Robot lawn mowers have been around for a while, but I think 2026 will be the year they become truly common. The switch from boundary wires to cordless mowing has removed a major barrier to entry, and now lawn robots will be even easier to use.
I saw the new releases from most brands at CES and there were three main trends that stood out. It’s an exciting time for robotic lawnmowers – here are the big updates coming to your nearest garden this year.
#1. LiDAR-based navigation
The notable trend is the use of LiDAR for navigation. This has been the standard in robot vacuums for a few years and is now making its way into robotic lawnmowers. LiDAR works by bouncing 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.
That means it’s perfect for smaller enclosed yards with lots of obstacles. It does not depend on a good satellite signal, works in closed or covert areas and in the dark, and does not require a separate RTK receiver to operate. In some cases, you’ll be able to simply place the lawn robot on the lawn and it can discover its surroundings and start mowing, with no pre-mapping or complicated setup required (brands call it “drop and mow”).
Virtually every lawn robot brand I saw at CES featured at least one LiDAR-based model, from the Segway Navimow i2 LiDAR to the Ecovacs GOAT LiDAR, the Roborock X1 LiDAR, and the Anthbot M5 LiDAR. Mammotion’s approach is to combine several different navigation methods, including LiDAR, so that when one fails, another can take over.
This is particularly smart because LiDAR isn’t ideal for all scenarios: in large, open spaces, there’s nothing for light to bounce off, so satellite navigation is the best option there. However, for small yards it is perfect and in this situation it eliminates a major barrier to entry. It could be a real game changer.
#2. All-wheel drive
All-wheel drive (AWD) lawn robots were another major trend. There are a couple of big benefits to this setup. The first is that it allows the robot to tackle really complicated and uneven terrain. Just like a four-wheel drive car, having each wheel driven individually provides more traction and grip. This means that if one, two, or even three wheels lift off the ground, there is still a way for the robot to get out of the situation.
The other big benefit of all-wheel drive is that it can be easier on grass. If the wheels can move independently, there is less chance of churning up the grass when the robot needs to turn. An interesting example in this area is the Segway Navimow i2 AWD. This is a compact lawn robot with three wheels, so it’s not for really difficult terrain. Instead, AWD is designed to protect grass in small gardens: the front wheel can rotate 180 degrees to guide the robot in tight curves (those necessary to make perfect stripes) without dragging the grass.
3. Edge Cropping Modules
The big drawback of a robotic lawnmower is that they have traditionally only been able to get so close to the edges of the lawn. That means you’ll always need to go in afterwards with an edge trimmer to tidy up the perimeter. However, Lawnbot brands are starting to find ways to solve the problem. Many of the new models I saw at CES had some type of edge trimming module, either as an option or built into the main machine as standard. This module includes smaller blades to complement the main cutting deck and is designed to cut precisely, right near the edges of the lawn.
These types of additions depend in part on strong object recognition. Fortunately, this has also come a long way. Many modern lawn robots implement camera vision, often augmented by AI, to reliably and accurately identify obstacles, so they know what to cut and what to avoid.
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