Review

Review of the Mowsion VIGO AI Mower

The evolution of robot mowers has been in full swing over the last few years. Many of the latest models rely completely on vision-based navigation. This helps to reduce the overall setup time and can also improve performance.

One of those mower brands making the switch is Mowsion. They have been releasing traditional guidewire mowers for some time, but have now released a vision-based mower.

To see how Mowsion has made the switch, we’ll review their VIGO AI mower to see how it performs and how it compares to other similar brands.

Who Is Mowsion?

Mowsion may not be a well-known brand. However, they have been releasing robot mowers for some time.

Their early models were the E-Series of mowers that relied on perimeter wire installation. These were considered budget mowers and were mostly sold via Amazon or similar sites in Asia such as AliExpress.

Mowsion is also an OEM provider, so if you’ve seen mowers online that look similar, some of them may be rebranded Mowsion mowers.

Mowsion definitely caters to the budget sector of the market, which can be a good influence on the overall market. However, certain features can sometimes be missing or incomplete at this price point, so it’s something to be aware of when deciding.

Mowsion appears to be upping its game with the VIGO AI mower and looking to position itself as a more premium brand but with an affordable price tag.

The VIGO AI Mower

On paper, the VIGO AI mower looks to check all the boxes of a state-of-the-art robot mower.

By the looks though, the overall exterior design is fairly subdued compared to some competing brands going for a more extreme look.

The drivetrain is also standard, with a brushless motor powering the two large rear wheels and unpowered front casters. This design is fine for flat lawns, but we do generally prefer larger front wheels, and this is one area where the VIGO is a little lacking.

The VIGO currently comes in 3 models.

VIGO 500 Eco

This is Mowsion’s smallest VIGO mower. Its range is up to 500m2 and is vision-only with no RTK options for additional accuracy. It shares the same features as its bigger siblings except for the ability to mow in custom patterns and a quick resume feature.

VIGO 1000 Pro

This model with a larger battery also comes with an RTK module and base station for increased accuracy. It also adds the ability to resume exactly where it left off.

VIGO 1000 Ultra

This is Mowsion’s flagship model and includes a 4G option in addition to RTK for communication and mapping assistance. Besides that, the range and other options are identical to the VIGO 1000 Pro.

Mowsion VIGO AI Navigation System

All of the Mowsion VIGO AI mowers use a vision system. The VIGO models utilize SLAM technology. SLAM stands for Simultaneous Localization and Mapping.

SLAM is an advanced robotics technology and is used in everything from robot mowers to automated vehicles being tested in several U.S. cities.

A SLAM system can either use vision cameras, emitted laser light, or a combination of the two to build a 3D map of the mower’s environment.

In the case of the VIGO, it uses vision cameras which work well, but at times can have low-light limitations. The tradeoff is that vision cameras and sensors are usually less expensive than other technologies, so this helps Mowsion keep the price down.

For additional accuracy, specifically around the edges and the perimeter of your lawn, Mowsion offers an optional RTK module.

The RTK module is your standard fare and comes with a base station that requires power and placement in an optimal location on your property to receive a signal.

Mowsion VIGO Installation

Installing the VIGO is relatively simple and very similar to other SLAM-based mowers on the market.

You first find a location for the base station which must be flat and near a power source. Then you pair the mower with the app. This process was a little buggy and we had to restart the app several times, but eventually, it did connect with no issue.

From there, the app prompts you to define your lawn’s perimeter using the controls on the app. The mower follows your commands as you drive it along the perimeter and back to the base station.

This process went smoothly, albeit a bit slowly. When complete, you can add zones for the mower to avoid via the app.

Overall, the installation went smoothly and was similar to other vision mowers. Our only issue was with the app being somewhat finicky during the setup and we never quite figured out why. 

Second, the mower was a little on the slow side, but it is smaller than some competing mowers, so that may be the reason.

Although the max range is stated as 1000m2, that may be pushing the limit of this small mower considering its speed.

Mowsion App

The Mowsion VIGO app was decent, although nothing really stood out to us. It does feel as though it’s meant to be branded as an OEM product by another company.

However, despite being somewhat generic looking, the app does feature all the options you would expect and it’s easy to navigate.

Zones, scheduling, mowing patterns, cutting height, and more are all easily accessible with just a tap or swipe.

Mowsion VIGO AI Performance

Our Mowsion VIGO test model performed well after being set up and fully charged.

The vision system worked well and we tested it with several obstacles of various sizes and it cleanly avoided them all without any issues or becoming confused and refusing to move.

Cutting height was a bit limited with a max height of only 2.7 inches. This is standard for a smaller mower, but we know many people prefer longer options, especially for certain types of grass or different zones.

Speed was also a factor. The mowing speed was a bit slower than we would like, which means for lawns right at the 1000m2 limit, this mower will be running a lot. We feel it works best for lawns that fall under that 1000m2 limit to reduce the wear and tear on the robot.

Mowsion VIGO AI Price

This is where things get interesting. The VIGO 500 is currently listed at $599 for preorder. Most preorders today are about half of the final list price, so this is a fairly low price for a vision mower and we are not sure if this is a special preorder price or whether it will be the final delivery price.

Final pricing has not yet been set so this leaves us a little confused as to how these will be marketed or priced in different markets.

If the price is truly that low, these will disrupt the market, as the performance is decent, especially at that price.

While we do think these are a bit underpowered at the moment, they still mow and navigate rather well for a vision mower.

Overall, we suggest you wait until final pricing and production dates have been set before deciding on a pre-order. 

Mowsion VIGO AI Final Review

The VIGO AI mowers appear to be a strong first outing for Mowsion as they expand beyond simple perimeter wire movers and into the vision-based market.

Performance was good and we didn’t encounter any major issues. A few tweaks here and there were needed to get the best navigation, but this is common with robot mowers in this price range.

Its major drawbacks are the smaller size, tiny front wheels, and slow speed. These aren’t necessarily dealbreakers. It just means you have to match this unit with the right lawn.

Steep slopes or rooted, uneven lawns likely aren’t a good match for this small mower.

But depending on what the final price of this unit turns out to be, it could be an affordable choice for the right lawn.

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