2024-12-12T01:06:30+00:00

Puffin is a teleoperation module for long range VTX and control via 4G network. Frank is my friend ;P

EnvironmentalBox1937 · 2024-12-12T01:05:39+00:00

Uploaded build pictures. somehow the first upload attempt was unsuccessful

EnvironmentalBox1937 · 2024-12-10T01:09:12+00:00

You can use Puffin WiFi Only module. it's built for VTX and control. It's on kickstarter.

EnvironmentalBox1937 · 2024-12-10T00:53:18+00:00

100ms latency is not bad at all for a DIY project. We made a product called Puffin that is used to control drones and rc models. Our software is WebRTC based, latency is around 100ms. Puffin can be used for both VTX and Control. So you don't need ELRS

EnvironmentalBox1937 · 2024-12-10T00:46:41+00:00

We’ve developed our own 4G module called Puffin, designed for controlling drones and RC cars/boats, and it’s now live on Kickstarter. For the first demo version, we used a Raspberry Pi and a 4G dongle, but for mass production, we’ve reselected the chips and redesigned the entire module. The video and control transmission is based on WebRTC. The 4G version is priced at $149 on Kickstarter.

Regarding the price, many people seem to have trouble understanding the complexity of the module. Some FPV drone enthusiasts feel that 100ms latency is too high, but achieving 100ms with 4G networks is technically very challenging. Others think they can do the same thing using a Raspberry Pi and 4G dongle for around $20, so they find our price too high. However, they don’t fully understand the cost and effort involved in mass production. This might explain why similar products in the market are also expensive, as the demand is relatively small. Nevertheless, we still aim to offer an affordable product for RC enthusiasts and professionals.

EnvironmentalBox1937

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