Anthbot Genie 1000 Robotic Lawn Mower: High Performance, Backlit Cameras, 5 Blades

Hello to all readers of the project! This review will examine the Anthbot Genie 1000 robotic lawn mower. This machine is suitable for mowing lawns up to 2,000 square meters. In addition to high performance, the robot boasts precise navigation using GPS and a camera system, a backlight for operation even in complete darkness, a wide range of features in the proprietary mobile app, and full support from the brand's representatives. For such a comprehensive set of features, you'll have to pay around $1,500 (at the end of the review, find a promo code for a discount!). Below, I'll thoroughly test the Anthbot Genie 1000, highlight its pros and cons based on my test results, and then express my personal opinion. Let's get started!

Equipment

Let's start with the package contents. In addition to the lawn mower itself and charging base, the package includes:

1. Extension cord for power adapter.
2. Extension cable for connecting GPS antenna.
3. Power adapter.
4. GPS antenna rod.
5. The antenna itself.
6. Pins for installing the rod into the ground.
7. Screws for securing the base to the ground with a hex key.
8. Screwdriver.
9. Set of spare blades.
10. Pegs for securing the charging cable to the ground.
11. Operating instructions.
12. A quick guide to getting your robot up and running for the first time.

It's worth noting that the paper instructions are in English, but the box contains a large, colorful quick-setup guide in Russian, and detailed instructions in Russian are also available in the app itself.

 

I'd also like to add that you can order accessories such as a GPS antenna wall mount and a robot garage from the brand's representatives. Overall, the website offers a large selection of original accessories, which is very good.

Appearance

Now let's take a look at the Anthbot Genie 1000's design. It's finished in a gray color scheme, with the lower portion darker and the upper portion lighter. Cameras are mounted on the front and sides for navigation. Thanks to a system of sensors and four cameras, the robotic lawn mower can accurately navigate around objects lying on the lawn.

In addition, powerful lighting is installed next to the cameras, which allows the robot to carefully mow the lawn even in complete darkness.

Since we've already touched on the topic of navigation, let's dwell on it in more detail. The robot navigates spatially using GPS RTK technology. This technology processes satellite data, supplementing it with corrections from a ground antenna. As a result, positioning accuracy is so high that coordinates can be determined with an error of just a few centimeters.

By default, the antenna connects directly to the charging base and should be installed close to the station at a distance of up to 10 meters. However, a separate bracket and power adapter can be purchased separately. This allows for separate locations for the GPS antenna and RTK station. According to the manufacturer, the antenna's signal has a range of up to 300 meters.

Let's return to the robot. The charging terminals and active bumper are located at the front. On the top of the body is a control panel and a large red emergency stop button.

There's a simple display and even a rain sensor, which, if it detects precipitation, signals the robot to stop mowing and return to its base. The app allows you to set a delay for the robot to return several hours after the rain stops. This allows the grass to dry out.

The robot moves thanks to two large rear wheels with a tread and auxiliary front wheels that rotate 360 ​​degrees.

The lawn is mowed by five blades mounted on a disc, which means higher productivity compared to mowers with three blades.

The disc is located in the center of the body, so it immediately becomes clear that the robot will have a blind spot from the edge of the blades to the edge of the body, the width of which we will check in tests.

The blade mounting disc is fixed, but the company claims that when a load is detected on the disc, it rises to the top position. This protects the disc from damage when hitting bumps or other objects.

I would also like to point out that the lawn mowing height is electronically adjustable, with a standard range of 30 to 70 mm in 5 mm increments.

It's also important to note that the robot's body is waterproof on all sides, making it easy to clean and safe to handle if exposed to rain. It has an IPX6 rating.

The pros and cons of this design will be discussed during the final review. Let's move on!

Technical specifications

The main characteristics of the Anthbot Genie 1000, as stated by the manufacturer:

• Battery: Li-Ion 5000 mAh.
• Charging time up to 120 min.
• Recommended lawn size: up to 2000 sq.m. (in 24 hours).
• Cutting height 30-70 mm.
• Mowing width 20 cm.
• Maximum cutting angle: 24°.
• Protection class: IPX6.
• Robot weight: 12.5 kg.

The robot is available in three versions: Anthbot Genie 600, 1000, and 3000. The only difference is the battery capacity, and therefore the service area, which is 9, 20, and 35 acres, respectively.

