Segway unveils smart robotic lawn mower with GPS and safety system

Segway is perhaps best known for its self-balancing scooters, but the company's latest wheeled product works well on the ground, where it can focus on keeping lawns trimmed. Segway Navimow is the company's first robotic lawn mower. 

This is not the first such device in robotics, but it offers more convenient use without the need to lay a cable around the perimeter. Such a wire is usually buried a few centimeters under the grass. It keeps most lawn mowers in the right place. It works, but installation takes time and can harm the garden. 

Segway's answer to this problem is virtual geofencing using a combination of GPS and other sensors. The company says a system called EFLS (Exact Fusion Locating System) combines GPS and other types of sensors to provide positioning accuracy of up to 2 cm. After studying the layout of the lawn in Segway's companion app, users can set up work zones, including no-go zones and passages connecting several zones. 

As with a robot vacuum, the idea is that Navimow automatically determines the most efficient path across the grass, cutting it as it goes. No tracks are left behind, and the algorithm learns over time to improve efficiency and reduce operating time. Segway expects the mower to run much more often than manual devices, constantly trimming the grass to keep it at a consistent height. 

Areas where the grass becomes thicker and taller will be given priority for more frequent cutting. As with robot vacuums, this device has built-in collision protection sensors. The company has developed ultrasonic sensors to detect possible obstacles and steer around them, while impact sensors will direct Navimow in another direction. 

Segway's BladeStop system stops the cutting blades if a person or animal approaches. If someone decides to steal your robotic helper, a pop-up notification will appear on your phone and report its real-time location in the app. 

Segway says the mower handles lawn slopes of up to 45 degrees thanks to its 50-millimeter rubber wheels, and its battery with a capacity of up to 10,200 mAh is designed for lawns of up to 3,000 m². This does not mean the robot will necessarily finish everything in one go: Navimow can return to charge and then go back to continue from where it stopped. 

The mower has IPX6 water resistance, and a rain sensor will automatically send the robot back to its dock during bad weather. Using settings in the app, the device can be sent to work if you urgently need the lawn mowed. The app also includes a schedule, real-time mower status, and grass cutting height control. The latter can be adjusted from 3 cm to 6 cm. 

Segway claims the device's noise level does not exceed 58 dB, which is significantly quieter than most lawn mowers. 

All of this sounds much more useful than a self-balancing scooter, even if the robot costs significantly more than a manual electric lawn mower. There will be four versions of the robot:

• Navimow H500E is the cheapest, designed for lawns of up to 500 m², and connects to Wi-Fi ($1450)
• Navimow H800E, H1500E and H3000E range in price from $1800 to $3000, with larger batteries for bigger lawns, and feature 4G data connectivity and a GPS anti-theft system

The robotic lawn mower market has been developing since 1995 for several reasons: they are safer, save time, keep the lawn in perfect condition, and operate quietly. Although Segway Navimow stops when people or animals are nearby, it is best to take safety seriously and not let children and pets play in the yard while the mower is running. 

Another bonus of a robotic lawn mower is that you do not need to collect the cut grass after it works. Navimow cuts tiny pieces each time, which ultimately become the best fertilizer for the lawn. 

Setting up the mower for the first time will not take long. All you need to do is install the app on your smartphone and configure the necessary settings, place the robot inside or outside the lawn, connect the mower to Wi-Fi for remote control, and follow all the instructions right on your phone. 

Do not use cleaning products containing alcohol or acetone to clean the mower, as they can damage its appearance and structure. In addition, the charging station sometimes needs to be checked and cleaned of any dirt. Many perfect-lawn enthusiasts who were tired of spending weekends mowing or hiring people to do it have been waiting for such a device. The robot will do all the dirty work for you.