'Today, the real standard is no longer simply 'wire-free' but 'senseless intelligence' – whether the robot can be like an invisible gardener' – Segway Navimow CEO on the changing focus of robot mowers

Robot mowers have come a long way in recent years. I got a sneak peek at 2026's new lawnbots at CES, and they're ultra-capable and packed with advanced tech. One of the standout brands I got to check out was Segway Navimow, and afterwards, I was able to speak with CEO George Ren about the changing landscape in the market and the challenges that still need to be overcome.

"Today, the real standard is no longer simply 'wire free' but 'senseless intelligence'," he explains. "That is, whether the robot can be like an invisible gardener, adapting perfectly to complex environments without user intervention, and making users feel relaxed and worry-free throughout the entire process."

Segway Navimow is expanding its range with five new robot mowers, and included in those are a couple of significant technical improvements. One is upgraded navigation technology – as with many lawnbot brands, Navimow now has a LiDAR-based model, which will offer effortless navigation in smaller, enclosed yards that have a lot of obstacles. The other is 'Xero-Turn' technology, which enables the bot to make tight pivots without dragging on the grass.

"[These upgrades] will bring substantial improvements to the user experience," says George. "They are backed by massive algorithmic engineering with one sole objective: ensuring that users, over long-term use, hardly ever need to think about 'localization' as an issue."

Further to that, Segway Navimow has also focused heavily on making sure its bots can adapt to extreme weather and tricky terrain. The team has even worked on "simulating the random path patterns of manual mowing to make the results of machine operations closer to the "texture of human care," reveals George.

Breaking expectations

However, George emphasizes that while these technical breakthroughs are important, more vital is making sure they resonate with customers. "Users don't care about RTK or AI algorithms, but only about whether lawn mowing is aesthetically pleasing and whether product use is hassle-free," he says.

The fact that George mentions "wire-free" mowing in his answers is significant – wires are essentially a thing of the past on the robot mower market, but the message hasn't necessarily filtered through to the general public. There are further misconceptions to take down, too.

"Many people still think robotic lawn mowers only work on perfectly flat lawns, that they're unsafe, or that they need constant supervision," he says. "In reality, the technology built into this year's range is designed for complex, real-world gardens, built with multiple layers of safety, and operates autonomously with very little day-to-day involvement from the user."

Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course, you can also follow TechRadar on YouTube and TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.