Meet Roy Friend, a retired U.S. Army veteran from Newport News, Virginia. Originally from Sherman, Texas, Roy dedicated 25 years to serving his country in Army aviation—flying on both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft across the globe. From Europe to Asia, the Middle East to South America, Roy’s service culminated with the 12th Aviation Brigade during Operation Iraqi Freedom—an experience he calls the pinnacle of his military career.
Today, Roy finds his peace much closer to home, enjoying time on his front porch or back deck alongside his wife in the home they’ve shared for over 23 years. Their yard has been a backdrop for countless memories, including BBQs and time spent with their children. But more recently, keeping it maintained has become a growing challenge.
After transitioning to using a wheelchair, Roy’s yard became increasingly difficult. Watching his wife mow the yard in Virginia’s intense summer heat and humidity wasn’t easy. And despite their best efforts, hiring yard help brought its own set of unique challenges such as sporadic service, missed patches of grass, constant turnover with lawn care service professionals and high fees.
For those who invest time and money in their lawns through seeding, fertilizing, liming, soil testing, and irrigation, a poorly timed or poorly executed lawn care can undo months of effort in a single pass.
Beyond the frustrations of scheduling and service reliability, Roy also had concerns about security. Allowing unfamiliar people onto his property week after week felt like a risk and he’d heard of others being targeted after routine visits from lawn crews.
In early June, the Navimow team delivered the mower to his house and configured it for his unique yard layout. Things improved significantly when Roy started using the Navimow. It wasn’t just about cutting grass—it was about simplifying yard care.
With GPS navigation and a wire-free setup, Navimow X3 easily moves between the front, rear and side yard areas, crossing over sidewalks and ramps seamlessly. There’s no need to reset boundaries or ask for help—everything runs on Roy’s schedule. Previously, he would have to call on his friends to help reset his mower when it would cross outside of the boundary or help repair the wire if it got cut or damaged.
Using the Navimow app, Roy can manage mowing times, adjust grass height, and handle edging directly from his phone. The lawn stays consistently neat, and even his two small dogs appreciate having shorter grass to play in.
Roy is now able to enjoy time outside with his wife and dogs without the stress that used to accompany the upkeep of his yard. His Virginia summer evenings are now full of relaxing on the front porch with his family—and not worrying about his next mow.
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