>wonder if a robot cutting machine would actually give men this satisfaction
Your concerns about robomowers is valid. Many tractor-style riding mowers are a stamped metal piece-o-junk even when new and the great majority of those are slow and no fun.
I hate mowing the grass, but I have to admit that speedy, zero-turn, joystick-steering are kinda fun.
I'm going to eventually do a robomower just for the techie, nerdy fun. But I'm also expecting it to be more PITA than time-saver with maintenance, adjusting the mowing target areas, blade height, obstacles, boundaries, etc.