Every wire-free robot lawn mower promises "centimetre accuracy", but they get there in very different ways, and each has an Achilles heel. Understanding how your mower navigates is the best way to stop it getting lost under the apple tree or refusing to mow the strip beside the house.
We explain the four systems you'll see on listings (RTK with an antenna, network RTK, LiDAR and vision), which gardens each suits and which it doesn't, with example models listed on Amazon UK.
| Model | Best for | |
|---|---|---|
| Segway Navimow i105E | RTK with its own antenna | Check price |
| Worx Landroid Vision Cloud WR305E | Cloud RTK, no base station | Check price |
| Segway Navimow i205 AWD | Network RTK, with slopes | Check price |
| ECOVACS GOAT A1600 LiDAR PRO | LiDAR, no satellites | Check price |
| Dreame A2 1200 | 3D sensor, no RTK | Check price |
| Mammotion LUBA 3 AWD 3000 | All three systems | Check price |
| Mammotion YUKA mini 2 500 | Cameras only | Check price |
RTK with an antenna: top accuracy… if it can see the sky
Ordinary GNSS (the GPS in your phone) is out by several metres. RTK corrects that by comparing the signal the mower receives with that of a fixed reference station, the antenna you install in the garden. The result is a position accurate to a few centimetres.
The limit: it needs to see enough satellites. Under dense canopies, beside tall walls or in an enclosed courtyard garden, the signal bounces or is blocked and accuracy drops. That's why makers of RTK mowers ask you to mount the antenna high and clear, and why almost every current RTK model adds a camera as backup. In typical British suburbs, with houses close together and mature trees on the boundary, this is the first thing to check.
Network RTK: no antenna, but you need a connection
Instead of your own antenna, the mower receives its correction from a network of reference stations over the internet (Wi-Fi or 4G). The upside: nothing to install, nothing to blow over in an autumn gale. The downside: you need a stable connection on the lawn, and the mower still has to see the satellites. Network RTK corrects the error; it doesn't fix a missing signal.
Models such as the Worx Landroid Vision Cloud WR305E and the Segway Navimow i205 AWD combine network correction with cameras to cope with trickier spots.
LiDAR: the garden as a 3D map
LiDAR fires laser pulses and times their return, building a point cloud of the surroundings: walls, trunks, hedges, the house itself. The mower locates itself by comparing what it "sees" with that map. It never looks at the sky, so trees, far from being a problem, become useful landmarks.
Its weak points are very open lawns with nothing nearby to reference (a large paddock with no walls or trees) and dirt on the sensor window. It's the technology that has grown fastest in 2026 in mid-range and premium mowers.
Vision: the cheapest, and the most dependent on light
Cameras recognise the lawn edge, obstacles and garden features. Vision-only navigation has become very capable on small robots like the MOVA ViAX 250 and the Mammotion YUKA mini 2, because it needs neither antenna nor connection to locate itself and fits through narrow side returns.
The limit is obvious: light. At dawn, dusk or under very harsh shadows it can lose reliability, and most makers recommend daylight mowing. In the UK that's no hardship: daylight-only schedules are exactly what hedgehog charities ask for anyway. Short winter days matter less, as the mower is usually put away by then.
Comparison table
| RTK + antenna | Network RTK | LiDAR | Vision only | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trees and shade | Poor | Poor to fair | Good | Fair |
| Open lawn, few landmarks | Very good | Very good | Fair | Good |
| Works in low light | Yes | Yes | Yes | Limited |
| Installation | Antenna + base | Base only | Base only | Base only |
| Needs internet to locate itself | No | Yes | No | No |
| Relative cost | Medium | Medium | Medium-high | Low-medium |
A qualitative rating based on how each technology works and what manufacturers declare; real performance depends on the model and its software.
One example of each navigation system
1. Segway Navimow i105E
Who it's for: Open lawns with a good view of the sky.
- Wire-free
- RTK + vision (EFLS 2.0), centimetre-level accuracy
- Recommended for around 500 m² on the UK listing
- GNSS antenna kit included
- 140° camera recognising 20+ obstacle types
- AI-assisted mapping from your phone
- One of the most affordable wire-free mowers from an established brand
- Guided mapping by phone: no pegs, no wire
- Camera backs up navigation near trees and in passages
- Needs an antenna with a clear view of the sky
- Not built for big lawns
2. Worx Landroid Vision Cloud WR305E
Who it's for: Anyone who doesn't want an antenna and has good Wi-Fi in the garden.
- Wire-free
- For lawns up to 500 m²
- Cloud RTK + V-SLAM vision: no RTK base station to put up
- AI obstacle avoidance (hoses, toys, tools)
- Charging station can sit in shade
- Removable 20V PowerShare battery
- No wire and no base station: very quick to set up
- Network RTK plus vision for shady corners
- Battery shared with Worx 20V garden tools
- 500 m² maximum
- Needs a connection for the Cloud RTK correction
3. Segway Navimow i205 AWD
Who it's for: Sloping lawns with good mobile or Wi-Fi coverage.
