Quiet as Your Electric Toothbrush
Most of us know Segway for its fun-to-ride e-scooters, e-mopeds, and e-bikes. But now the manufacturer transitions from the micromobility industry to the field of garden and outdoor tools, with its very first autonomous robotic lawnmower.
Navimow is a smart, user-friendly device that can trim your garden independently while offering you more free time to focus on other activities. The robot uses Segway’s signature EFLS (Exact Fusion Locating System) to communicate with satellites and GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) antennas in order to form a stable positioning system and always know where it is and where it has to go. The positioning system used in Navimow has an accuracy of 0.78 in (2 cm).
Unlike with other robotic lawnmowers, with Navimow, you no longer need to install a perimeter wire for the machine, to make sure it doesn’t wander off where it shouldn’t. This GPS-based system used by Segway’s robot allows users to remotely draw a virtual boundary for Navimow with the help of an app. The digital boundary has to be mapped only once, but you can always get back to it to edit it or delete it.
Drawing the digital map is an easy process in which you simply set off-limit areas so that the robot doesn’t go to forbidden regions such as a flower bed or swimming pool. If that boundary is breached, users will receive an alert on their smartphones.
Equipped with multiple sensors and featuring a smart navigation algorithm, the bot uses an efficient mowing pattern, avoiding repetitive movements. It cuts only 0.03 to 0.07 in (1 to 2 cm) each time, and it can be programmed to mow the lawn every day to keep its fresh, healthy aspect. It can also successfully navigate obstacles, and it can handle various types of terrains, being able to climb slopes up to 45 percent inclination.
If the bot does bump into an obstacle, it will reverse and continue in another direction.
Being a smart device, the bot features a BladeHalt Sensor that automatically stops the blades from spinning when it detects pets or people in its proximity.
Another advantage of the Navimow autonomous robot is its low operating noise of just 54 dB, which is approximately half the noise of your ordinary lawnmower. Segway claims the noise made by its Navimow is equal to the one made by your electric toothbrush.
There are four versions available with the Navimow lawn mower: H500E, H800E, H1500E, and H3000E. H500E is the most affordable one and it is priced at around $1,400 (1, 200 €). It can cover up to 5,382 sq ft (500 sq meters) and packs a 5.2 Ah battery.
The next version is H800E and can cover up to 8,611 sq ft (800 sq m). It is priced at approximately $1,800 (1,500 €).
Your next option is H1500E, which will set you back around $2,370 (2,000 €). With this version of the Navimow, you can cover up to 16,145 sq ft (1,500 sq m) on a single charge, thanks to a larger battery of 7.8 Ah.
If you opt for the most expensive version, you get up to 32,291 sq ft (3,000 sq m) on a single charge, but you have to pay $2,965 (2,500€).
All four versions of the Navimow come with a high water resistance rating (IPX6), meaning they can cope with powerful water jets, just in case the bots need a good rinse every now and then. Of course, this rating also means that the robotic mower will be able to withstand nasty weather. Moreover, in order for you to have all the control you need, the company added a built-in rain sensor that can be activated to send the bot back into its charging station if it starts to rain.
Segway’s Navimow robotic lawn mower is now in beta testing but the company says the device is close to mass production. Segway is ready to fill orders and the first batch of shipments will take place in December. You can watch Segway's presentation of the Navimow below (forward to minute 10:44.)
