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Lambertus Gorter’s project adds Home Assistant monitoring and control to one specific low-cost mower: the Parkside PMRA 20-Li A1. A Wemos D1 Mini running ESPHome reads sensors and uses the mower’s rain-sensor circuit as a control path, while the mower’s original electronics still handle mowing and its own schedule. It is a model-specific maker retrofit—not a universal upgrade or a complete replacement controller.
What the retrofit changes—and what it leaves alone
Gorter’s modification gives a basic robot mower network visibility and a way to issue commands from Home Assistant, addressing a common limitation of budget machines: they can mow autonomously but may offer little remote monitoring. The project leaves the mower’s native control electronics in place. The ESP8266 acts as an additional interface, not as a controller for the drive motors or cutting system. Hackster’s project coverage describes the implementation; Hackaday’s overview highlights its use of the rain-sensor input as a practical control route.
That division matters. Home Assistant can provide a dashboard, automations, and remote commands, but the mower’s own firmware remains responsible for its normal mowing cycle and return behavior. According to the project coverage, the mower retains local timekeeping, so a lost Wi-Fi connection or unavailable Home Assistant server interrupts live monitoring and network commands but need not prevent the mower from finishing its locally scheduled period and returning.
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The target was the Parkside PMRA 20-Li A1. Do not assume that a similar product name means the same board, input circuit, or wiring. In particular, the PMRA model should not be confused with the related PMRDA 20-Li A1 smart mower or newer revisions.
#1 Best Overall
- 【AI Vision Obstacle Sensing】Equipped with intelligent AI vision technology, the LEBOSBO V3 robotic lawn mower can detect obstacles and navigate lawn areas more accurately for safer and smoother mowing.
- 【Custom No-Go Zones with 32FT Magnetic Strip】The included 32FT magnetic strip allows flexible no-go zone setup to keep the mower away from sensitive areas such as gardens, decorations, or pet spaces.
- 【Smartphone APP Control】Use the mobile APP to control your robot lawn mower remotely. Schedule mowing times, monitor operation, and manage mowing tasks conveniently from your phone.
- 【No Wires, Easy to Start】The wire-free design eliminates the need for perimeter cable installation. Simply set up the mower and enjoy convenient plug-and-play lawn maintenance.
- 【Quiet Operation & Adjustable Cutting Height】Designed for low-noise mowing to minimize disturbance. Adjustable cutting height settings help maintain your lawn at the preferred grass length throughout the season.
- Wemos D1 Mini: an ESP8266 development board providing Wi-Fi and running ESPHome.
- MPU-6050 accelerometer: used to detect movement, so a dashboard can distinguish a command to mow from evidence that the mower is moving.
- DC/DC converter: powers the added electronics from the mower’s battery. The converter’s exact model and electrical ratings are not established in the available project coverage.
- 270-ohm resistor and rain-sensor connection: the ESP8266 interface uses the mower’s rain-sensor circuitry as a control path.
- Perfboard, wiring, and mounting: the add-on is a maker-built assembly, not a factory-sealed module.
The available description does not establish a universal pinout, converter specification, fuse arrangement, enclosure rating, or current ESPHome configuration. Those details should be confirmed against the original project material and the exact mower before building; they should not be inferred from the component list.
How the system fits together
Mower battery
│
▼
DC/DC converter
│
▼
Wemos D1 Mini / ESP8266
├── MPU-6050 → movement detection
├── electrical sensing → battery voltage and charging indication
└── 270 Ω interface → mower rain-sensor circuit
│
▼ Wi-Fi / ESPHome
Home Assistant
├── status dashboard
├── mowing commands
└── mowing-time configurationThe design’s central idea is to reuse an existing mower input rather than directly switch motors. The ESP8266 presents a simulated positive rain condition through the rain-sensor circuit to stop or control the mower. It is an inventive shortcut for this machine, not a standard robot-mower interface. A different mower may use another voltage, polarity, threshold, or circuit arrangement, and the same connection could behave differently or cause damage.
