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CNET
2 days ago
- Business
- CNET
This Father's Day Sale From Segway Gets You Up to $200 Off a Robot Lawn Mower
This year Father's Day falls on June 15, which is right around the corner. If you've been wondering what to get the dad or father figure in your life, Segway may have the solution. For a limited time -- June 2 through June 8 -- you can pick up select models of the Segway Navimow i Series i at a reduced rate. Currently you can get the Navimow i105 robotic lawn mower for $849 at Amazon, which is a $150 savings. You can get the same discount on Segway's site -- $849, down from the usual price of $999. The Navimow i105 covers up to 1/8 of an acre of grass, and features AI-assisted mapping and VisionFence image obstacle avoidance. In addition it can climb up to a 30 percent grade. Use the app to check the progress or start and stop the mower. You can also manually adjust the height of the cut between 2 to 3.6 inches. If you need to cover a little more ground, the Navimow i110 is also on sale. You can pick it up on the Navimow site for $1,099 which is $200 in savings. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. With the Navimow i110, you get similar specs to the i105 -- easy control and monitoring via the app, adjustable blade height and the ability to climb a 30% incline. The i110 can mow up to 1/4 acre at a time. In his review of robotic lawn mowers, our home tech editor Chris Wedel noted that the Navimow was great for smaller lawns. "I set up a mowing schedule, and the Segway robot mower does the rest," he writes. "This Navimow saves me about 30-45 minutes of mowing twice weekly. " Why this deal matters Whether it's to save time for relaxing or you're away a lot during the growing season, having a robot lawn mower can be a game changer. But it's no secret that they can be pricey. Saving $100 or even $200 makes a difference. But remember this deal ends June 8 so if you're serious about this mower, don't wait too long.
Digital Trends
15-05-2025
- Digital Trends
Navimow i110 robot lawn mower review: easy to setup and a breeze to operate
Navimow i110 robot lawn mower review: easy to setup and a breeze to operate MSRP $1,299.00 Score Details 'The key to setting up the Navimow robot lawn mower is an excellent smartphone app that walks you through the entire process.' Pros Easy setup and operation Wire-free navigation Continuously improves mowing efficiency Quiet operation Cons Costs more than wire-guided alternatives I could not have started reviewing robot lawn mowers with a better choice than the Segway Navimow i110. I began testing the Navimow i110 with significant concerns about my tree-bound lot. I also wondered if I could correctly set up the antenna, docking station, and mower to work together to mow my raggedy lawn. Recommended Videos Based on my experience with the Navimow i110, I'm convinced it is up to the task. When I test new products, I typically but unintentionally make every mistake possible, some of them twice. This is one of those cases when the aphorism fits: If I can do it, anyone can. Robot lawn mowers set up and operate like robot vacuum cleaners. You may not be ready for a robot lawn mower, but don't let fears of set-up complexity or operational difficulty stop you: with the Navimow i110, it's simple and easy. Navimow model lines: lawn coverage areas Segway's two entry-level Navimow i100 robot lawn mower series models are the i105 and i110, which are recommended for mowing areas of 0.125 acre and 0.25 acre, respectively. The higher-capacity X3 series includes four lawn models from 0.5 to 2.5 acres. I tested the Navimow i110 with two adjacent sections of my lawn that total approximately 0.20 acres, so that model was the correct choice. I also tested a Naviow X350 rated for 1.5 acres on the 0.75 section of my lawn, which is much more rugged with soft mossy spots, steep inclines, and thick tree roots. I'll review the Navimow 350 separately because it differs from the i110 in more than just battery capacity. The Navimow i110 measures 21.4 inches by 15.1 inches by 11.2 inches and weighs 24 pounds. It has three cutting blades with a combined cutting width of 7.1 inches. The mower's 5.1-amp-hour battery takes about 120 minutes to charge at its docking station fully and can mow for up to two hours at a maximum speed of 1.6 feet per second. Creating the boundary areas will go faster if you have good virtual joystick skills — which, sadly, I do not. Robot lawn mowers set up and operate like robot vacuum cleaners. The significant difference is that the mower is connected to GPS satellites. When they run low on power, robot mowers automatically return to their docking station to recharge. After recharging, the Navimow i110 returns to where it stopped and resumes mowing, repeating the charging and mowing sequences until the job is done. Navimow i110: setting it up The key to setting up the Navimow robot lawn mower was an excellent smartphone app that walks you through the entire process via a Bluetooth connection with the mower. As mentioned above, I was concerned about where to position the docking station and the satellite antenna. Both components need clear access to open sky to detect satellites and can't be closer than six feet to buildings or trees. I planned to test the Navimow i110 in our back and side yards, with many pine and oak trees. I had plenty of doubts, but with the help of the app, finding the necessary satellites was not a problem. The app also guides you through connecting to your