MOVA ViAX 500 check: Handy AI robotic mower for gardens as much as 500 m²

The robotic mower market has developed quickly lately. Away from sluggish random machines that needed to be laboriously locked in utilizing perimeter wires – in the direction of clever gadgets that map and navigate independently and require hardly any set-up effort. The MOVA ViAX 500 is a wi-fi robotic mower that fully dispenses with perimeter wires, RTK stations or antennas and as an alternative depends on AI-supported mapping. I’ve extensively examined the mower for lawns of as much as 500 m² and present you the professionals and cons.

Technical information of the MOVA ViAX 500

Model	MOVA Viax 500
Recommended mowing space	500 m²
Cutting top	20 to 60 mm (infinitely variable)
Cutting width	20 cm
Max. incline	40% (22°)
Navigation system	UltraEyes 2.0 (AI Dual-Vision + 360° LiDAR)
Charging time	approx. 45 min
Noise stage	59 dB
Dimensions and weight Robot garden mower	380.4 × 595.1 × 271.9 mm and 9.4 kg
Charging station dimensions	481 × 770 × 309 mm
Price	€ 634.90 *

Scope of supply of the MOVA 500 ViAX

• MOVA Viax 500 robotic lawnmower
• Base station
• Ground pegs + Allen key
• Spare blades + screwdriver
• Microfiber material for lens cleansing
• energy provide
• Operating directions
• Quick Start Guide

Design and processing of the MOVA ViAX 500

The MOVA ViAX 500 is available in a darkish matt grey and combines this with black plastic parts. This is a typical MOVA coloration scheme, which is already acquainted from different fashions of the model such because the MOVA 600 or the MOVA LiDAX Ultra 1000 AWD. The pink STOP button on the highest is simple to succeed in and gives a placing accent.

The workmanship is powerful and strong, even when the design will not be fairly on a par with premium fashions. The wheels make a good impression and, with their deep tread, radiate off-road functionality. This guarantees good traction and prevents slipping or getting caught on slopes. According to MOVA, slopes of as much as 40% needs to be no drawback for the robotic garden mower.

This is certainly noticeable in follow. Even on barely damp surfaces, the ViAX 500 has no issues preserving the observe. The management unit is situated on the highest, which is protected by a plastic cowl with a high-gloss end.

In addition to numerous buttons, there’s additionally a easy rotary swap for adjusting the chopping top. This makes it straightforward to set the chopping top between 2 and 6 cm – a direct, mechanical resolution with out having to sort in an app, which I personally actually recognize.

With a weight of 9.4 kg, the machine is relatively mild for a robotic lawnmower. The sensible trough within the housing on the again makes it straightforward to move from A to B. This makes it straightforward to hold the Robo to its storage in an emergency.

Setup and commissioning

MOVA guarantees a set-up time of round 10 minutes for lawns as much as 500 m². In my opinion, it is a little formidable. It took me round 20 minutes to arrange my 100 m² garden. Nevertheless, I’ve to reward the usually uncomplicated set-up that fashions with out boundary wires and RTK antenna have to supply. Set up the charging station, swap on the machine, open the app, set up a WLAN connection and off you go in your first mapping journey.

You are spoiled for alternative through the mapping journey. The system permits you to select whether or not you wish to create a garden map robotically or manually. While the ViAX ought to be capable to acknowledge garden edges and borders robotically when mapping robotically, you may steer it like a remote-controlled automotive by means of the backyard and drive alongside the perimeters when mapping manually. I opted for guide mapping when setting it up, as the automated different was a little bit imprecise for my style. However, this will likely fluctuate from backyard to backyard.

As quickly because the map has been created, you may nonetheless make changes within the app. If the end result meets the consumer’s expectations, the primary mowing tour is nearly imminent. First you make changes such because the mowing mode (commonplace or environment friendly) and select between a checkerboard or cross sample. All in all, the set-up was very easy. You can discover out extra about cordless mowing and what usually must be thought of in our information: Robot garden mower with out boundary wire: What actually issues.

MOVA app

Control is through the MOVAhome app, which is obtainable for iOS and Android. The interface is tidy and self-explanatory. After the primary mapping run, the app reveals an in depth map of the backyard on which mowing areas, restricted zones and paths between areas could be entered. The ViAX 500 affords a complete of 5 mowing modes in addition to dual-map administration, zone settings and the choice to create schedules instantly through the app.

In follow, which means I can, for instance, handle the garden in entrance of the home and the again patio individually and set totally different chopping frequencies. After creating the map, the app robotically generates an preliminary schedule, which may after all be adjusted at any time. Two separate schedules can be found within the mowing modes “All areas”, “Area” and “Edge” – ample for many on a regular basis conditions.