Rank #2
- Centimeter-Level RTK Cloud Accuracy: Commercial-grade RTK Cloud technology delivers centimeter-level positioning for this robotic lawn mower with no local antenna installation and no additional cloud costs.
- Auto Mapping for More Complete Coverage: Vision AI helps the robot lawn mower understand lawn shapes and boundary types, then automatically maps your yard for smooth paths, closer edge-following, and fuller coverage from day one.
- AI Obstacle Avoidance with Neural Processing: Vision AI recognizes and understands common yard objects, using a trained neural network and up to 10 trillion operations per second to help mowing stay smooth, safe, and uninterrupted.
- Infinite Zone Mowing & App Remote Control: Create unlimited mowing zones, set custom paths, define no-go areas, edit your map, and monitor your remote control lawn mower from the app anytime.
- Reliable Navigation Even in Shade: RTK Cloud provides centimeter-level accuracy in open areas, while V-SLAM sensor fusion with Vision AI helps maintain precise navigation in shaded or partially covered lawn spaces.
What Home Assistant can show and do
The reported project capabilities include mower status, movement detection, battery-voltage monitoring, charging indication, manual mowing control, and mowing-time configuration. ESPHome links the node to Home Assistant, where these readings can appear as entities and be used in automations.
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Interpret sensor reports conservatively. An accelerometer detects movement or vibration; it does not provide precise location. A vibrating mower may appear active while stationary, and soft ground or mounting orientation can affect readings. Battery voltage is not automatically a reliable state-of-charge percentage: motor load, charge current, temperature, battery age, and measurement tolerances all affect it. A voltage-based charging indicator also needs validation against actual charge and resting conditions.
Rank #3
- 【Intelligent Visual Navigation】Thanks to its integrated bumper sensor, visual sensor, and advanced AI technology, our robotic lawnmower navigates using a camera. It distinguishes between grass and non-grass areas and can detect up to 150 different obstacles. If an obstacle is in its blind spot, the robotic lawnmower automatically adjusts its path after a collision is detected.
- 【NO-GO Function】With the included 32-ft magnetic strip, you can quickly and easily create NO-GO zones in your yard to keep the mower away from specific areas such as flower beds, pools, pathways, or play spaces. Simply place the magnetic strip on the ground—no digging or external power supply required.
- 【Time-Saving Design】The V100 robotic lawnmower eliminates the need for cumbersome cables or complicated boundary wires and is ready to use immediately. With the included 4Ah battery, you only need to replace the battery when necessary. This saves you valuable time and makes lawn care a breeze.
- 【Adjustable Cutting Height】The YARDCARE robotic lawn mower features a 6.3‑inch cutting width and an adjustable cutting height ranging from 0.8 to 2.4 inches, making it suitable for lawns with slopes of up to 20 degrees. It adopts random mowing path and works great for your routine lawn‑care maintenance.
- 【Multiple Safety Features】As soon as the robotic lawnmower is lifted, the tilt sensor immediately stops the blades. The emergency stop switch allows you to quickly turn off the battery-powered robotic lawnmower in an emergency. Additionally, the rain sensor ensures that the robot automatically stops working when it rains.
The project should therefore be understood as useful telemetry and control augmentation, not proof of a mower’s precise position, battery health, or every safety state. The native mower safeguards must remain authoritative.
Could you reproduce it?
Potentially, if you have the exact PMRA 20-Li A1, can inspect and test its electronics, and are comfortable modifying battery-powered outdoor equipment. The public coverage establishes the architecture but does not, by itself, provide enough verified detail to responsibly prescribe universal wiring or copy-and-paste YAML. Treat the following as a validation workflow, not a ready-made build recipe.
Rank #4
- No Boundary Wire, Ready in Just 5 Minutes - Skip the hassle of digging and installing perimeter wires. GOAT O1000 RTK automatically maps your lawn with LiDAR-Enhanced RTK navigation, allowing quick setup in about 5 minutes and delivering accurate mowing for lawns up to 1/4 acre (10,890 sq.ft.)