home Wi-Fi. There are three connections to set up: Bluetooth, GPS satellites, and Wi-Fi. If you are in an area where satellite connections are particularly difficult, you can also purchase an Access+ 4G option for the Navimow i110, which aids position navigation and adds clever security features—more on those below. Segway sent the Access+ option so I could check out the security features, but I didn't use it for the initial setup, mapping, or navigation with the i110 because it wasn't necessary. Navimow i110: navigation If you have a robot vacuum cleaner, you can let it roam around the house without setting up specific zones, but you don't want to do that with a robot lawn mower because it would undoubtedly end up in the street, a neighbor's yard, or just gone. With robot mowers, you create boundaries with virtually enclosed areas where the robot will mow the grass. You don't have to bury wires as with electric dog fencing (and some earlier robot mowers). You create maps with the Navimow i110 using a joystick-like feature in the Navimow app to direct the mower around the boundaries of the area you want mowed. I found it very easy to create the maps, mainly because the Navimow app does most of the work. Creating the boundary areas will go faster if you have good virtual joystick skills — which, sadly, I do not. Once you create mapped areas for the robot to mow, the next step is to identify any areas you don't want it to mow, such as landscaped areas o flower gardens. The Navimow i110 detects more than 150 object classes to avoid, such as pets and children. If you have an unfenced flower garden, for example, you'll want to create boundary around it as a no-mow zone. This again is a simple process and good joystick skills help. While creating mapped areas to mow and not mow, the Navimow app can also help you create channels, or pathways, to connect mapped areas to control where the robot will enter and exit when moving between areas. Navimow i110: operation The Navimow i110 has a round dial on the top of the mower to select the cutting height from 2.0 to 3.6 inches manually. Typically, you would start mowing with the device fully charged and sitting on the docking station. You can start one-time mowing by selecting Mow from the app's opening screen and then choosing one of the defined mowing areas you set up previously. If the mower and antenna can detect sufficient satellites for navigation, the app's Mow Now button darkens and is ready to be tapped. The robotic lawn mower moves slowly at first, learning the specifics of the area. I didn't time mowing jobs in the two areas where I used this model, but it was obvious that it finished the mowing jobs faster with more practice in a specific area. The mower changes mowing patterns and learns as it goes. One of the mapped areas in our yard has moderately thick tree roots on the surface in small sections. It was interesting to watch the mower work around those minor obstacles. It certainly appears to be learning and usually moves through such sections much more easily in subsequent mowing sessions. For example, the first time the i110 mowed our fenced lawn area, it had to go back to the docking station to recharge twice. By the fourth time, the Navimow was able to complete the mowing without needing to recharge even once. Once you are comfortable with the Navimow's operations, you may want to take advantage of its smart home compatibility. You can use Alexa or Google Home Assistant to control the Navimow's basic functions with voice commands. Navimow i110: smart features If you want to take advantage of the Navimow's systematic mowing capabilities, you can combine and schedule multiple zones by selecting from previously mapped areas using the Navimow app. The device checks the weather forecast online every 10 minutes and, depending on your preferred settings, can adapt the schedule when it detects rain, snow, hot weather, frost, or strong winds. You can also choose whether the Navimow will mow the lawn at night. If you install the $149 Access+ 4G option for the i110, you also gain smart security features, including a mower-lifted alarm with owner notifications, geofencing to define geographic boundaries, and a Find My Mower feature that uses GPS satellites to precisely locate the mower anywhere in the world. Navimow i110: upkeep and maintenance The Navimow series robotic lawn mowers are IP66-rated dustproof and waterproof, simplifying maintenance and cleaning. The mower ships with extra cutting blades and bolts for periodic replacement. Navimow recommends replacing the blades after 80 hours of use. Replacement blades, including replacement bolts, are sold in sets of 12 for $20. There is no required maintenance besides keeping the mower clean and replacing blades. Navimow includes information for winter storage and spring startup procedures, which basically comprise charging to 85% and packing and storing the mower safely. Our take Segway's Navinow i100 series is an unqualified winner for smaller lawns. The average lawn in the U.S is a bit under 0.25 acre, which is the right size for the Navimow i110. The Navimow i105 is rated for lawns up to 0.125 acre, which makes it right for many lawns in urban areas, which tend to be smaller. The Navimow i105 lists for $999, and the i110 sells for $1,299. Other robotic lawn mowers rated for up to 1/4 acre cost less than the Navimow i110, such as the $999.99 Greenworks Optimow 25H High Cut Robotic Lawn Mower. Still, the Optimow requires burying boundary wires, and the Navimow i110 is wire-free.
