Mova Viax: Smart small garden mowing bots from 600 Euros and 250 square meters
Mova is showcasing affordable mowing robots at CES that use laser sensors and cameras to systematically cut small lawns instead of chaotically.
Mova's bargain mowing bots of the Viax type are intended not only for small budgets but also for small areas – in real life, however, gardens may be somewhat larger than depicted in this image.
(Image: Mova)
Mowing robots that do not require a cable or satellite connection to distinguish grass from flowerbeds and obstacles have previously cost around 1000 euros and up. The Dreame brand Mova aims to lower the entry barrier, showcasing cutting aids with lidar sensors and cameras at prices starting from 580 euros at the CES tech trade show.
Unlike what is common in this price range, the three new models named Mova Viax mow the lawn systematically in parallel paths with U-shaped turns, not haphazardly using a time-consuming random principle. This distinguishes Mova's newcomers from those of other low-price manufacturers like RoboUp, who will be vying for a spot in the lawn robot territory with aggressive pricing in the upcoming gardening season.
At this price, a large battery is not typically included. This is perfectly fine for small gardens. The newcomers are designed to cut between 250 and 500 square meters of lawn per day. The area performance is indicated by the name. The Mova Viax 250 will be available on the market for 580 euros on January 27th, and the Viax 300 for 600 euros. The Viax 500 costs 750 euros and will go on sale in March.
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To help the mowing bots navigate the garden, there is no need to lay a boundary wire. A GNSS module, for example for GPS, is not built-in. Instead, the Viax 250 and Viax 300 models use two cameras to detect where the lawn ends and the flowerbed begins, or if obstacles are blocking the path. The Viax 500 mowing bot, in addition to a stereo camera, uses a lidar dome that scans the surroundings with 360-degree all-round vision. This allows it to navigate better in dim light or with strong contrasts of bright sunshine and hard shadows.
The device software, enhanced by AI, is intended to automatically map the lawn area and save it as a floor plan. This eliminates the need for a learning phase controlled by a smartphone app. Set up and switch on – in most cases, that's all that should be necessary for commissioning. However, if desired, two floor plans and multiple working zones, separated by paths, for example, can be saved.
In addition to paths, Mova states that the image processing recognizes over 300 typical garden obstacles, including pets, toys, sprinklers, and even smaller animals like hedgehogs. This is intended to ensure operation as accident-free as possible.
According to Mova, the three robots mow the lawn explicitly with U-shaped path planning. This means they traverse the work area in parallel lanes and turn at the lawn's edge to steer slightly offset in the opposite direction. This promises more uniform results and shorter working times compared to chaotically driving mowing robots in the lower price category.
heise online is a media partner of CES 2026
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