Functional capabilities

Let's move on to an overview of the Anthbot Genie 1000's features. It's controlled via the proprietary Anthbot mobile app. It's user-friendly, intuitive, and available in Russian. Connecting was straightforward. The default security PIN is 0000, which is indicated next to the control panel, but you can also set your own security code using the buttons on the device.

Speaking of capabilities, after creating and saving a map, the user has access to a wide range of functions. The first option is to select a smart mowing mode, where the robotic lawn mower, powered by artificial intelligence, automatically determines a mowing strategy based on the season, precipitation, grass growth, and other factors. This is similar to how robotic vacuum cleaners work.

There are three main operating modes: mowing the entire available area, mowing in selected zones, and moving the robot to a selected point. The map allows you to manually or control the robot to set no-go zones where the robot should not enter. I really liked the mowing zone editor. It allows you to individually set the number of passes and the cutting height for each zone, adjust the sensitivity of the object avoidance system, and even manually set the mowing direction for each zone. Amazing!

You can even edit the site boundaries and adjust the robot's offset when traversing the site perimeter. You can also manually expand the map, add a path for the robot to travel between zones, and change the site boundaries. Overall, the functionality has been well-developed.

You can also set up a mowing schedule, set a time when the robot should not disturb you, activate rain protection, set up an object avoidance system, adjust the volume of voice alerts and select a language, enable anti-theft mode, and start manual control of the robot.

I'll elaborate on the interesting features. I liked the manual control of the robot. You can move it around the area using a virtual joystick and even rotate the blade disc. This allows you to manually mow down areas the robot has already covered. Cool!

Testing

Finally, let's move on to the tests. A detailed video review with all the tests has already been prepared and published on the channel:

Getting ready for work

The first step is to install the base in a suitable location, secure it, and position the GPS antenna nearby. I decided to place the robot under the concrete steps where my predecessor had been, and install the antenna on the other side. Unfortunately, the GPS signal didn't penetrate the concrete slab, and the app displayed an error. I moved the base outdoors to the antenna, and with this placement, the error disappeared, ready for the first launch!

Everything here is cleverly designed. In remote control mode, using a smartphone as a remote control, we guide the robot as closely as possible along the boundaries of the area and close the route so that the robot returns to where it started. Then the robot parks at the base, and the map is saved. We divide it into zones, set no-go zones if necessary, and try running it. Interestingly, you can create any routes between zones, so even if you have a very large area, guide the robot along the paths as you need and in a way that is safe for the robot.

There's also an automatic room mapping feature, but at the time of writing, it's not as accurate as we'd like. It's better to use the robot manually.

Let me point out right away that I don't have a professional lawn, but a rural version, but it's sufficient for testing. I specifically "ran" the area so the grass was tall to test the robot's capabilities in challenging conditions.

Launch on grass of different heights

And what's interesting is that even at the lowest sensitivity level, the robot backs up and avoids patches of extremely tall grass. I turned the system off completely, and it drove like a tank across the entire accessible area. Bravo!

With the object avoidance system turned off, I started the robot on a full mowing cycle of the entire area.

In my opinion, the result is excellent, and it is important to note that the robot did not get stuck anywhere, did not slip, or behave strangely.

All that remains is a blind spot along the perimeter, out of reach of the knives. It's 10.5 centimeters wide.

This will be useful if the lawn isn't edged by low sidewalks or other structures that allow the robot to reach the edge of the lawn with its central part. In my case, the robot is able to mow the edge of the lawn along the path without any gaps or blind spots.

Autonomy

The next important thing to test was the robot's battery life. It managed to cover 202 square meters of territory in 107 minutes in efficient mode on a single battery charge, using 51% of the battery. This means, in my case, the robot will mow approximately 400 square meters on a single charge. Considering the battery's quick 120-minute charge, one mowing cycle is approximately 340 minutes, or almost 6 hours.

This allows you to mow just over 800 square meters of lawn in 12 hours, or roughly one daylight hour. The results will be saved for future comparison with other robotic lawn mowers.

Object Identification System

I also tested the functionality of the advertised object recognition system. Once the area was evenly mown, I laid out common objects that might appear on the lawn or be accidentally left behind. I set the object recognition accuracy to maximum.

So, the Anthbot Genie 1000 was able to accurately navigate around all six of the six objects. And that's a very good result. It even didn't run over a hammer that was lying flush with the grass, but rather carefully navigated around it while mowing.