- Wire-free
- All-wheel drive for slopes up to 45%
- EFLS network RTK + vision: no RTK antenna of its own
- Recommended for 500 m²
- Up to 20 mowing zones
- Cutting height 2-6 cm, cutting width 18 cm
- AWD with stability control for uneven ground
- No antenna: RTK correction arrives over the network
- Turns on the spot without scuffing the turf
- Modest recommended area for the price
- Relies on mobile/Wi-Fi coverage for network RTK
4. ECOVACS GOAT A1600 LiDAR PRO
Who it's for: Gardens with dense trees or shade from neighbouring houses.
- Wire-free, no RTK base station
- Dual LiDAR + AI vision, 2 cm accuracy (Ecovacs figure)
- Rated for 1,600 m² (about 17,200 sq ft)
- Slopes up to 50%, obstacles up to 4 cm
- TruEdge string trimmer for lawn edges
- Cutting height 3-9 cm, set in the app
- Doesn't rely on satellites: ideal under trees and beside tall houses
- Trims edges, the weak spot of almost every robot
- Set-up in around 15 minutes, according to Ecovacs
- Trimmer line is one more consumable
- More mower than you need for under 500 m²
5. Dreame A2 1200
Who it's for: Lawns up to 1,200 m² with trees.
- Wire-free, no RTK
- OmniSense 2.0: 3D sensor + HDR camera, 360° × 59° field of view, up to 70 m range
- Rated for 1,200 m²
- EdgeMaster: cuts to within 5 cm of the edge
- Slopes up to 26.5°, according to Dreame
- 1080p camera that doubles as garden surveillance
- LiDAR-style navigation that doesn't need open sky
- Very tidy edges for a robot
- Doubles as a security camera
- Not all-wheel drive: for wet, steep banks an AWD model is safer
- Many features live in the Dreamehome app
6. Mammotion LUBA 3 AWD 3000
Who it's for: Large, complicated plots.
- Wire-free
- Tri-Fusion navigation: 360° LiDAR + NetRTK + dual-camera AI vision
- Four motors: slopes up to 80% (38.6°), according to Mammotion
- Adaptive suspension: climbs obstacles up to 50 mm
- Two 165 W cutting motors
- Up to 30 mowing zones plus no-go areas
- The most capable mower here on steep, broken ground
- Three navigation systems that cover for each other
- Built for large plots (the 3000 version)
- Overkill for a small, flat lawn
- A big machine: measure side passages and gates first
7. Mammotion YUKA mini 2 500
Who it's for: Small lawns with good light.
- Wire-free, no RTK: vision only, three cameras
- Slopes up to 45% (24°)
- 98 Wh battery: up to 2 hours and roughly 200 m² per charge
- Recognises 300+ object types
- DropMow mode: mow without mapping first
- Up to 10 saved maps
- No antenna or signal needed: copes under trees and down side passages
- Next to no installation
- Good grip on slopes for its size
- Depends on light: less reliable at dusk
- Small battery: several charges for 500 m²
How to decide in five minutes
- Is more than a third of the lawn under trees or tight to a tall wall? LiDAR (or multi-sensor). Rule out RTK-only.
- Open, flat lawn? RTK (antenna or network) gives the most accuracy for the money.
- Small lawn with a narrow side return and patchy Wi-Fi? Vision only.
- Large plot with banks and separate areas? Combined systems and AWD; see our slopes guide.
- Not bothered about the wire and want to save? Go back to basics: boundary wire vs wire-free.
See wire-free robot mowers on Amazon →
Keep reading
Best wire-free robot mowers → Boundary wire vs wire-free → Best robot mowers for slopes →Frequently asked questions
Which is better, RTK or LiDAR?
It depends on the garden. RTK is very accurate under open sky and usually cheaper; LiDAR doesn't rely on satellites and performs better under trees and beside buildings. Leafy garden: LiDAR. Open lawn: RTK.
What does network RTK (NRTK) mean?
It's RTK where the correction comes not from an antenna in your garden but from a network of reference stations over the internet. You skip the antenna, but need a stable Wi-Fi or mobile connection on the lawn.
Can a vision robot mower work at night?
Vision-only mowers depend on light and most makers recommend daytime mowing. RTK and LiDAR models can work in low light, but in the UK night mowing puts hedgehogs at risk, so daylight scheduling is the responsible choice for any type.
Do I need to remap if I change the garden?
If you change the lawn boundary, yes, though it takes minutes in the app. With LiDAR or vision, big changes such as felling a tree or a new fence can also require a map update because the landmarks change.
Is centimetre accuracy real?
In good conditions, yes. Manufacturers quote accuracy in each technology's ideal scenario; in practice it depends on signal, light and landmarks. That's why mowers combining several systems are the most stable.