We have already established within the MOVA P70 Pro Ultra check and the MOVA V70 Ultra Complete that MOVA additionally affords robust app experiences for robotic hoovers – the app philosophy is recognizably constant. The solely level of criticism: A steady Wi-Fi connection is crucial for the total vary of features. If you’ve got the router distant from the backyard, you must think about a Wi-Fi repeater, as distant management and stay feed usually are not potential with out a community connection.

One enjoyable characteristic is its use as a cellular surveillance digital camera. You can have the ViAX patrol your backyard and hold a watch out for something uncommon. The complete factor can then be conveniently monitored as stay video through the app. This is especially sensible if you wish to regulate your property whilst you’re out and about.

Navigation and impediment detection

In distinction to many different LiDAR robotic lawnmowers, the ViAX 500 doesn’t have the everyday hemisphere on the highest. Nevertheless, the robotic depends on confirmed laser navigation, however makes use of a barely modified system. The technical coronary heart of the ViAX 500 is the UltraEyes 2.0 system. It combines two HDR cameras with a 3D LiDAR sensor for automated mapping, edge detection and route optimization. The two Ultra HDR AI cameras together with the 360° LiDAR guarantee high-precision notion of the environment and allow protected mowing even in slender passages and on complicated landforms.

In follow, the impediment detection is actually spectacular. The system acknowledges over 300 totally different objects – together with toys, pets and small animals – and reliably avoids each transferring and stationary obstacles. My backyard hose, which I had as soon as laid throughout the garden, was detected and prevented with out a hitch. The similar utilized to my plastic hedgehog household, which I like to put as an impediment on the garden in my robotic lawnmower checks.

It even reliably prevented my flat backyard garden, which is something however a matter after all. Even below bushes or in slender passages the place satellite tv for pc alerts are weak or non-existent, navigation stays dependable due to the camera- and LiDAR-based positioning. This is a transparent benefit over purely GPS-based techniques with an RTK antenna, resembling an ANTHBOT M9. However, even the ViAX 500 reaches its limits on very uneven terrain, resembling pronounced molehills.

It masters small bumps and minor unevenness with none issues; bigger hills, alternatively, can sometimes trigger it to cease and look ahead to assist. However, as this rarely occurred in my check backyard, it didn’t trouble me. Incidentally, due to the clever U-shaped path planning, the ViAX 500 follows probably the most environment friendly route each time and thus not solely ensures thorough, even protection of the garden. On high of that, I might depend on it to seek out its method again to the charging station each time.

Mowing efficiency of the MOVA ViAX 500

With a chopping width of 20 cm and an adjustable chopping top of between 2 and 6 cm, the ViAX 500 covers what the typical backyard wants. According to the producer, it manages 400 m² per 24 hours in commonplace mode and as much as 600 m² in effectivity mode – whereby the latter is a snug buffer for the really useful most mowing space of 500 m². The chopping system is floating, which compensates for any unevenness and nonetheless guarantees even mowing.

The versatile mower blade suspension ensures mild vertical actions and thus ensures an excellent mowing end result, even on totally different terrain circumstances. This could be seen within the chopping sample: after a spherical with the ViAX 500, the garden seems neat and even – no missed stripes, no irregular chopping depths on my check space. On denser, barely wetter grass, the working velocity slows down noticeably, however that is fully regular and doesn’t have an effect on the chopping sample.

In basic, the ViAX 500 will not be the quickest. It wanted slightly below an hour in commonplace mode for my approx. 100 m² garden. That doesn’t trouble me in any respect. After all, its noise stage of 59 dB is hardly noticeable. The ViAX 500 merely runs within the background with out actually being a nuisance. However, there’s one weak point when mowing – mowing across the edges. The ViAX 500 merely lacks an extendable mowing disc or different edge mowing know-how resembling that supplied by the ECOVACS GOAT O1200.

The scenario is totally different, after all, if the garden edges are stage with the garden itself. In this case, the MOVA can merely drive over them in order that the mowing disc also can attain over the sting. The robotic lawnmower robotically returns to the charging station when a configurable minimal battery stage is reached and continues mowing on the interrupted level after recharging. According to the producer, the charging time is round 45 minutes – a sensible worth in my check.

Conclusion on the MOVA ViAX 500

The MOVA ViAX 500 is a strong, technically well-equipped robotic lawnmower for gardens as much as 500 m², which isn’t solely enticing due to its nice price-performance ratio. On high of that, it scores factors for being very straightforward and, above all, fast to arrange. The U-shaped navigation technique ensures a clear, seamless mowing sample and the dependable impediment detection satisfied me in follow. It can be appropriate for smaller gardens and the app is intuitive sufficient to get began with out a lengthy studying curve. Anyone in search of an uncomplicated, comparatively cheap entry into the world of cordless mowing and doesn’t have a very demanding backyard geometry might be proud of the ViAX 500. Weaknesses are evident on very uneven terrain, when mowing across the edges and with poor WLAN protection within the backyard.