Here’s a side-by-side look at how today’s robotic mowers compare to robotic vacuums on the smartness scale.
1. Installation
Robotic vacuums are plug-and-play. You place them on the floor, connect them to WiFi, and off they go. Robotic mowers used to require buried boundary wires and manual setup. The latest wireless models, however, like the Segway Navimow or Husqvarna USA Automower EPOS—map your yard digitally. You can set boundaries via app with GPS-level precision. For most yards, some sort of installation effort will still be required!
💡 Takeaway: While vacuums had a head start, mowers have caught up quickly in ease of setup.
2. Wireless Boundaries: Mowers Navigate Without Walls
Vacuum robots use the natural boundaries of your home—walls, doors, furniture—to orient themselves. But lawns? They’re wide open. That’s why mowers use a mix of cutting-edge tech:
- RTK (Real-Time Kinematic GPS) for pinpoint location accuracy
- Vision systems to “see” terrain and obstacles
- LiDAR & radar to sense the surroundings in real time
💡 Note: Some technologies have limitations—RTK can struggle under dense tree cover or near tall buildings, and vision systems may falter at night. To overcome this, manufacturers often combine multiple technologies for better accuracy and reliability.
3. AI Vision
Today’s robotic vacuums use AI to avoid obstacles like shoes, cords, and even pet waste. They can remember where they get stuck and avoid those areas in the future. Robotic mowers are doing the same—and more. Yarbo and Segway Navimow X3 both use AI + vision for smarter obstacle avoidance and lawn detection. Vision-based robotic mowers can:
- Avoid toys, tools, and pets in real time
- Identify grassy vs. non-grassy areas
- Learn terrain over time and adjust routes
💡 Takeaway: Vision-based mowers are just as intelligent, and they're dealing with more complex, unpredictable environments. At the same time, It’s important to note that night operations can be compromised for full capability.
4. Smart Zoning: Outdoor Spaces Get the Smart Home Treatment
One of the best features of robotic vacuums is the ability to divide your home into zones—kitchen, living room, bedroom—and customize cleaning for each. Guess what? Mowers can do that too:
- Set virtual zones (front lawn, backyard, side yard)
- Customize cut height, angle, and mow frequency
- Adapt mowing strategy to sun exposure or growth rate
5. Smart Charging & Scheduling
Both robots know when to go home. High-end models even let users prioritize areas to mow first based on expected rain or sun exposure. Mowers, like vacuums, can:
- Auto-return to their docks
- Resume mowing where they left off
- Optimize mowing time based on battery levels and weather
6. Multi-Functionality
Robotic vacuums have evolved to include mopping, edge cleaning, and even home security monitoring. Robotic mowers? Right here - The outdoor robot is becoming your lawn care and outdoor management assistant.
- Yarbo can mow, leaf-blow, trim, and snow-clear
- Segway Navimow X3 will be combining trimming + mowing in one system
- Some mowers have built-in cameras for live outdoor surveillance
7. Auto Refill & Maintenance
Robotic vacuums can now: Empty dustbins, clean mop heads, refill water tanks. When it comes to mowers, there’s really nothing that needs to be replenished, but there are robotic mowers that have the ability to collect leaves and dump them in a pre-determined location.
8. Surface Detection
Vacuums use carpet detection to increase suction power. Similarly, some robotic mowers are able to identify grass vs non grass areas using vision and only mow grass areas and ignore patches where there is no grass. Mowers allow toggling of this feature when the grass is dormant or brown as well!
9. Smart Home Integration
Both devices now integrate seamlessly with your connected life and can be a part of your smart home ecosystem:
- Control via smartphone apps
- Voice assistant integration (Alexa, Google)
- Smart scheduling with weather or calendar syncing
10. Cool Factor: Mowing With Personality
Some robotic mowers also let you decide on a custom mowing a pattern or letters on your grass. This level of personalization and creativity doesn’t yet exist for vacuums. It’s a fun (and slightly show-offy) bonus.
So, Have Mowers Caught Up?
Absolutely! Robotic mowers in many instances are more sophisticated in terms of the technology they use and the fusion of various technologies etc. Robotic mowers today use a fusion of GPS, AI, vision, and automation to manage terrain that’s much more unpredictable than a living room. At SmartDots, we’ve been working in this space for over a decade. We’ve installed hundreds of robotic mowers, seen the evolution from wired to wireless, and helped people transform the way they maintain their outdoor spaces.
Today’s robotic mowers are smarter, sleeker, and more hands-off than ever before! If you’re still wondering whether robotic mowers are ready—trust us, they are.
Whether you’re managing a tight city lawn or an expansive backyard, there’s a smart mower that can do the job better, quieter, and with less effort on your part.
