{"id":329143,"date":"2024-12-07T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-08T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=329143"},"modified":"2024-12-09T03:12:30","modified_gmt":"2024-12-09T03:12:30","slug":"camp-zama-tests-remote-controlled-lawnmower-for-safer-efficient-landscaping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=329143","title":{"rendered":"Camp Zama tests remote-controlled lawnmower for safer, efficient landscaping"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n A vendor demonstrates a Sanyokiki remote-controlled lawnmower to Directorate of Public Works employees at Camp Zama, Japan, Dec. 6, 2024. DPW crews plan to use the mower to cut grass on the installation\u2019s steep hills.
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\n A vendor demonstrates a Sanyokiki remote-controlled lawnmower to Directorate of Public Works employees at Camp Zama, Japan, Dec. 6, 2024. DPW crews plan to use the mower to cut grass on the installation\u2019s steep hills.
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CAMP ZAMA, Japan \u2013 Directorate of Public Works employees received a demonstration of a new piece of equipment here Friday that may help make mowing steep slopes safer and more efficient.<\/p>\n

The Sanyokiki remote-controlled lawnmower allows landscapers to control the device as it cuts grass on the installation\u2019s hills, some of which are at a 40-degree angle.<\/p>\n

\u201cJapan is a really unique place where the landscaping has lots of hills, a high degree of slope, and it takes a lot of effort for our in-house team to cut the [grass on the] base to keep it looking good,\u201d said Eli Craft, chief of DPW\u2019s Operations and Maintenance Division.<\/p>\n

Several grounds team members attended the demonstration as the vendor used a remote control to have the mower climb a slope near Camp Zama\u2019s skate park.<\/p>\n

Craft said the workers will have additional hands-on training as his division utilizes the lawnmower to tackle grassy areas that are difficult to trim.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe spend a lot of hours walking these hills manually with weedwhackers,\u201d he said, \u201cand we\u2019re always looking for new technologies and new ways to deal with old problems.\u201d<\/p>\n

Safety is also a concern since terrain can be slippery when walking up it, and riding lawnmowers can only handle 18-degree slopes without the risk of rolling over.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe center of gravity is really low, and they have a nice wide deck,\u201d Craft said of the remote-controlled lawnmower. \u201cThe four wheels all turn independently, so we\u2019re able to hit some of these steeper grades.\u201d<\/p>\n

Risa Funakoshi, the division\u2019s safety official, welcomed the new device to its inventory.<\/p>\n

\u201cSafety is always a first priority for DPW, especially in the O&M Division, because we operate [outside] every day,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Funakoshi said the lawnmower will greatly benefit crews in the summer when the weather is hot and humid, and the possibility of heat-related injuries can increase.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, if we use this machine, maybe someone can stay in the shade if it is hot,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd if it\u2019s a better solution, we may distribute it to other bases.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n A vendor demonstrates a Sanyokiki remote-controlled lawnmower to Directorate of Public Works employees at Camp Zama, Japan, Dec. 6, 2024. DPW crews plan to use the mower to cut grass on the installation\u2019s steep hills.
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\n Directorate of Public Works employees take a closer look at a Sanyokiki remote-controlled lawnmower at Camp Zama, Japan, Dec. 6, 2024. DPW crews plan to use the mower to cut grass on the installation\u2019s steep hills.
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Hidetoshi Suzuki, foreman of the grounds maintenance section, said he appreciated how the lawnmower will require less physical exertion for his 16-member team as they beautify the installation.<\/p>\n

Due to the climate here, the team cuts grass year-round, and when the temperature soars, workers must start around sunrise before the sun gets too high in the sky.<\/p>\n

\u201cCamp Zama is a very steep slope area,\u201d Suzuki said. \u201cIt\u2019s very tough for us [to landscape], and, of course, in the summertime it\u2019s a very tough situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since the remote-controlled lawnmower only needs one person to run it, Craft said it could help free up crews to landscape elsewhere, including sports fields, on Camp Zama and Sagamihara Family Housing Area.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the grass starts growing really heavily and we\u2019re doing all kinds of grounds work,\u201d he said, \u201cit allows us to put people in other places and increase the frequency of service by maximizing our manpower.\u201d<\/p>\n

Craft said Camp Zama will be the first U.S. Army Garrison Japan installation to use the mower after the U.S. Air Force has already seen success with them at Yokota Air Base.<\/p>\n

He said they plan to test out the mower and relay their findings to other garrison sites across the country that face similar terrain challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re looking to see how this works for us and how they can use it in their locations as well,\u201d he said. \u201cWe want to demonstrate to everyone the benefit that it brings to our capabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Craft believes his crews will be able to find effective ways to incorporate the mower into their ongoing operations to support the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have a better-dedicated group of people than we do here in Japan,\u201d he said of his workforce. \u201cAnd we have a responsibility to make sure that our guys have the best and the newest equipment to help them to do their job. And that\u2019s what we think this brings to that effort.\u201d<\/p>\n

Related links:<\/strong><\/p>\n

U.S. Army Garrison Japan news<\/a><\/p>\n

USAG Japan official website<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1 \/ 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption \u2013 A vendor demonstrates a Sanyokiki remote-controlled lawnmower to Directorate of Public Works employees at Camp Zama, Japan, Dec. 6, 2024. DPW crews plan to use the mower to cut grass on the installation\u2019s steep hills. (Photo Credit: Sean Kimmons) VIEW ORIGINAL 2 \/ 2 Show Caption […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":329145,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-329143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/329143","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=329143"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/329143\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":329150,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/329143\/revisions\/329150"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/329145"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=329143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=329143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=329143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}