The Verge
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Verge
I put four robot lawnmowers through a brutal backyard battle — and only one person got injured
It's a scorching afternoon in August 2024, with temps hovering at 101 degrees. I'm flat on my back, sweating under a 1970s Land Rover, trying to rescue a Segway Navimow. It turns out that the first rule of using a robot lawnmower is 'don't let anyone park on your lawn.' Robot lawnmowers have been around for several decades, and with them the heady promise of spending the summer with your feet up, sipping a nice tall glass of something, while a robot mows your lawn. But it's only in the past couple of years that they've become almost smart enough and cheap enough for me to try out. In all but a few scenarios, robot lawnmowers still aren't worth your money New navigation tech means you probably won't need to dig a trench around your lawn to lay guide wires (except, it turns out, in my yard), and while you can still spend $6,000 on a mower, you can now find one for under $1,000. However, after three months of running four bots around my property, my advice is that — in all but a few scenarios — robot lawnmowers still aren't worth your money. If you have the right conditions and an endless supply of patience, a robot lawnmower might work for you. But if you are expecting a plug-and-play solution or if, like me, you have a lot of tree cover, hardy grass, sandy soil, and friends and family who like to park on your lawn, then you'll want to wait for these automowers to get a lot smarter. The good news is that there are new and improved robot lawnmowers arriving this spring that claim to solve some of these issues. In the meantime, here's a rundown of what you need to know about robot lawnmowers before buying one. Then, read on for a look at which bot triumphed when I pitted the Navimo Segway i110, Mammotion Luba 2 AWD, Dreame A1, and Husqavarna Automower 430X head-to-head. 1. Robot lawnmowers don't cut your lawn … … they shave it. Robot lawnmowers use several small razor blades to cut a set amount of the grass each run (generally between 1 and 3 mm). This means they need to run every day for multiple hours, sometimes twice a day, to keep your lawn trim. The Dreame A1, for example, takes about 24 hours to cut a quarter-acre lawn. (Most brands offer several sizes of mowers, going up in price based on how big a yard they can tackle.) While in theory, taking all day to cut your yard shouldn't be a problem — these mowers are battery-powered and, like robot vacuums, can return to their charging docks to power up when needed — the issue I had was getting them to finish their job. In my testing, too much sand, a big twig, or an errantly parked car meant that about 60 percent of the time they got stuck and just sat outside in the sun to die. Most weeks, I spent more time rescuing mowers than it would have taken to mow the lawn myself. You also need to start with a mowed lawn (in the same way you need to start with a clean house for a robot vacuum to work well). The good news is that two of the mowers I tested (the Dreame and Mammotion) produced the perfect professional lawn stripe that will make your neighbors envious. 2. You might need to put an antenna in your yard Two of the robots I tested used a geo-positioning technology called Real Time Kinematic (RTK), which in combination with a camera and GPS, lets them navigate without guide wires. In theory, this should make for a much easier setup; rather than dig a trench for hundreds of feet of wire, you just need to stick an antenna somewhere in your yard. However, finding the perfect spot that is close enough to a power outlet and has a clear view of the sky was a serious struggle in my yard, which is largely covered by giant oak trees. If you have a treeless yard, you should be fine. However, I spent hours positioning and repositioning RTK stations around my property, trying to find a spot that would let the Navimow and Mammotion navigate my backyard. Spoiler alert: I failed. 3. You'll have to babysit them I was not prepared for how much setup and ongoing attention these bots needed. In addition to a fair amount of assembly and hunting around my yard for power outlets and clear views of the sky, I had to physically draw a map for each bot. I spent more time rescuing mowers than it would have taken to mow the lawn myself In most cases, this meant driving them around the perimeter like an RC car, using my phone as a remote (okay, that part could have been kind of fun, but not in 90-degree heat). I was surprised that, unlike robot vacuums, they can't autonomously create a map of your yard. I also had to manually create any keep-out zones. Once set up, I constantly had to go and rescue them. You can't expect to go away for a week and return to a perfectly mowed lawn. (You'll also have to leave your gate open if you want to mow the front and back yard.) 4. Connectivity matters Robot lawnmowers are about a decade behind robot vacuums when it comes to user experience, thanks to poor connectivity options and generally crappy apps. Most people don't have strong Wi-Fi in their gardens, and while the robots don't need Wi-Fi to run, without it, they can't connect to a smart home system or voice assistant, and you'll have to get into Bluetooth range to change the mowing schedule or start or stop the robot through the app. Several models offer 4G connectivity, which also enables theft prevention features. However, this may cost extra; Dreame's 4G module is $229, and Segway charges $32.90 a year for connectivity on its Navimo mowers. 