How Yard Truth works
Yard Truth is a property-to-product compatibility engine. It measures your yard, turns those measurements into machine requirements, and scores every mower in the catalog against them with fixed, published rules. An AI assistant explains the results; it never decides them.
1. Measuring your yard
All measurement sources are US-wide and public. Aerial imagery is shown for display and editing only.
| Layer | Source | What we derive | Confidence driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parcel boundary | County parcel data (Regrid or open data) | Lot outline, side-yard widths | Parcel currency |
| Buildings | Microsoft / Google open building footprints | House and outbuildings; signal-obstruction zones | Footprint date |
| Turf vs. hardscape | USDA NAIP imagery (RGB + NIR) | Mowable lawn polygons and area | Imagery age and season |
| Slope | USGS 3DEP lidar elevation (1 m) | Steepest section; share of lawn over 20/30/40% | DEM resolution and sample count |
| Canopy | 3DEP canopy height model; NLCD fallback | Share of lawn under trees | Lidar vintage |
| Zones and passages | Geometry on the lawn polygon | Zone count; narrowest passage | Always confirmed by you |
| Network RTK | Brand coverage lookups | Correction availability at your address | Brand data |
Every measurement is labelled High, Medium or Low confidence. We only ask you to confirm what we could not settle. Measurements are not survey-grade; the goal is to get slope right (the variable buyers cannot self-assess) and cut your input to a confirmation and a few questions.
2. Scoring every mower
Each model starts at 100. Rules subtract for mismatches and add for headroom. Some rules are hard fails: if the manufacturer's figure cannot cover your yard, the model is Incompatible regardless of score. Every rule produces a spec-versus-yard sentence, which is what you read in the report.
- area capacity: Rated area vs. mowable area, with sizing headroom (dealers advise 20–30% over measured area).
- slope: Rated maximum slope vs. steepest section of the yard, plus wet traction and drive type.
- passage: Minimum passage width vs. narrowest passage between zones.
- zones: Maximum supported zones vs. detected zones; gate handling for multi-zone yards.
- canopy navigation: Navigation technology vs. tree canopy over the lawn.
- building obstruction: Satellite signal obstruction from buildings vs. navigation sensitivity.
- network rtk: Network RTK availability at the address vs. antenna requirements.
- household: Pet and small-object detection vs. household situation.
- connectivity: Wi-Fi reach vs. cellular module availability.
- budget: MSRP vs. stated budget (preference, not a fit constraint).
- installation: Boundary wire and install preference.
Bands: Excellent (85+, nothing to watch), Good (70+, minor watch items), Conditional (55+, or any significant condition), Poor, Incompatible. Ranking is strictly by score; ties go to the lower price.
3. Learning from what actually happened
When you save a profile we follow up after purchase and at 30, 90 and 180 days: still running, signal dropouts, stuck spots, passage trouble, returns. When owners consistently contradict a manufacturer figure, the catalog records an observed override with its sample size, and once enough owners agree the engine uses the observed value instead. That dataset is what no brand or retailer can copy.
4. What the AI does and does not do
The assistant on the report page answers follow-ups (“why not the Navimow?”, “do I need an antenna?”). It is grounded in the catalog and your Yard Profile and is instructed to cite them for every claim. It cannot change a score, a band or an order.