Models+
Which mower is right for me?
Find out now
Your Basket
Which mower is right for me?
Find out now
It’s a question every parent and pet owner asks the moment they consider buying a robot lawn mower: “But is it safe?”
There’s no denying the appeal of a robot mower — a perfectly maintained lawn with zero effort. But convenience isn’t everything when you have curious toddlers, playful pets, or wildlife frequenting your garden. The “what if” worries come naturally. What if my dog chases it? What if a child trips over it? What if it runs into a hedgehog?
Thankfully, the latest generation of robotic lawn mowers isn’t just about cutting grass anymore — it’s about doing so safely, smartly, and responsibly.
Leading this evolution is Segway Navimow — a wire-free robotic mower range that prioritises safety for the entire family, including your four-legged friends and visiting wildlife. With advanced obstacle detection, intelligent route planning, and industry-leading safety sensors, Navimow sets new standards for peace of mind in automated lawn care.
In this article, we’ll explore how robot mowers have evolved from simple cutting machines to intelligent garden companions — and how Segway Navimow makes safety a priority.
Safety is always top of mind when it comes to lawn maintenance — and for good reason. Traditional lawn mowers, while familiar, carry a host of potential risks:
Sharp rotating blades can cause severe injuries if accidentally contacted.
High noise levels often stress pets and disrupt the tranquillity of a garden.
Manual operation requires constant attention, leaving room for human error or accidents.
For families with young children or pets, these hazards are more than theoretical — they’re real concerns that have led many to seek safer alternatives.
It’s natural, then, for similar questions to arise when considering a robotic lawn mower. After all, these are autonomous machines moving across your lawn — and the idea of one operating near a toddler or a curious dog can trigger understandable anxiety. Will it detect them in time? Will it stop if bumped or lifted? Can it distinguish between a garden gnome and a cat napping in the sun?
As robotic mowers become increasingly popular, ensuring they’re not only convenient but also truly safe has never been more important. This is where modern designs, like Segway Navimow, are rewriting expectations.
When it comes to keeping your lawn lush and your loved ones safe, Segway Navimow’s Animal Friendly Mode is one of the most advanced innovations available today. It’s a groundbreaking feature designed with one clear purpose: to protect animals — both domestic and wild — during mowing.
Unlike basic obstacle detection systems that simply avoid solid objects, Animal Friendly Mode goes much further. It uses advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning to recognise and interpret animals in the garden, helping ensure your robotic mower actively avoids them — not just bumps into them.
For pet owners and wildlife lovers, this marks a major leap forward in robotic lawn mower safety.
At the heart of Animal Friendly Mode is a sophisticated suite of detection and identification technologies that rival what you’d find in leading autonomous vehicles:
Industry-leading text-to-image big model algorithms generate and continually update a rich database of animal data. This ensures the mower “understands” what different animals look like in varying garden conditions.
The system is further optimised with yard data and a data generation algorithm specifically designed to match the viewpoint of a robotic mower moving across a garden — ensuring 100% validity of animal identification in real-world mowing scenarios.
An industry-leading detection algorithm model allows Navimow to identify not only commonly known pets but also a wider range of unknown or less familiar animal species. This broad detection capability makes it an excellent choice for gardens frequented by wildlife.
A self-developed automatic identification algorithm enables quick and accurate matching of visual (picture) and descriptive (text) features of animals, delivering exceptional accuracy in identifying living creatures in milliseconds.
This isn’t theoretical — Segway Navimow’s Animal Friendly Mode has been rigorously trained and tested to deliver its near-human level recognition performance:
The system integrates millions of simulation tests and thousands of real-world mower-end tests, continually enhancing its practical abilities.
It leverages the Tesla A100 — one of the world’s most powerful AI training platforms — to conduct millions of data simulation tests, refining an exceptionally efficient animal recognition model.
Extensive mower-end testing and iteration in real lawn environments ensures that these capabilities translate into real-world performance. The result? Navimow can accurately identify and avoid animals within milliseconds — an achievement that places it at the forefront of safety in robotic mowing.
A standout example of the system’s adaptability is its ability to protect hedgehogs — a much-loved but vulnerable garden visitor. Hedgehogs present a unique challenge because they are small, can curl up tightly, and are nocturnal. Despite initially having very limited image data, Segway Navimow’s advanced algorithms have successfully been trained to recognise and avoid hedgehogs with impressive accuracy.
This specific success story highlights the strength of the underlying technology: it not only works for common pets but also adapts to protect less familiar, harder-to-detect wildlife species — a true breakthrough in robotic mower safety.
What does this mean for you, the pet owner or wildlife-conscious gardener? It means peace of mind:
Accurately detects and avoids pets and wildlife as it mows, ensuring animals are not harmed.
Can accurately identify 13 common animal species, including household pets (cats, dogs), poultry (chickens, ducks), and small livestock.
Maintains a safe distance of at least 1 metre when navigating around detected animals, providing an extra layer of protection.
Works seamlessly with VisionFence, Navimow’s advanced visual detection system capable of recognising over 150 objects — ensuring your garden remains a safe space for both your family and the local wildlife.