5. Obstacle navigation is a work in progress Just as most robot vacuums five years ago regularly got tripped up on stray socks or cables, robot lawnmowers today need a smooth lawn and a clear path to complete their job. While some can navigate around larger objects, like soccer balls or wading pools easily, smaller objects like twigs, stray dog bones, and toys will stop most of them in their tracks. And, while this may not be a problem for you — if, like most Americans, you don't park on your lawn — they will drive right under your car. Hills and uneven ground can also trip them up. In general, most bots can handle inclines from 30 to 45 percent (up to 24 degrees). If you have steeper areas or sandy soil, you'll need to look at a bot with all-wheel drive and the capability to tackle sheerer slopes. The Mammotion has the highest slope limit of those I tested, at 80 percent (38.6 degrees). However, the area I live in is called the Lowcountry for a reason; I had no hills nearby to test this on and plenty of sandy soil that every bot got stuck in. 6. Everyone will stare Robots attract attention. I met more neighbors in my three months testing lawnmowers than in the 10 years I've lived on this street. Everyone who walked past and saw one working wanted to ask about it. Since they run all the time, that was a lot of people. Even my usually all-business UPS driver had several questions ('Is it just mapping your yard? It doesn't look like it's cutting anything.'). On this point, theft is obviously a concern, especially in a front yard if you don't have a fence. Most mowers require you to enter a numerical PIN on the screen to use it after it's been picked up, in theory rendering it useless to thieves. Some also sound a loud alarm, and most have GPS tracking, so you can follow your mower if someone nabs it, although you may need to pay extra for the cellular service required to do so once it leaves your Wi-Fi. 7. Do not put a robot lawnmower on your lap This is obvious, but needs to be stated. These mowers have blades — small ones, but blades nonetheless. At least two of the mowers I tested required a fair amount of assembly. My husband, who is much handier with a screwdriver than I am, was game to help me with this. As he was fiddling with a tricky part, he picked up the bot and put it on his lap to get a better purchase, which proceeded to shave his skin fairly badly. The moral of the story is that, while a robot lawnmower isn't going to chop your foot off if it somehow runs over it (which is unlikely as they all have built in safety features that stop the blades as soon as they encounter an obstacle), it can do decent damage to anything that does somehow get in contact with those blades. Sadly, this was the beginning of the end of my husband's love affair with robot lawnmowers. He had been so excited by the prospect of a machine that would do his biggest chore for him, but after three months of frustrations and failures, not to mention permanent scars, he was totally over them. The Battle From August through October of 2024, I tested three new automatic mowers against a staple in the space, the Husqvarna 430x, which is its third generation and was launched in 2016. I ran these in my flat, three-quarter-acre, coastal South Carolina yard, with sandy soil, centipede grass, ample oak trees, and multiple hurricanes. Bear in mind, this isn't a traditional review or buying guide; it's a gauntlet. Each bot is judged by how well it worked in my yard, which, admittedly, is challenging. The following reviews focus on what impressed me (and annoyed me) about each bot, and what caused them to be eliminated until I (sort of) crowned a winner. Software matters Navigation: 3D vision and RTK antenna (wire-free) / Yard siz e: 1.25 acres / Cutting height: 2.2' to 4' cut height, 15.7' cutting width, 80 % slope / Theft features: The Luba 2 I tested was a seriously impressive, seriously expensive machine, with really bad software. The good news is that Mammotion has since released an upgraded version (linked to above) that's cheaper and, according to the company, has better mapping and more reliable navigation. I really hope that's the case, because when this beast actually mowed, it did an amazing job, creating perfect lines that made the lawn look like a professional landscaper had cared for it all summer. Its huge wheels and big body could tackle almost any terrain, and its obstacle recognition tech was superb; it also had the range to manage my entire backyard. But it's the first to be eliminated in this battle because, on the model I tested, the combination of an unusable app, complicated software, spotty GPS, and an almost constant need for updates meant it was nearly impossible to get it to run reliably and autonomously. Also, those perfect lines that it created? Those were in my neighbor's yard. Because my ample tree coverage blocked its view of the sky, the Luba couldn't create a complete map of my yard, which meant it wouldn't mow. After weeks of trying to get it to work, I had to give up and ask my neighbors, who have fewer trees than I do, if I could mow their lawn for a week. In their smaller, more open front yard, the Luba was able to create a map on the first try. However, even with a map and its RTK antenna in a position the app deemed acceptable, the Luba required nonstop attention. I had to visit it multiple times a day for everything from software updates, docking help, or reconnecting its RTK station to the app — which, despite a Wi-Fi connection, only worked when I was standing right next to the mower. I got so many mosquito bites from these trips that I nicknamed it the Mosquito Mower. Sadly, after its first few runs, which created some lovely lawn stripes, the Luba began to stop a few feet away from its base and just go round in a circle. This created a huge sand pit, which it repeatedly got stuck in. At this point, my neighbors asked if I would please take it away. Eliminated. As mentioned, the company announced an upgraded version of the Luba 2 at CES this year, which is available now. Mammotion says it has improved navigation, even under trees, can