Anthbot shows R730 robot mower with thermal imaging

On IFA 2026’s circular test course, the Anthbot R730 drives past an unheated fabric hedgehog. The prototype is designed to use an infrared sensor to detect heat signatures in the direction of travel and take animals such as hedgehogs into account when planning its route. It also has a deployable arm at the rear that is intended to use a string trimmer to cover the final distance to the edge of the lawn.

The mechanism intended to protect animals is easy to describe: thermal imaging sensors are designed to detect body heat even when there is no longer enough light for a purely optical camera. During the demonstration, Anthbot showed still images of rabbits and hedgehogs in front of blue-tinted, tall grass. That did not make the demonstration any more conclusive: on the circular course, the R730 merely passed an unheated fabric hedgehog. A practical garden test has yet to take place.

The edge trimmer remained fully extended while the mower was moving. As the robot approaches the dummy, the arm moves back toward the rear as a safety precaution. Several joints move the tool head to the right side of the housing. There, it is intended to cut grass blades that other robot mowers leave behind and that would otherwise have to be trimmed by hand.

Specifically, the R730 could change two work steps: its thermal sensor is intended to make operation safer at dusk or around nocturnal animals, while the arm is designed to reduce manual edge maintenance. For navigation, Anthbot also combines two LiDAR modules, a stereo camera and a satellite module. Four separately powered wheels are designed to handle winding, uneven terrain with inclines of up to 84%. According to the manufacturer, a 270-Wh battery and a fast-charging power supply at the charging station provide enough power, depending on the settings, to cover between 3,000 and 4,000 square meters of lawn per day.

Anthbot plans to launch the mower next spring for around 2,500 euros. The R720 is to follow for 2,000 euros, but without a thermal imaging sensor, with a trimmer arm available only as an option and lower area coverage. Whether thermal scanning and edge trimming will establish themselves as trend features in the coming gardening season remains to be seen; similar solutions are also expected from other manufacturers at IFA. Until a real-world test is conducted, the animal-detection system shown remains a technical promise from the manufacturer, not a proven garden application.