I also tested the cameras in complete darkness, and even then the results were close to perfect—the Anthbot Genie 1000 barely moved the watering can, while carefully avoiding all other objects. I'm thrilled!

In my opinion, the implemented object avoidance system does its job well. Moreover, unlike robotic vacuum cleaners, the camera's backlight strongly attracts various flies at night, which could likely interfere with the system's operation. But even so, the robot, I would say, did not disappoint.

The robot's condition after testing and its maintenance

I'll show you what happened to the Anthbot Genie 1000 after exactly one month of use. Let's start with its visual condition. There are practically no scratches. There are a few, but they appeared while mapping the room, when I moved it close to the foundation. Otherwise, the plastic is not flimsy, it's wear-resistant, and it hasn't lost its appearance during testing, unlike the previous robot.

Let's check the condition of the knives. They're also in good condition and will last for a while.

Regarding the robotic cleaner itself, the only caveat is that, in my opinion, the shape of the body isn't very convenient for standing the robot upright to clean the bottom. It's unstable in this position, so you'll have to hold it with your other hand. I'd also like to remind you that using high-pressure washers is prohibited.

Some observations

In conclusion, I'll share a few observations. First and foremost, the operation of the GPS RTK navigation system is stable for the most part, but given the current situation in the country, the connection can occasionally be disrupted by so-called jammers. These are nuances that are beyond the control of the robot itself. During my entire use, I did encounter such a situation once, and there were brief disruptions in spatial orientation. However, overall, this has little impact on the robot's operation, as in addition to GPS, it navigates using four cameras on its body.

I also didn't like the lack of manual remote control. Remote control is only available when the robot is close to a smartphone and connected via Bluetooth. Remote control would have made it possible to help the robot escape if it got stuck.

I'd also like to be able to remotely monitor the area via the robot's cameras using a smartphone. If this feature is added, that would be fantastic.

And one last small note: sometimes the application response time is longer than usual, which is again related to external blocking.

Personal opinion

The Anthbot Genie 1000 robotic lawn mower was thoroughly reviewed and tested. I'll highlight the pros and cons I discovered, and then share my thoughts on it. Here's what I liked:

1. The first and most important thing for me is the very precise object tracking system, which functions even in the dark thanks to the camera’s powerful backlight.
2. Excellent navigation. The robot mows large areas of lawn quickly and without missing any spots.
3. High performance. Even in the 1000 version, the robot can mow up to 800 square meters of lawn in a single day.
4. The lawn mowing results were good after testing: the entire area was evenly trimmed, and the robot was able to automatically maintain it without human intervention. Simply schedule mowing and perform periodic maintenance.
5. The robot has excellent maneuverability. It can mow even taller grass without getting stuck or slipping. There's no need to prepare the lawn before using it for the first time, although the manufacturer recommends this to avoid ruining the appearance of tall grass. But the best part is that you can mow without manual labor.
6. By moving in straight lines, the lawn looks attractive and is cut in stripes, which gives a beautiful effect.
7. Full Russification of both the application interface and voice notifications
8. It is possible to adjust the direction of lawn mowing.
9. The case is fully waterproof, protecting it from rain and allowing it to be washed with a hose.
10. Setting the obstacle avoidance height in the application.
11. You can set no-go zones and create several different mowing zones on the map.
12. Custom mode allows you to flexibly adjust mowing parameters for different zones.
13. High-quality assembly and wear-resistant plastic ensure its appearance will not fade over time.
14. A full warranty and after-sales support from the brand are available. There's an official website for brand representatives, all consumables and accessories are in stock, as well as a Telegram channel and live chat for device owners. In my opinion, they've entered the market with a strong commitment to user care.

Now what I didn't like. I have some comments too:

1. For proper navigation, the GPS antenna must be positioned correctly. It's not possible to place the robot and the station exactly where you want.
2. There is a blind spot between the edge of the blades and the edge of the housing due to the disc not being shifted to the edge.
3. There is no way to remotely control the robot's movements manually via Wi-Fi.

In my opinion, the criticisms aren't all that critical, and the advantages clearly outweigh them. The robot is truly effective, smart, and autonomous. It also looks nice and is well-built. So, I have no reason not to recommend it. In fact, I've personally decided to keep it, as I believe this model offers the best value for money and features.

A nice bonus for the project's audience: When ordering on the brand's website, use the promo code robovac.washerhouse.com to receive a $50 discount.

On that note, I'd like to end this review. If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments. Happy shopping, everyone. Bye!