Post #2380309
2026-05-10 17:21 UTC
I’m more worried about bricking utilities or pacemakers than I am a few thousand noisesome 7mph mowers thwarted by a sudden 6” elevation change in their path.
Out of topical curiosity and from owning an early Friendly Robotics mower, do these mowers use an electromechanical interrupt that brakes blades (eg, if lifted || bumper switches are tripped) ? That’s been a standard feature on robotic mowers for more than a decade. USA’s so litigious, brands gotta make folks work extra stupid to be able to even get fingers harmed, let alone the wee robozombie horde this envisions.
Replies (1)
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@cascheranno@hachyderm.io 2026-05-10 17:46
It’s a risk. So are smart stoves, kWh batteries, door cams, smart cars, and medical implants. Give a hacker free rein and we’ll see ways to turn any RF/IoT/ OT thing into something nefarious or delightful. It’s been about a decade since defcon had someone point out a bunch of modules scanning in-tire pressure sensors can track people. Now it’s LPR cams. But we compensate, we don’t brick a city’s shitty smart meters. We don’t set fire to pluggable cars or DoS them. Bricking appliances with a ‘folks can just have vendor fix’ is a ‘of all the doesn’t-happens, this happens the doesn’t-est’ kind of dick move and overreaction.