Roborock’s robot lawnmower conquers 80% slopes, 5,000 m²/day

robot lawnmower

Roborock used IFA 2025 to launch its first robot lawnmower lineup—RockMow Z1, RockMow S1, and RockNeo Q1—graduating from floors to lawns on a public stage. [1][2] The flagship Z1 is rated for up to 80% slopes (≈38.66°), uses RTK plus vSLAM navigation, and claims to mow 5,000 m² every 24 hours. [1] Roborock also cites all-wheel drive with four independent in‑wheel motors and 3 cm edge‑cutting precision, signaling a serious push outdoors. [2] The company reported 78.96% year‑over‑year revenue growth to 7.9 billion RMB in August 2025 and says it serves more than 19 million households. [2]

Key Takeaways

– shows RockMow Z1 tackling up to 80% slopes (about 38.66°–39°) with AWD, four in‑wheel motors, and independent steering for stability. [1][2][3] – reveals Z1’s daily coverage claim of 5,000 m² per 24 hours, equivalent to roughly 208 m²/hour on average in continuous operation. [1][4] – demonstrates 3 cm edge-cutting precision and AI-categorized obstacle avoidance, combining RTK with vSLAM for centimeter-level routing near borders and edges. [2][3][1] – indicates S1 handles 45% gradients and navigates 0.7 m narrow passages, while RockNeo Q1 adds nocturnal wildlife protection behavior at night. [5] – suggests Roborock’s momentum—78.96% YoY revenue to 7.9B RMB and 19M households—underpins its outdoor push; pricing and U.S. timing remain unconfirmed. [2][3][4]

Roborock’s robot lawnmower leap to the outdoors

With the RockMow and RockNeo series, Roborock extends from indoor vacuums to garden care, marking its first publicly shown lawn robots on September 4, 2025 at IFA Berlin. [2] The lineup includes the RockMow Z1 and S1, alongside the RockNeo Q1, signaling a dual strategy around productivity and AI safety features for varied yard conditions. [1][3] MarketScreener emphasizes a European debut at IFA 2025 and notes that pricing and U.S. availability remain unconfirmed at launch. [3]

How Roborock’s robot lawnmower tackles steep slopes

Roborock claims the Z1 can handle up to 80% slopes—about 38.66°—through a combination of real-time positioning and drive-train engineering for stability on inclines. [1] Coverage also pegs the capability near 39° and highlights an all-wheel-drive layout with one motor per wheel to maintain traction on uneven terrain. [3] The company specifies independent hub and steering motors to manage steep sections and direction changes without losing control on gradients. [1] The S1 is designed for a different segment, rated for 45% slopes, positioning it below the Z1’s extreme-incline spec but still above typical flat-lawn scenarios. [5] Roborock further notes the S1 can navigate narrow passages down to 0.7 meters, supported by its mapping and obstacle detection suite. [5]

Navigation, edge accuracy, and safety features

The Z1 combines RTK (real-time kinematic) positioning with vSLAM (visual simultaneous localization and mapping), enabling precise route planning over large lawns and complex perimeters. [1] Roborock quotes 3 cm edge-cutting precision, narrowing the strip that typically requires manual trimming along fences, flowerbeds, or hardscaping. [2] Vacuum Wars also flags the RTK+vSLAM combo and the 3 cm edging figure among the key technical highlights of the IFA demonstration. [4] MarketScreener adds that the system uses AI-categorized avoidance, suggesting the mower can classify objects and adjust behavior beyond simple bump-and-avoid logic. [3] Infobae reports the RockNeo Q1 includes nocturnal wildlife protection, implying a behavior set designed to reduce potential harm to small animals at night. [5]

Capacity, runtime, and daily coverage claims

Roborock’s headline capacity claim for the Z1 is 5,000 m² per 24 hours, effectively the equivalent of about 208 m² per hour averaged across a full day. [1] While actual throughput will depend on lawn complexity and charge cycles, the metric—repeated across multiple IFA writeups—frames the Z1 as a high-coverage option. [4] Edge performance complements throughput: a 3 cm border spec is intended to cut down post‑mow touch-ups, particularly along edges where many robots leave wider strips. [2]

