For years, robotic lawn mowers have pursued a relatively simple goal: keep the lawn short without the owner having to push a machine through the August sun, the March rains, or the laziness of the rest of the year. But the new generation wants to go much further. It wants to navigate between trees, recognize obstacles, climb impossible slopes and, if the user wishes, even draw decorative patterns on the garden.
That is precisely the approach of the new RockMow Z1 LiDAR, Roborock’s first major landing in a market traditionally dominated by manufacturers specialized in gardening. And he does it by betting on some interesting ideas that greatly differentiate it from the competition.
The key is in its development as a lawn mower, although it may sound truism. Let’s go in parts. Many lawn mower manufacturers have entered this market through robot vacuum cleaners. This gives them the advantage of precise mapping, control through an app and customizable settings such as zone design, camera, alarm… But in this case Roborock has not adapted its knowledge in the home cleaning market by taking it to the garden. What it has done (and this is the differential ingredient) is Wondering what you can do in the weed that is impossible at home.
And the answer is a drawing. Nobody wants their robot vacuum cleaner to leave a scrubbing pattern on the parquet, now on the grass… Through the Roborock app, the RockMow Z1 LiDAR can create grid patterns, linear patterns, and even simple drawings by varying the cutting direction. And this is an evolution, not an adaptation. The other great technological asset of the RockMow Z1 is its navigation system based on three-dimensional LiDAR and artificial vision. While many robotic lawnmowers rely on perimeter cables or GPS reference stations, Roborock’s model creates a three-dimensional map of the terrain and orients itself in real time using sensors and cameras.
His two-dimensional camera not only captures more than 200,000 reference points per second, it also does so in 360º and, most importantly (irony mode ON), if we look at it from the front, its profile resembles Wall-E, Pixar’s endearing robotic character.
The combination of vision and LiDAR allows it to detect people, pets and obstacles before reaching them, adjusting its trajectory autonomously. To highlight, something that I have discovered and valued positively, is that Detection is done meters in advance: it does not need to get within centimeters of the object, like a short-sighted robot, to alter its trajectory. He does it without stopping.
One of the most curious aspects of the design is that Roborock has opted for a single central cutting system instead of the two discs used by some of its rivals. At first glance it might seem like a disadvantage: two discs should cut better than one. But not in this case. First, a single drive means fewer motors, fewer moving parts, and potentially simpler mechanics. Also (another section that I really liked) is that The cutting disc is placed on a floating platform. Like certain razors that tilt to adapt to the profile of the facethe RockMow Z1 LiDAR has the cutting disc that adapts to the terrain, guaranteeing a more precise “green shave”, regardless of the irregularities of the terrain. The fact that the disc has six blades also increases precision and durability.
The tradeoff is that, depending on the density of the grass, The cutting speed may be somewhat lower than in some models equipped with two discs, not much, but existing. Here we will have to weigh whether we want cutting speed or precision.
Another detail is its ability to deal with complicated terrain. The wheels with independent suspension make it a kind of lawnmower buggy capable of ascending slopes of almost 40 degrees. The combination of Four independent motors, adaptive suspension and front-wheel steering allow you to turn in minimal radii for added precision. In fact, cornering behavior is a visible legacy of robot vacuum cleaners.
Regarding the app, it is very well designed and very simple to use. It allows us to determine the height of the cut, the schedules, schedule its return to the charging station when it rains and return to work one, two or three hours later. It has a rain sensor, which allows it to do so automatically. And, regarding water, it is approved in the IPX 6 category: We can clean it with a hose and have it continue with its cut once recharged.
Which brings us to the battery section. Under “normal” conditions, meaning a fairly flat garden, we have two hours of cutting time. Enough for a space of about 400 m2 . Yes indeed, The RockMow Z1 can map a 2000 square meter garden, although it will do so in more than one pass. Night or day, at our choice (in terms of noise, there will be no problem with the neighbors).
I must also highlight that The mapping can only be drawn at will to determine areas of corridors, with higher or lower grass and the charging station can be outside the cutting areano problem. I have tested it 5 meters outside. A separate and final mention is the PreciEdge accessory, basically a brush cutter that allows you to get up to 3 centimeters from the edges of the delimited land. Very useful so that the edges do not break the rhythm of a well-kept garden.
Verdict:
First of all, this is not a cheap lawn mower: 2,699 euros. Now, if we use it in gardens of more than 500 meters, twice a week (at least), the cut a year later will have cost us 27 euros. Regardless of whether we are talking about a 300-meter garden or one of 2,000 square meters. To give us an idea, this would be a garden about 65 meters deep and 35 meters wide. If we have a garden of 300 meters, it is not the best option (due to price, not quality), but if we are above 600 meters, we should talk to professionals. Like the RockMow Z1 LiDAR.