Segway, the company known for making those personal transporters you see in malls, has developed a lawnmower robot that uses GPS to cut your lawn, without the need for boundary wires. The “Navimow” bot uses Segway’s Exact Fusion Locating System (EFLS) to precisely keep its position accurate to within two centimetres, with a multitude of sensors for redundancy in case the GPS signal is weak (or you can add-on an antenna extension kit).
Instead of those pesky wires that other automated lawnmowers use, you can set the exact boundaries of your lawn using an app. Through this app, you can map out your entire garden, set passage areas, and even off-limit areas so that Navimow doesn’t accidentally run over your flowers or hit an angry garden gnome. When you add items or move anything from your lawn, you can quickly edit the map so it corresponds with the change. Another safety feature is its Blade Halt technology that immediately stops the blade if it detects pets, toys, or kids.
Navimow cuts only 1-2mm every day and you can adjust the cutting height on the app. Segway says it uses an efficient algorithm that “determines a systemic mowing path,” meaning it doesn’t randomly criss-cross areas that may have already been mowed. They claim that their lawnmower can handle inclines in lawns of up to 45° and runs relatively quiet 54 dB.
As a bonus, the EFLS also acts as an anti-theft system because you’ll always be able to know its exact real-time location. Users will receive a notification if the Navimow moves outside its virtual boundary. While it’s IPX6 water-resistant, the Segway robot has a rain sensor that will tell it to go back to its charging station once it detects rain. Depending on which model you get, the Navimow is powered by a battery capacity between 5.2 to 10.4 amperes and covers a lawn area between 500 to 3000 square metres.
Prices start at €1199 (~RM5,898) for the lowest-end H500E up to €2499 (~RM12,293) for the highest-end H3000E. Aside from the difference in battery size, the H3000E seems to be the only model that readily comes with an ultrasonic sensor, though you can buy the sensor separately for the other models. The H500E is only equipped with Wi-Fi while the other models are equipped with 4G capability. At the time of writing, there is no indication if Segway intends to launch the Navimow in Malaysia.