- Precise RTK Navigation for Complete Lawn Coverage - Powered by RTK + Vision + 3D ToF technology, GOAT O1000 RTK maintains centimeter-level positioning to mow efficiently with fewer missed areas. Intelligent route planning delivers neat mowing patterns while maintaining reliable performance around trees and complex landscapes.
- Smart Obstacle Avoidance Protects Your Yard - Featuring AIVI 3D Obstacle Avoidance, GOAT intelligently detects lawn furniture, toys, trees, pets and other common yard obstacles. It safely navigates narrow passages as small as 2.3 ft and climbs slopes up to 45% (24°) for uninterrupted mowing.
- Fully Customizable Lawn Care from the ECOVACS App - Control every aspect of mowing directly from your smartphone. Create multiple mowing zones, set no-go areas, adjust cutting height and schedules, monitor mowing progress in real time, and enjoy hands-free lawn maintenance all season long.
- Take Back Your Weekends with Fully Automated Mowing - No more pushing heavy mowers or spending hours maintaining your lawn. GOAT O1000 RTK automatically follows customized mowing schedules, keeping your grass consistently healthy and neatly trimmed while you relax or spend time with family.
- Confirm the model and revision. Record the label and inspect the board. Compare the actual machine with the project’s documented target rather than relying on a similar model number.
- Characterize the rain-sensor circuit. With suitable equipment and care, establish its reference ground, signal range, and whether the input behaves as analog or digital. Do not attach an ESP8266 GPIO directly until voltage levels and interface requirements are known.
- Check grounding and power. Verify whether converter output ground can safely share ground with the mower electronics. Confirm the battery’s operating range, converter ratings, and protection needs. An isolated interface may be appropriate if the grounding relationship is uncertain. Consider fuse/current protection and parked battery drain.
- Prototype the ESPHome node independently. Bring up Wi-Fi and Home Assistant entities away from the mower. Check sensor readings and calibrate movement thresholds for the sensor’s orientation and the mower’s vibration.
- Validate the control interface before use. The original implementation’s 270-ohm resistor is a project-specific detail, not a safety guarantee for other circuits. Confirm the original wiring against the target mower; use a suitable transistor, optocoupler, or other interface if circuit analysis calls for one.
- Test conservatively. Make the mower safe before testing commands, and verify that a stop command behaves as intended before attempting a start. Separately check charging, rain response, lifting or tilting, boundary behavior, faults, and emergency-stop behavior. Do not use the retrofit to bypass native protections.
- Secure and protect the installation. Provide insulation and strain relief, retain connectors against vibration, and protect the assembly from splash, condensation, corrosion, and grass debris. Keep it clear of vents, charging contacts, the battery’s removal path, blades, and safety switches.
- Add automation last. Begin with monitoring and notifications. Only consider remote starts after status reporting and fault behavior have been demonstrated. Weather or presence automations can add convenience, but they are not substitutes for the mower’s own safety systems.
ESPHome and Home Assistant evolve, so an older project’s entity names or configuration may not match current releases. Find and inspect the original project files before using them; do not rely on an unverified copied configuration.
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Opening a battery-powered mower and adding wiring introduces risks that are not answered by the project’s feature list. A builder must independently evaluate voltage levels, converter behavior, grounding, short-circuit protection, strain relief, enclosure, and warranty implications. The available descriptions do not establish a complete electrical safety case or an outdoor ingress rating. If you cannot confidently measure and interface the circuits, this is a poor candidate for experimentation.
Best Value
- Works Anytime, Anywhere: Enables precise positioning and obstacle avoidance without network or satellite signals. Easily passes through passages as narrow as 2.53 ft (77cm). It remains unaffected by obstructions or poor lighting conditions, operating reliably under trees and even at night. No need to bury boundary wires or install RTK stations - ready to use right out of the box. Its simple operation makes it especially user-friendly for elderly users.