automatically map your yard, and it's about $1,000 cheaper. It also comes with a built-in 4G module and a year of cellular service; I plan to test it soon. Reliability isn't everything Navigation: Guide wire / Yard size: 0.8 acres / Cutting height: 0.8 to 2.4 inches / Cutting width: 9.45 inches, 45 % slope / Theft features: Lift alarm, PIN code, GPS anti-theft / Weatherproofing: IPX4 / Connectivity: BLE, built-in 4G (free for 10 years) / Weight: 28.7 lbs / Price of unit reviewed: $2,499.99 One of the original automowers from a Swedish company with a long history in lawn care, the Husqvarna 430X is a reliable workhorse with a dialed-in app experience and basic features. It ran on time every time, navigated my tricky terrain smoothly, almost always making it back to the base, and it cut the grass very well. But its guide wire required digging a trench around the perimeter of my lawn, and its lack of obstacle detection meant it kept getting stuck under cars. While Husqvarna has a line of wire-free RTK-enabled robots that use its Exact Positioning Operating System (EPOS), and include Wi-Fi connectivity and obstacle detection, those models, the 450X and 450XH EPOS, cost nearly $6,000 and require professional installation. Husqvarna also advised that my trees might cause issues if I tested one of these, and said the 430X, which uses a boundary wire, would be best for my setup. Outside of the lawn parking, they were right. I installed the 430X in my front yard because the back yard is huge, and that was just too much wire. While digging a trench for the wire was hard work (says my husband), it was one of the simplest setup processes we went through — if not the fastest; wires don't complain about where you put them. We ran the wire all around the lawn, which, while it made sense at the time, turned out to have been a bad idea. In our neck of the woods, people park on your lawn. When we had plumbing work done, the mower — which has bump sensors but no ability to see obstacles — wedged itself under the wheel well of the plumber's van. When the plumber left, the mower got squished. Unfortunately, it's not easy to redo the wiring, and there's no option to set virtual keep-out zones on the 430X for temporary objects in your yard — like parked cars or paddling pools. If you have a wide-open lawn with no delicate obstacles, the 430X is a good choice, but it's just not smart enough for my yard. So, somewhat reluctantly, it was eliminated. Husqvarna's new Automower iQ series, which features obstacle detection, RTK navigation, and starts at a more reasonable $3,000, is coming this Spring. I've got more details on this below, and I plan to test it soon. Smarter but not better Segway Navimow i110N $1299 $1299 at Amazon $1299 at Lowes Navigation: RTK antenna and vision navigation (wire-free) / Yard size: 0.25 acres / Cutting height: 2 to 3.6 inches / Cutting width: 7.1 inches, 30 % slope / Theft features: Lift alarm, PIN code, GPS anti-theft (with 4G module) / Weatherproofing: IP66 / Connectivity: Wi-Fi, BLE, Built-in 4G ($32.90 a year) / Weight: 24 lbs / Works with: Alexa and Google. Price of unit reviewed: $1,299 The Navimo is the cutest robot mower of the pack and also the cheapest by a wide margin. Despite a more plasticky build, it was sturdy enough to survive a run-in with a (stationary) Land Rover, and it moved very smoothly, navigating around obstacles nimbly (when it sees them). The Navimow's best feature is its app. It's the easiest to use of all the mowers I tested, had the most features, and worked the most reliably, although, as with most of the others, it had frequent connectivity issues. It allowed me to schedule mowing in multiple zones and create virtual paths so the mower could move between the back yard and the front yard — no, it can't open a gate. The Navimow's random bump-and-roll style of mowing left several spots untouched However, it kept complaining that I must have moved its RTK station, which I hadn't. This is presumably a symptom of the tricky GPS coverage in my yard. And I had to install it in my front yard, as it couldn't find any area in my back yard where it could get a signal. (Unlike the Mammotion, where placement was trial and error, the Navimow can recommend the best spot to place the RTK antenna.) The Navimow ran reliably and rarely got stuck in the sand or on twigs. However, running in my front yard, it had less of those to deal with than those that ran in the back. The mower uses a 'vision-enhanced RTK GPS,' meaning it has a camera to navigate within its boundary if its GPS signal is weak. But it refused to go past the keep-out zone I placed around my large oak tree, to the grass on the other side, and its random bump-and-roll style of mowing left several spots untouched. Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge The camera also allows for obstacle recognition, which was fairly effective, as long as the obstacle was directly in front of it. It didn't detect the underside of a car and wedged itself stuck under my husband's 1970s Land Rover multiple times. It also doesn't have a rain sensor, which is a big issue in a South Carolina summer, with frequent and fierce storms. Instead, it relies on Wi-Fi-fed weather data to determine if it needs to stop mowing. In my testing, this was not accurate — it kept running during several major rainstorms. This, combined with it not being able to reach my entire yard, means it was eliminated. Segway launched a new mower series this spring. The Navimow X3 series starts at $2,299 and goes up to $4,999 for the X390, which can mow 2.5 acres. I plan to test this soon. Simple and sleek, but not a beach bot Dreame Roboticmower A1 $200015% off $1700 $1700 at Dreame Navigation: 3D lidar (wire free / no antenna) / Yard size: 0.5 acres / Cutting height: 3 to 7 cm / Cutting width: 22 cm / Slope: 45 % / Theft features: Lift alarm, PIN code, GPS anti-theft (with 4G module) / Weatherproofing: IPX6, 50 to 95-degree operating temp / Connectivity: Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz), BLE, 4G (with $229 module) / Weight: 26 lbs / Works with: Alexa and Google. Price of unit reviewed: $2,500 The Dreame A1 is the default winner here because it actually worked in my tree-covered back yard and didn't require installing a pain-in-the-ass RTK antenna or laying boundary wire. Instead, like Dreame's robot vacuums, this lawnmower uses lidar navigation. But the Dreame is far from perfect. Its little plastic tires struggled in the sandy areas of my yard, and while it largely blew through leaves and branches following hurricanes, it would invariably end up stuck in a sand pit in a corner of the yard or get a twig wedged in its wheel well, and I'd have to lug it back to the base station. It's not light. The Dreame is one of only two bots I tested (the Mammotion being the other) that can create those perfect lawn lines — because it uses a programmed U-shape approach to mowing, as opposed to the bump-and-roll method. Its 3D obstacle recognition is very good, and it nimbly dodged pets, lawn furniture, and large twigs. But small twigs and sand regularly derailed it. I didn't test this in the front yard, however, so I can't comment on how it deals with cars. After finding it beached in the yard with a twig stuck in its wheel for the gazillionth time, we fired up the riding lawnmower Its built-in rain sensor means it reliably took itself home when it rained and started up again when the rain stopped. The Dreame app is slightly more polished than some others, as it uses the same one as its robot vacuums. But it's still not a great experience; there's a lot of waiting around for something or other to download every time you open the app. The app lets you adjust the cutting height and mowing angle, which gets you those perfect stripes, and allows you to set different cutting heights for each zone. It also enables scheduling, editing the map, starting or stopping the robot remotely, and even spot and edge mowing. However, after finding it beached in the yard with a twig stuck in its wheel or buried in sand for the gazillionth time, it went back in the box, and we fired up the riding lawnmower. It should get better — even with trees Since I started testing mowers last summer, most of the companies featured in this article, along with several others, have announced new models that are available now or will be shortly. Many of these address a lot of the issues I had, including bringing more reliable navigation, automatic mapping, and better maneuverability over sandy soil and thicker grass. Here's a brief look at what's coming next. The grass is growing again, so I'll be testing these this summer. Husqvarna's new line, the iQ Series, which is available for preorder starting at $3,000, is the first one the company has built that's 'truly designed, engineered, and tested for North American lawns,' according to Husqvarna's robotics lead, Scott Porteous. It's a big performance and technology update, he says, built to tackle all the problems I had — rough terrain, sandy soil, thick grass, and obstacles. The mowers have larger wheels, a higher chassis to aid navigation on slopes and around obstacles and paths, and they can handle inclines up to 70 percent. The iQ series uses Husqvarna's EPOS RTK technology and can also work with wires — meaning I could wire up the areas of my yard that are under tree cover and have the freedom of GPS navigation everywhere else. Image: Husqvarna Another robot vacuum company, Ecovacs, has a new automower, the GOAT 3000 (great name). This $3,000 robot doesn't use wire or RTK positioning; instead, it navigates with lidar, like the Dreame A1. It also features front-facing and fish-eye cameras and can autonomously map your yard. Like Ecovacs' robot vacuums, it has AI-powered obstacle detection, and it also boasts fast charging, claiming 15% to 80% in just 45 minutes, which should help it get around your yard faster. Eufy's first automower, the Eufy Robot Lawn Mower E15 and E18 (starting at $1,799.99) claims to work with no boundary wire or RTK station required, instead using full self-driving technology, including visual recognition, AI algorithms, and 3D sensors to avoid obstacles, and identify lawn edges and paths. The company also says it can automatically map your yard for you. Its onboard camera can also be accessed remotely, essentially serving as a roaming outdoor security camera. Segway's new Navimow X3 series, starting at $2,299, claims to be faster than the competition, capable of mowing one and a quarter acres in 24 hours (the Dreame A1 can only do a quarter acre in that time). The company says it uses a more advanced navigation system that combines RTK, vSLAM (visual simultaneous localization and mapping), and Visual Inertial Odometry technology (a combination of motion and vision tech). Onboard cameras give it a 300-degree field of view for obstacle avoidance, which should help it see car undercarriages. Photos by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge 5 Comments5 New
Stuff.tv
07-05-2025
- Automotive
- Stuff.tv
Shape up larger lawns for summer with the Segway Navimow X3
