Today Navimow I-series gets a great new feature as part of the latest firmware update.
If the new Animal Friendly option is enabled Navimow will begin obstacle avoidance from 1 meter away when it recognises a dog or cat (or other small animal such as a hedgehog). For other objects Navimow drives much closer before taking avoidance action. Animal Friendly will avoid accidental harm to wildlife, and reduces the chance that pet will be surprised and frightened should Navimow sneak up behind its back!
Keep in mind that with the Animal Friendly setting active there may be small patches of lawn that don't get mowed during a session if a pet is encountered — especially if repeatedly. But those spots will get mowed next time. The Animal Friendly option is available on I-series models.
We covered a non-animal example where an H-series Navimow used VisionFence to see and avoid a big puddle in a low spot on lawn in Navimow: a practical example of the benefit of VisionFence (AI camera). By the time of the next mowing cycle the puddle had drained away so this area was once again fully mowed.
Aside: the title of this post was inspired by this bit of pop culture by The Kniffness.
Other new features include the arrival of Smart Home on H-series. You can now control Navimow using voice commands with Amazon Alexa.
Channel Sense comes to H-series with this update. Your Navimow can now use its camera to avoid obstacles when driving along channels between lawns. Previously, Navimow expected the channel to be clear, and turned off the camera. It would only know if an unexpected obstacle had been placed in the way if the front bumper sensor was activated.
Enable the Channel Sense switch in Settings ==> Mower ==> VisionFence sensor
You need to ensure VisionFence firmware has been updated (v1.0.3.5) along with all of the other updates, including updating the Navimow App on your phone. You may need to go to your phone's App Store to get the App update if it does not happen automatically. For H-series all firmwares except VisionFence update over 4G or WiFi. But remember, VisionFence can only update over WiFi so you'll need to ensure VisionFence is connected to your WiFi for up to an hour (Settings ==> Mower ==> VisionFence sensor ==> Network Configuration).
Channel Sense also means Navimow will be able to reliably navigate channels where the GNSS (GPS) satellite signal varies in strength from time to time (for example, where there a lot of buildings such that the number of visible satellites varies across the day, or trees that have dense water-filled leaves in summer and are dormant in winter).
Lastly, with this update it is now possible to Save a newly adjusted Map even if an existing Channel is covered by the new boundaries.