- 0.75 Acre. Yes, Just One Mower: Powered by advanced vision and spatial fusion technology, the mower can recognize 200+ types of obstacles. It supports mapping for up to 0.75 acre (32,670 sq.ft / 3,000 ㎡) and ensures consistently inch-level positioning accuracy. You can customize up to 40 areas and set no-go zones such as pools, flower beds, and children's play areas, all of which are accurately recognized by the mower.
- Intelligence in Every Inch: After tens of thousands of tests and algorithm iterations, our intelligent obstacle avoidance system—based on 360° 3D LiDAR and AI Vision fusion—was born. With a powerful AI database, the mower detects objects as small as 5.9 inches (15 cm) high and 0.4 inches (1 cm) wide—like children, pets, or even a hedgehog—and safely avoids them. With positioning error under 0.8 inches (2 cm), it reduces missed lawn spots and achieves 95% coverage.
- Like Crossing Flat Land With Ease: Large front-wheel drive all-terrain wheels easily cross about 1.6 inches (4 cm)-high obstacles, delivering excellent obstacle-crossing performance. The 11 inches (280 mm)-wide floating deck adapts to uneven terrain and features an anti-clog barrier that effectively prevents grass clippings buildup. Adjustable cutting height from 1.18 to 3.35 inches (30 to 85 mm) allows effortless adaptation to various lawn conditions.
- Quietly Gets It Done: Superior to traditional RTK-based solutions, the 3D LiDAR+Vision system allows precise navigation even at night, under trees, or in rain and heavy clouds. Ultra-quiet operation lets it work almost unnoticed. The base station can be placed in a garage or indoors to prevent theft. After recharging, it resumes mowing right where it left off, thanks to breakpoint resume functionality.
Outdoor use adds ongoing work: inspect the assembly for loose wiring, moisture, corrosion, grass contamination, and vibration damage. Check that charging remains reliable and that added wiring does not interfere with battery removal or service. Consider removing or disconnecting the add-on during long storage if it could drain the mower battery. Do not assume that a perfboard assembly is weatherproof simply because it is mounted inside the mower body.
Remote start deserves particular caution. A dashboard command cannot establish that people or animals are clear, the mower is inside its boundary, or the machine is free of a fault. Do not treat network connectivity as a safety interlock, and do not allow Home Assistant logic to defeat lifting, tilt, obstacle, rain, or emergency-stop behavior provided by the mower.
Compatibility: PMRA is not PMRDA
Gorter’s implementation was made for the PMRA 20-Li A1; compatibility with other machines was only suggested, not demonstrated as a drop-in result. PMRDA smart models and newer Parkside revisions are separate cases. Community discussions of Tuya-related integrations for some PMRDA mowers describe model recognition, command, and status-mapping problems, including variant mismatches. See the Tuya Local discussion, LocalTuya compatibility issue, and reports on status and fault mappings and a reported PMRDA B2 variant. These are distinct software-integration efforts, not evidence that Gorter’s ESP8266 wiring works on those models.
A manufacturer smart mower may be the better choice if you need supported hardware, integrated outdoor protection, advanced navigation, or warranty-backed service. A compatible existing Tuya-based model might avoid physical modification, though its integration behavior can vary. The ESPHome retrofit makes most sense for an owner of the known target model who values local customization and is willing to take responsibility for circuit validation and upkeep.
Bottom line
This is a compelling example of extending a simple mower rather than replacing its controller: a Wemos D1 Mini, MPU-6050, converter, and rain-sensor interface add Home Assistant visibility and commands while the Parkside’s own electronics retain core mowing behavior. Its usefulness depends on respecting its narrow target—PMRA 20-Li A1—and validating every electrical and safety detail on the actual machine. It is not a universal conversion, a precision tracking system, or a maintenance-free substitute for a supported smart mower.
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