Autonomous mowers directly address the most persistent challenge in commercial landscaping: labor availability. The Exmark Turf Tracer with XiQ enables one operator to monitor one or more mowers while simultaneously performing trimming, edging, or other tasks. This means faster job completion per property, fewer labor hours billed per job, and — for crews that are labor-constrained — the ability to take on more work without adding headcount. The result is a measurable improvement in profit margin per job.

Unlike traditional robotic mowers that require physical wire installation, autonomous mowers like the Turf Tracer with XiQ uses GNSS satellite positioning — compatible with GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou networks — combined with cellular-based RTK correction. This delivers centimeter-level positioning accuracy. Before autonomous mowing begins, the operator drives the outer boundary of the property in manual mode to create a digital map. That map is saved to the cloud and can be recalled instantly for future visits. Exclusion zones (landscaping, obstacles, no-mow areas) are mapped the same way.

Safety is central to the design of the Turf Tracer with XiQ. The mower is equipped with ISO-certified radar sensors on the front and sides that create a dynamic safety bubble around the machine. If any obstacle is detected — a person, pet, or object — the mower stops immediately, a bright red warning light activates on top of the mower, and a notification is sent to the operator's app. The system is designed and tested to ISO 13849 machinery safety standards and ISO 12100 risk assessment protocols — the most rigorous standards currently applied to autonomous outdoor equipment.

The Turf Tracer with XiQ performs best on large, open turf areas with relatively smooth, consistent terrain. Strong-fit applications include: municipal parks and recreation areas, corporate campuses and office parks, colleges and universities, sports complexes and athletic fields, hospital grounds, and school campuses.

Supervised autonomy means the mower operates autonomously within a pre-mapped area, but a qualified operator is required to remain on-site to monitor operation and respond if the mower stops. Fully autonomous systems operate without any required human presence. Exmark's supervised autonomy model is intentional: it keeps a trained crew member engaged with the property, improves safety outcomes, and allows the operator to immediately address any stoppage — while still freeing them to perform other tasks simultaneously.

No. Exmark’s commercial autonomous mowers can be fully operated using the integrated 4.3-inch full-color onboard display — mapping properties, switching between manual and autonomous modes, and selecting striping patterns. The iOS and Android mobile app becomes most valuable when managing multiple autonomous mowers across a fleet: it provides real-time status for each machine, stores and recalls unlimited property maps, and allows account administrators to add or remove crew member access.

Exmark designed the Turf Tracer with XiQ to be future-ready. The platform supports over-the-air (OTA) software updates, meaning improvements to navigation, safety, mapping, and fleet management capabilities can be pushed to the mower remotely without requiring hardware changes. This protects the investment as autonomous mowing technology continues to evolve.