I’ve been mowing lawns for over three decades, and we’ve come a long way from the technology of my childhood. Robotic lawn mowers have rapidly improved over the last few years from bumbling and ineffective chaos machines to more precise, orderly, and effective yard servants. I’ve had one major problem with our current robot lawn mower, and that is the 4–6-inch gap that it can’t mow around the edges. The new Dreame A4 AWD Pro Series Robotic Mower’s edge-trimming system might just be the solution that I’ve been pining for.
Why the Edge-Trimming System Is a Game-Changer
Each time our current mower finishes the job, I am simultaneously pleased and annoyed: pleased because the cutting lines are very precise, but annoyed because there’s always that gap around the edges where the robotic mower cannot cut. This is an inherent flaw in most robotic lawn mowers: they have a cutting system that spins around inside the mower body, since it wouldn’t be very safe to have a blade or cutting disc exposed beyond the edge of the mower’s body.
Robotic mowers’ indoor cousins (robotic vacuums) have solved the edge problem with solutions like spinning brushes that extend past the robot vacuum’s body, but you can’t just spin a trimmer string off the edge of a robotic lawn mower for safety reasons.
Dreame’s EdgeMaster 4.0 Precision Edge-Trimming System is comprised of a swing arm that extends the cutting disc outward as the mower nears edges and boundaries. Dreame claims this system can achieve true cutting to the edge of a boundary. I am eager to test both the safety and effectiveness of their new system (hopefully a review unit will be headed our way soon!).
All Wheel Drive Makes Steep Slopes a Non-Issue
The “intelligent All-Wheel-Drive system” in the Dreame A4 AWD Pro Series is advertised to tackle slopes of up to 90% (42°), meaning that all but the gnarliest of yards can be mowed by the robot. Dreame doesn’t just use its four high-torque motors to do burnouts on your turf; it also uses its high-traction wheels and agile turning system to navigate obstacles and slopes with grace.
Four powered wheels mean more control in all situations (not just on steep slopes). If your lawn is anything like mine, it has bumps and divots all over the place, as well as tricky drop-offs near fences. With two-wheel-drive mowers, these can create uneven lines or get stuck, while an AWD robot can keep going even if one wheel encounters trouble.
Robust Positioning and Navigation with Layered Input Sources
The Dreame A4 AWD Pro Series eliminates the problem of navigation glitches by layering satellite-and-network “dual-frequency Omni RTK” positioning data with 360° 3D LiDAR, side proximity sensors, and even AI-powered binocular vision. Dreame boasts a centimeter-level positioning accuracy from this “OmniSense 4.0” system. The Omni RTK positioning system provides excellent navigation and positioning data on its own, while the LiDAR and binocular vision help with obstacle avoidance (including drop-offs, debris, and people or pets).
I can’t wait to see the point-cloud data that the Dreame A4 AWD Pro Series will build of our somewhat-complicated yards. About every 3rd lawn job, I have to go and rescue our current robot lawn mower that has managed to stray just a bit outside the boundary I set and get stuck or lost, so any improvement in mapping and navigation will be a big upgrade.