Camp Zama Tests Remote Control Lawn Mower for Safer, More Efficient Landscaping | Article

CAMP ZAMA, Japan – Employees of the Public Works Directorate here received a demonstration of a new device that could help make mowing steep slopes safer and more efficient.

The Sanyokiki remote control lawn mower allows landscapers to control the device as it mows grass on the facility's hills, some of which are at a 40-degree angle.

“Japan is a truly unique place where the landscaping has a lot of hills and a high slope and requires a lot of effort for our in-house team to cut [grass on the] To keep it looking good,” said Eli Craft, DPW Operations and Maintenance Division Manager.

Several members of the field team took part in the demonstration as the salesman used a remote control to make the mower climb a slope near the Camp Zama skate park.

Craft said workers will receive additional hands-on training as his department uses the mower to tackle difficult-to-cut grass areas.

“We spend many hours manually walking these hills with weed killers,” he said, “and we are always looking for new technologies and new ways to deal with old problems.”

Safety is also an issue, as the terrain can be slippery when climbing, and riding lawnmowers can only handle inclines with an incline of 18 degrees without the risk of rolling over.

“The center of gravity is very low and they have a nice wide deck,” Craft said of the remote control mower. “The four wheels all rotate independently, so we can tackle some of those steeper inclines.”

Risa Funakoshi, the department's safety officer, welcomed the new device to its inventory.

“Safety is always a top priority for DPW, especially in the O&M department because that is where we operate [outside] every day,” she said.

Funakoshi said the mower will be of great use to crews during the summer, when the weather is hot and humid and the possibility of heat-related injuries can increase.

“If we use this machine now, maybe someone can stay in the shade when it's hot,” she said. “And if it’s a better solution, we can distribute it to other bases.”

Hidetoshi Suzuki, foreman of the grounds maintenance department, said he appreciates that the lawnmower will require less physical effort for his 16-member team as they beautify the facility.

Because of the climate here, the team mows grass year-round, and when temperatures rise, workers have to start around sunrise, before the sun gets too high in the sky.

“Camp Zama is a very steep hillside area,” Suzuki said. “It's very hard for us [to landscape]And of course it’s a very difficult situation in the summer.”

Since only one person is required to operate the remote-controlled lawn mower, Craft said this could help allow teams to work elsewhere, such as at sports fields, Camp Zama and the Sagamihara family home area.

“If the grass starts to grow really strong and we're doing all kinds of ground work,” he said, “we can send people to other locations and increase the frequency of maintenance by maximizing our workforce.”

Craft said Camp Zama will be the first U.S. Army Garrison Japan facility to use the mower, following the U.S. Air Force's success with it at Yokota Air Base.

He said they plan to test the mower and share their findings with other garrison locations across the country that face similar terrain problems.

“They want to see how it works for us and how they can use it at their locations too,” he said. “We want to demonstrate to everyone the benefits it brings to our capabilities.”

Craft believes his teams will find effective ways to integrate the mower into their ongoing operations to support the community.

“We don’t have a more dedicated group of people than here in Japan,” he said of his workforce. “And we have a responsibility to ensure our employees have the best, latest equipment to support them in their work. And that’s what we think this brings to this effort.”

Related Links:

News from the US Garrison Japan

USAG Japan official website