With spring in the air and summertime edging closer, it's time to get your garden in shape. And that means a neatly trimmed lawn, which can be a huge undertaking if you happen to have a patch that verges on the larger size. That's why the recent arrival of the Segway Navimow X3 on these shores is brilliant news for gardeners, because this robotic mower has been engineered specifically for tackling lawns of 1500m2 and above. In fact, even if your lawn extends to 10,000m2 (at which point it's more of a field in our book, being about the same size as 1.5 football pitches), this mower is up to the job. And that's all down to its incredible efficiency. It can autonomously mow 5000m2 of grass in 24 hours thanks to its fast-charging capability, zippy movement speed, six blades and anti-clogging blade disc, making it the first robotic mower in the world to achieve TÜV Rheinland's certification for high mowing efficiency. A fully charged X3 can mow 1200m2 of grass (in about 200 minutes) before returning automatically to its charging station, topping up its battery and resuming the task where it left off. And the charging is rapid, too: just 30 minutes on the charging station gives it enough power to cut 500m2 of grass. A smarter way to mow The Navimow X3 uses the new EFLS 3.0 system to calculate its position and map out its environment (aka your back garden). This cutting-edge system combines GPS-based RTK with vision-based VSLAM (Visual Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping) and VIO (Visual Inertial Odometry) to ensure stable performance, even in areas where satellite coverage might be weak or non-existent, such as narrow passages between buildings or beneath tree canopies. Even if your lawn layout is a challenging or dynamic one full of potential obstructions and hazards, the 300° field of view and AI-assisted route planning afforded by the X3's upgraded VisionFence tech ensures small like kids' toys and even suspended objects like swings or hanging decorations are slickly avoided. The three-camera setup can identify over 200 different types of obstacle (including animals!) and negotiate them intelligently to keep the mowing process as smooth and fuss-free as possible. Even hilly lawns don't faze the X3: its large, chunky wheels can handle inclines of up to 50% (or 27°), so it's no dope when it comes to slopes. Other features include compatibility with Alexa and Google Home voice controls, anti-theft measures including GPS tracking and ultra-quiet operation. So, you can relax in the garden with a cool drink and a book while the X3 does its thing – because the sound it makes is about as loud as a home air conditioner (i.e. not very loud at all). Ready to level up your mowing experience for the summer of 2025? Then head over to the Navimow website for more info on the X3, or to find your nearest stockist. It's on sale now, priced from £2199. A robot for regular lawns, too And if your lawn isn't particularly sizeable, Segway also offers a robotic mower designed for small to medium gardens. The Navimow i105, a model Stuff has already awarded a full five stars, is ideal for lawns up to 500m2 in size. It comes with a bevy of user-friendly features, like wire-free setup (which lets you establish your lawn's boundaries without needing to install physical wires) and AI-powered Assist Mapping, which charts out the whole work area for efficient navigation. The Navimow i105 is available now, priced from $999/£949.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Segway Navimow i110 robot lawn mower review: Perfectly trimmed grass without lifting a finger
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Location System: Vision-enhanced RTK with camera sensorSize: 21.5 × 15.2 × 11.2 inchesWeight: 24 poundsSmart home compatibility: Alexa, Navimow appObstacle avoidance: VisionFenceAssistant mapping: YesNoise level: 58dBWater-proof: IP66Cutting Height Adjustment: Manual dialCutting height: 2-3.6 inches (US)Systematic mowing pattern: YesAutomatic recharge: YesMax. climbing slope: 30%Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth, 4G(optional)Mowing time: 120mins with 5.1 Ah battery I had a lot more time to enjoy my summer thanks to Segway's Navimow i110N robot lawnmower. This automated robot precisely mapped out my yard and cut the grass to my preferred length of 2.8 inches across the board. It's even smart enough to change up the direction it mows in with each cycle to keep your grass at its healthiest. This little bot cuts up to 0.25 acres without the hassle of planting a separate perimeter wire through a mix of satellite navigation and vision guidance. It uses AI to assist in mapping, can identify and avoid 20 different types of yard objects, and will automatically recharge itself and then continue mowing between larger jobs. In my time with it, the Navimow recognized and worked around obstacles like a large tree and birdbath on its own. This mix of cutting prowess and smarts lightened my weekly landscaping workload drastically from 3.5 hours of cutting and whacking to just a half hour of edging for touch-ups only a human could provide. Is saving 3 (or 6 if you mow twice) hours per week worth the $1,299 investment? If you can accept some compromises, like its slow speed, I'd argue that the Navimow is a capable worker with pinpoint GPS accuracy that can replace your landscaper. Read on to see how its features hold up and where it stands amongst the best robot lawnmowers. The Navimow i110N robot lawnmower I tested can cut up to a ¼ acre and comes bundled with a weatherproof docking station for $1,299 on Amazon. You can save some cash by opting for its little brother Navimow i105N ($999, Amazon), which has the same AI and GPS navigation for $300 less but has a smaller 2.5 Ah battery with half the 120-minute runtime and operates in a smaller ⅛ acre range. The Navimow i110N itself arrives fully assembled out of the box with a base that snaps together in two quick clicks. This docking station must be placed near a power outlet to charge the mower. You'll also need to find a location with a clear view of the sky for the included satellite antenna which guides the bot. I lucked out, placing the base six feet off my house's exterior front wall, plugging the station into a nearby receptacle, and driving the pole with the satellite receiver into the grass directly next to the base away from obstructions like my roof or trees. On the topside of the robot you'll find