Segway Navimow’s commitment to safety goes well beyond safeguarding cats and dogs. It’s about protecting all living things that share your outdoor space — from nocturnal wildlife to important ecological habitats. The system combines intelligent scheduling with customisable mowing zones to help you create a garden that’s not only beautifully maintained but also safe and wildlife-friendly.
One of the simplest yet most effective safety features in Segway Navimow is its default daytime mowing schedule — specifically designed to avoid disturbing nocturnal animals.
Here’s how it works:
The mower uses its onboard GPS and time data to automatically determine local sunrise and sunset times.
By default, mowing is scheduled to take place only during daylight hours, when nocturnal species such as hedgehogs, bats, frogs, and toads are inactive and hidden.
This reduces the risk of disturbing or harming these sensitive creatures, many of which are vital to your garden’s natural ecosystem.
In other words, Segway Navimow helps you strike the right balance between keeping your lawn in top condition and respecting the rhythms of the wildlife that call it home.
For areas that you want to leave completely untouched — such as wildflower patches, hedgehog nesting areas, or other ecologically sensitive spots — Segway Navimow provides a powerful feature called Biolife Islands (or Exclusion Zones).
Here’s what it does:
You can customise and edit exclusion zones directly through the Navimow app with ease.
By setting Biolife Islands on your virtual garden map, you ensure that these designated areas are completely avoided by the mower.
This gives you precise control over which parts of your garden are maintained and which are left to thrive naturally.
The result is a more ecologically balanced garden — one where natural habitats are respected and preserved alongside your neatly mown lawn. Whether it’s a patch of wildflowers buzzing with pollinators or a quiet corner where hedgehogs nest, Biolife Islands help safeguard the habitat of local wildlife while maintaining your ability to automate the rest of your lawn care.
While Segway Navimow’s Animal Friendly Mode provides exceptional protection for pets and wildlife, it’s equally important to consider child safety — especially when young children are likely to be playing in the garden.
Although there is no dedicated “child mode” feature, Navimow’s smart design and advanced safety technologies help create a safer mowing environment for families. Here’s how:
One of the key technologies at work is VisionFence — an advanced visual detection system that can accurately recognise over 150 different object types.
This broad capability means that VisionFence doesn’t simply react to static garden objects — it actively identifies and navigates around dynamic obstacles, including children. If a child moves into the mower’s path, the system detects this in real time and adjusts its route to avoid contact.
While parents should never rely solely on technology, VisionFence provides an important additional layer of protection, particularly in gardens where children and robots may share the space.
Segway Navimow operates using a wire-free virtual boundary system, easily configured via the app.
This allows you to create clearly defined zones within your garden and prevent the mower from entering play areas altogether. If you have a section of lawn dedicated to your children’s outdoor toys or games, you can simply exclude it from mowing operations with a few taps on your phone.
Combined with Biolife Islands for wildlife protection, this capability also provides peace of mind for parents, knowing that the robot mower will not intrude where children are playing.
It’s important to note that no amount of intelligent technology is a substitute for adult supervision.
While Segway Navimow is designed with safety in mind and features multiple obstacle avoidance systems, children should always be supervised when playing in a garden where robotic equipment is operating.
We recommend scheduling mowing times when the garden is not in active use by children — an easy step to manage via the Navimow app’s flexible scheduling options.
Another benefit for families is Navimow’s exceptionally quiet performance compared to traditional lawn mowers:
The H Series operates at just 54 dB(A).
The i Series runs at 58 dB(A).
This low noise level means the mower can go about its work without disturbing children at play or disrupting the overall tranquillity of your garden. Unlike noisy petrol mowers that often drive kids indoors, Navimow helps create a more family-friendly outdoor environment.
For today’s families, a robot mower must offer more than convenience — it must also deliver genuine peace of mind. Segway Navimow rises to this challenge by addressing the most important safety concerns for both pets and children.
With its cutting-edge Animal Friendly Mode, Navimow goes far beyond basic obstacle detection, using advanced AI and machine learning to identify and avoid pets, wildlife, and even sensitive species like hedgehogs. Meanwhile, intelligent features like VisionFence, virtual boundaries, and quiet operation create a safer environment for children who may be playing in the garden.
This blend of smart mowing convenience with robust safety measures ensures that families can enjoy a beautifully maintained lawn — without compromising on care or caution.
More than just a technological achievement, these innovations reflect Segway Navimow’s broader values:
“They embody our commitment to wildlife protection and highlight our pursuit of ecological sustainability.”
In an era where gardens are shared spaces for both people and nature, Segway Navimow helps you maintain yours responsibly — keeping your loved ones, your pets, and your local wildlife safe.
Robot lawn mowers have come a long way — and today, models with advanced safety features like Segway Navimow prove that they can be a safe and beneficial addition to any home, even those with pets and children.
From intelligent Animal Friendly Mode and VisionFence obstacle avoidance to flexible virtual boundaries and quiet operation, Navimow offers homeowners the perfect balance of smart convenience and responsible garden care.
In choosing the right robotic mower, you’re not only making life easier — you’re helping create a safer, more sustainable space for your family, your pets, and the wildlife that makes your garden thrive.
Ready to explore smarter, safer mowing?
Discover the full range of Segway Navimow models here and see how intelligent mowing can fit into your lifestyle.