There was a time when doing mobile phone reviews was fun. There was innovation, different designs, new capabilities… Surprises. Currently everything follows a logical technological progression. The good news is that this amazement has transferred to another sector of technology: the home. Robot vacuum cleaners, lawnmowers, window cleaners and pool cleaners. There is no equal design, each new generation brings unexpected or demanded aspects. It is a kind of Xanadú of gadgets. Let’s go, then, with the A3 AWD Pro 3500, Dreame’s garden robot.
There is something curious about robotic lawnmowers: they promise silence, order and free time… but what they really sell is something else that is more difficult to measure. The feeling that the garden works by itself. And Dreame’s knowledge of the home from its robot vacuum cleaners (and several generations of mapping, detecting, evaluating and exploring our homes) is now transferred to the garden. For years, robotic lawnmowers have had a structural problem: They depended on perimeter cables or unreliable GPS systems. This is where the A3 AWD Pro 3500 changes the rules.
Its OmniSense 3.0 system combines 360° 3D LiDAR with artificial vision, allowing it to map the garden without cables or physical beacons, generating a three-dimensional model of the environment. In practice, this means that The robot understands where it is, even in areas with poor signal or under trees. It doesn’t follow a map. build it. And that is a big difference compared to other models with LiDAR: mapping is automatic. There is no need to guide him through the garden since he does it alone. All we do is mark the starting point. Then, if we want to modify the map, we can do it through the app (it is essential to download it because of the customization it allows).
If there is one point where this model clearly stands out, it is in traction. It is the closest we can get to having a Mars Rover in the garden, capable of challenging slopes with a slope of up to 38º (in ideal conditions, of course). It is no coincidence that Dreame has opted for a 4WD system with independent motors. It can overcome obstacles of more than 5 centimeters and adapt to uneven terrain with considerable ease.. This is not usual. Most robots in their category begin to suffer much earlier.
As for the cut, the A3 AWD Pro 3500 It uses a double disc system with a cutting width of 40 cm, and allows you to get up to 3 centimeters closer to the edges. in an area of up to 3,500 m², hence its “last name”.
But what is interesting is not so much the surface as the approach: planning in U-shaped trajectories, Height adjustments from the app (between 3 and 10 cm) and a floating disc system that goes up and down and adapts to the terrain. But it also adjusts to our tastes. From the app we can determine certain areas, with the pattern we want, so that it only cuts 7 centimeters there, for example, leaving a patch of grass with a specific design.
Thanks to the combination of cameras and sensors, It is capable of detecting and avoiding more than 300 types of obstacles (a legacy of robot vacuum cleaners): from garden furniture to small animals. As soon as he identifies them, he surrounds them and cuts off the area around them. The interesting thing is that it remembers that “intrusion” on its map and on the next pass, it returns to it. Noise? Well, It is not a zen lawnmower and reaches 65 decibels. It doesn’t interrupt conversations, but it’s not a murmur either.
One configuration I liked (although I didn’t try) is the multi-map. Just as robot vacuum cleaners allow you to create maps of two independent floors, we can also share the A3 AWD Pro with another garden. Taking into account its price (2500 euros) it could be a way to share expenses with neighbors.
Another differential detail is its patrol mode. Thanks to its two cameras, its powerful front light and its human detection system, we can program it to tour the garden at certain times (for example, if we are on vacation) and sends us the information in its Patrol mode. To that we add that it has an identifier (compatible with AirTag) that allows us to locate it, in case of theft.
I also have to highlight in a very positive way that it is waterproof: It can be cleaned with a garden hose without fear. If we add to that the fact that the app notifies us when it is dirty or if the blades need to be changed due to wear, Dreame has developed a robot that has been thoroughly tested before launching it on the market.
In the box (it weighs more than 20 kilos) comes not only the charging tower, the screws to fix it (it doesn’t have to be in the garden directly) and (thank you very much Dreame) 18 spare blades (there are two discs and each one has three) and 6 additional supports.
Verdict:
This is not a mower for small, flat, unchallenging yards (unless money is no object). Those who will really take advantage of it are those who have a garden of 500 square meters or more with paths that cross it, swimming pools, live with pets and take care of uneven terrain. In that context, it is having a garden Mars Rover.