Robotic lawnmowers have been a thing for a while now, but I think 2026 will be the year they really go mainstream. The switch from boundary cables to cordless mowing removed a major barrier to entry, and now robotic lawnmowers are set to become even more user-friendly.
I watched most brands’ new launches at CES and there were three big trends that stood out. It’s an exciting time for robotic lawnmowers—here are the big updates coming to a farm near you this year.
#1. LiDAR-based navigation
The conspicuous trend is the use of LiDAR for navigation. This has been the standard in robotic vacuums for a few years, and now it’s making its way into lawnbots. LiDAR works by throwing light beams off objects, recording how long it takes for those beams to return, and using that information to build a 3D map of the area.
This means it is perfect for smaller, enclosed yards with many obstacles. It does not rely on a good satellite signal, it works in closed or undercover areas and in the dark and does not require a separate RTK receiver to operate. In some cases, you’ll be able to just set the lawnmower down on a lawn and it will be able to figure out its surroundings and start mowing, with no prior mapping or fiddly setup required (brands call this ‘drop and cut’).
Virtually every lawn bot brand I saw at CES showed off at least one LiDAR-based model—from the Segway Navimow i2 LiDAR, to Ecovac’s GOAT LiDAR, to the Roborock X1 LiDAR and Anthbot M5 LiDAR. Mammmotion’s approach is to combine different navigation methods – LiDAR included – so that when one fails, another can take over.
This is particularly clever because LiDAR is not ideal for all scenarios – in large, open spaces there is nothing for the light to bounce off, so satellite-based navigation is the best option there. But for small yards it is perfect – and in this situation it removes a major barrier to entry. It could be a real game changer.
#2. Four-wheel drive
All-wheel drive (AWD) lawnbots were another big trend. There are a few big advantages to this setup. The first is that it enables the bot to tackle really difficult and uneven terrain. Like a four-wheel drive car, each wheel driven individually provides more traction and grip. This means that if one, two or even three wheels end up off the ground, there is still a way for the robot to drive out of the situation.
The other big advantage of four-wheel drive is that it can be gentler on the lawn. If the wheels are able to move independently, there is less chance of grinding the grass when the lawn has to turn. An interesting example in this area is the Segway Navimow i2 AWD. This is a compact lawnmower with three wheels, so it is not for really rough terrain. Instead, AWD is designed to protect the grass in small yards – the front wheel can turn 180 degrees to guide the robot around hairpin turns (those required to make perfect stripes) without pulling on the turf.
3. Edge cutting modules
A major disadvantage of a robotic lawnmower is that they have traditionally only been able to get so close to the edges of a lawn. This means that you always have to come in afterwards with an edger to clean up the perimeter. However, lawnbot brands are starting to find ways around the problem. Many of the new models I saw at CES had some sort of edge trim module, either optional or built into the main machine as standard. This module includes smaller blades to complement the main cutting unit and is designed for precision cutting close to the edge of a lawn.
These kinds of additions rely in part on strong object recognition. Fortunately, it has also come a long way. Many modern lawn bots use camera vision, often augmented by artificial intelligence, to reliably and accurately identify obstacles so they know what to mow and what to avoid.
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