the blade height adjustment dial below three physical buttons for operating the mower. Pressing the OK button powers on the mower while holding it down turns it off. The MOW (play) button starts a job while HOME (house) sends it back to the base. The bot's 24x15-inch body is seriously small—about the size of two large robot vacuums stacked atop each other — so it easily fit into the hard-to-reach areas like under a bay window and the crevices around a basement window well. A front-facing camera adds a visual aid to spot boundaries and obstacles. On its underside is the 7-inch blade disc with 3 individual razor-like blades spinning along the outside to chop away at the grass. To get started, I turned on the mower and opened the Navimow Connect app on my phone to discover it over Bluetooth. I hit the big 'Create a map' button in the center of the main menu to begin mapping out my yard, which I did by driving the bot around the perimeter of my yard like you would an RC car. From the map creation mode you use the two onscreen joysticks to push the bot forward or to the sides along a live animated map. If you miss a spot, a press of the back button erases the last input and physically retracts the bot to its previous position on the path. There is an AI helper that had no problem finding the edges along my flower beds and walkway. It worked virtually flawlessly on the first, flat zone on my front lawn as it saw where the grass ended and mulch for the flower beds began. I still recommend creating this initial barrier by hand if your yard is sloped or has a fence. Mine struggled a bit on the other half of my yard divided by the driveway—veering off the curb and fence posts along the hilly sections to play it safe. Sure this process takes a bit of time upfront, but it beats the hassle and maintenance of installing a physical boundary wire around your property. I found this totally worth it as the bot followed this guideline with pinpoint accuracy. With the ability to create multiple zones for your map, I created one for each side of my divided front lawn and backyard. Each zone can be named independently and customized for different mowing directions and schedules. This is also helpful if you want to manually send the bot out to mow a specific zone before company arrives. You can connect zones separated by paths by creating 'Channels' which I made for the brick pathway leading to my main door and driveway. The Navimow Connect app experience is accessible and on a par with that of the best robot vacuums I've used so far. Its main menu displays everything from the map with your bot's status information down to blade and chassis health. A hamburger menu tucked away in the top left corner of the app shows you cutting report history and takes you to a scheduling page. You can set the bot to head out at specific times to all zones or specific zones only. From here you can also enable Anti-Theft features (provided you buy a separate 4G module) to lock it down once it leaves your property and provide real-time tracking information. I just wish you could connect it to more smart home platforms beyond Alexa to options like Apple's HomeKit or Google Home to trigger it with voice commands rather than having to fish out your phone. Each run starts around the edges and then cuts your lawn into neat rows with the option to change patterns from straight strips to diagonals. The Navimow's VisionFence recognized and added objects like trees and a decor fountain to the map on its own, coming within four inches of their bases for a tight cut with breathing room around their edges. It also had no problem skirting around curbs and flowerbeds but ran over leaves, thin branches, and twigs without any impact. Its razor-thin blades won't mulch up leaves, which meant I had to rake them once cooler weather arrived. With a standard mower, I can shred through those without worry. If the edges of your lawn are on a relatively flat area, you can choose the Ride-on Boundary to let the mower mow right up to places where grass meets non-grass areas, which was helpful for my brick walkway. The mower effortlessly straddled the boundary when working to make precise cuts near the edges. Since it cuts the grass up so fine, you don't have to worry about cleanup as the clippings fertilize your lawn without getting all clumped up. It took the mower around 5 hours to cover a 700-square foot yard. When its battery drops down to 15 percent, it returns itself to the base and comes back out when juiced enough to tackle the rest. That's definitely on the slower side when I can have that space done in half that time by hand. That said, it does make sure to make multiple passes and mark what it cuts live on the map so you're not seeing loose strips or long patches that stick out like a sore thumb. I was also impressed that there were never any divots in the dirt. The sole issue I came across occurred when it fell into the street while away from home. I chalked this up to it being the first boundary I drew by hand and adjusted the section to be tighter and this hasn't happened since. My standard 21-inch Ryobi push mower's blade is always going to best the Navimow's 7-inches in power and speed — that's a given. However if like me, you don't want to deal with it at all this robot lawn mower will get the job done without any strips or missed spots entirely on its own. At $1,299, the Navimow i110N is relatively affordable for the world of robot lawnmowers and costs even less than some of the best robot vacuums around. I'm not crazy about the anti-theft features requiring a separate purchase LTE data module and plan for tracking. As far as core functionality goes, outside of a boost in mowing speed, the Navimow is a workhorse that'll take all of the heavy lifting off your shoulders so you can spend more time doing other things in your day.