Availability, pricing, and regional rollout

European audiences saw the first public showing at IFA 2025, with MarketScreener noting the EU debut framing and the absence of confirmed pricing at launch. [3] Infobae reports Roborock plans a rollout to select EU countries “in the coming months,” aligning with a staged introduction across key European markets. [5] For North America, Vacuum Wars quotes Roborock saying U.S. models are expected “in the coming year,” with adjusted specifications for regional requirements. [4] MarketScreener reiterates that U.S. availability and pricing were not confirmed at the time of the IFA announcement, leaving timing and tiers to be finalized. [3]

Business momentum behind the product launch

Roborock’s home-appliance business is expanding at pace: company figures show 78.96% year‑over‑year revenue growth to 7.9 billion RMB in August 2025. [2] The company also cites service to more than 19 million households, a base it can leverage as it moves from indoor to outdoor categories with the RockMow and RockNeo lines. [2] This momentum, packaged under the “Rocking Life, Inside and Out” theme, contextualizes the lawn robots as the next adjacency to its robot vacuum pedigree. [2]

What this means for the robot lawnmower market

An 80% slope rating—framed as roughly 38.66° to 39°—positions the Z1 as an option for steep yards, potentially expanding the addressable market beyond flat lawns. [1][3] Centimeter-scale edging claims, AI-categorized avoidance, and dual-mode navigation (RTK + vSLAM) signal a feature race centered on precision and environmental intelligence. [2][3][1] Wildlife-aware behaviors on RockNeo Q1 point to rising expectations around safety, as vendors differentiate not just on speed or slope, but on ethical operation at night. [5] Open questions remain: exact EU pricing, U.S. model tiers, and how “5,000 m²/24h” translates in varied real-world geometries and seasonal conditions across regions. [3][4] Still, the combination of AWD hardware, centimeter-level edging, and high daily coverage claims presents a compelling data sheet for early adopters to scrutinize. [2][1][4]

Sources: [1] The Verge – Roborock graduates from vacuuming your house to mowing your lawn: www.theverge.com/news/770725/roborock-robot-lawnmowers-launch-rockmow-z1″ target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>https://www.theverge.com/news/770725/roborock-robot-lawnmowers-launch-rockmow-z1 [2] PR Newswire – Roborock Is “Rocking Life, Inside and Out” at IFA 2025 with First Launch of RockMow and RockNeo lawnmower series: www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/roborock-is-rocking-life-inside-and-out-at-ifa-2025-with-first-launch-of-rockmow-and-rockneo-lawnmower-series-302546380.html” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/roborock-is-rocking-life-inside-and-out-at-ifa-2025-with-first-launch-of-rockmow-and-rockneo-lawnmower-series-302546380.html [3] MarketScreener – Roborock Is “Rocking Life, Inside and Out” at IFA 2025 with First Launch of RockMow and RockNeo lawnmower series: www.marketscreener.com/news/roborock-is-rocking-life-inside-and-out-at-ifa-2025-with-first-launch-of-rockmow-and-rockneo-lawn-ce7d59d8db8ef321″ target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>https://www.marketscreener.com/news/roborock-is-rocking-life-inside-and-out-at-ifa-2025-with-first-launch-of-rockmow-and-rockneo-lawn-ce7d59d8db8ef321 [4] Vacuum Wars – Roborock at IFA 2025: F25 Ultra, H60 Series, Lawn Robots: https://vacuumwars.com/roborock-at-ifa-2025/ [5] Infobae – Roborock estrena los nuevos robots cortacésped RockMow y RockNeo, con precisión de corte de 3 cm y navegación con IA: www.infobae.com/america/agencias/2025/09/04/roborock-estrena-los-nuevos-robots-cortacesped-rockmow-y-rockneo-con-precision-de-corte-de-3-cm-y-navegacion-con-ia/” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>https://www.infobae.com/america/agencias/2025/09/04/roborock-estrena-los-nuevos-robots-cortacesped-rockmow-y-rockneo-con-precision-de-corte-de-3-cm-y-navegacion-con-ia/

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