RTK vs LiDAR vs Pure Vision: Which Wire-Free Navigation Actually Works?

The biggest shift in robotic mowing since 2023 is the death of the boundary wire. Three technologies have replaced it, and choosing between them is now the most important buying decision.

RTK satellite positioning

RTK uses corrected GPS signals to pin a mower to centimetre-level accuracy. It excels on large, open lawns — which is why big-area machines like the Segway Navimow X390 and the slope-climbing Mammotion LUBA 2 AWD bet on it. The weakness: dense tree cover and tall buildings can degrade the signal.

3D LiDAR

LiDAR mowers such as the ECOVACS GOAT A3000 LiDAR and Hookii Neomow X build a point-cloud of the garden and are completely independent of satellites — ideal for shaded, enclosed gardens.

Pure camera vision

The WORX Landroid Vision proves a neural network can find the grass edge with no antenna at all — the cheapest wire-free option, at the cost of weaker night performance.

Our take

Open estate? RTK. Shaded garden? LiDAR. Tight budget on a simple lawn? Vision. Check the navigation scores on each product page in our Top 20 ranking before you decide.