Abstract: To provide a work machine that can make minimum passes over a target area without leaving any tasks with flexible steering operations. A controller 10 mounted on a motor-driven lawn mower 1 determines intersections between a contour service path and a pair of straight service paths that are adjacent to each other in which the motor-driven lawn mower 1 travels along the straight service paths in opposite directions, and sets (records) a turning behavior including backward movement of the motor-driven lawn mower connecting the adjacent intersections in a configuration file. The information recorded in the configuration file is read during the operation to move the motor-driven lawn mower along the contour service path 50 and the straight service paths on anywhere other than the aforementioned intersections and to turn in accordance with the turning behavior when the motor-driven lawn mower reaches one of the intersections.

Abstract: To provide a work machine that can make minimum passes over a target area without leaving any tasks with flexible steering operations. A controller 10 mounted on a motor-driven lawn mower 1 determines intersections between a contour service path and a pair of straight service paths that are adjacent to each other in which the motor-driven lawn mower 1 travels along the straight service paths in opposite directions, and sets (records) a turning behavior including backward movement of the motor-driven lawn mower connecting the adjacent intersections in a configuration file. The information recorded in the configuration file is read during the operation to move the motor-driven lawn mower along the contour service path 50 and the straight service paths on anywhere other than the aforementioned intersections and to turn in accordance with the turning behavior when the motor-driven lawn mower reaches one of the intersections.

Abstract: A rotary light coupler comprises a first light emitter and a first light receiver mounted on a fixed body, and a second light emitter and a second light receiver mounted on a rotary body. The first and the second light emitters are arranged to transmit light beams containing signals to the second and the first light receivers respectively, through a rotary mechanism. The first and the second light receivers are placed opposing each other along the direction of the axis of rotation of the rotary body. The first and the second light emitters are placed respectively at the radially outside of the first and the second light receivers. Light axes of the first and the second light emitters are set in such a manner that they direct toward the central portions of the second and the first light receivers respectively and that reflected lights from the second and the first light receivers do not come into the first and the second light receivers respectively.