There are folks who get genuine pleasure from tending a colorful garden. But if – like me – you'd rather sit back and let a robot do the work, startup NexLawn is developing a robo-mower with a retractable arm capable of performing numerous garden tasks.
The concept autonomous garden helper was unveiled last week at IFA 2025, and has been dubbed the Master X Vison. Like NexLawn's upcoming Vidar robo-mowers, the futuristic rover will navigate the garden using LiDAR and vision sensors while clipping the grass.
But this model sports a robotic arm to the top, which can folds down to a height above the frame of 44.5 cm (17.5 in) but extends to 77 cm (30 in) in front of the robo-mower while also being able to reach up to a meter (3.3 ft) above "to perform complex outdoor tasks with precision."
The company has developed three interchangeable end bits – or effectors – for the robo-arm so far, shaping up as a gripper, edging disc head (strimmer) and a trimmer head. The last two are is pretty self-explanatory, but the gripper is a little more interesting. This attachment will allow the mower to move obstacles out of its way in a similar way to Roborock's Saros Z70 robot vacuum.
It's also expected to be able to tackle watering duties, weeding or picking flowers/fruits, and is even reported capable of interacting with pets – perhaps walking pooch while trimming the lawn or playing fetch. It's the kind of thing we've seen in the Willow X, though that smart garden assistant sports two gripper arms and is currently being made available to early adopters.
The demo prototype on display in Berlin recently featured spiky rear wheels and omnidirectional front wheels – meaning it will likely be very maneuverable – and all-wheel drive is the order of the day. The prototype was also powered by a laptop-like charger, though the promo video clearly has other ideas about that, and shows the Master X plugging itself into an outdoor charger or rolling over a wireless charging pad for a top-up.
For the moment though, the arm-packing robo-mower is still conceptual, and the NexLawn team hasn't revealed any production plans. Both myself and my much-neglected garden hope that such a multi-tasking helper arrives on the market very soon.
Source: NexLawn
