MOVA Previews Next-Gen UltraTrim, LiDAX Omni AWD and Future Robot Tech at IFA 2026

MOVA previewed several technologies for future robots at IFA 2026, led by its next-generation UltraTrim 3.0 and 4.0 edge-cutting systems for robotic mowers.

The company also detailed an upgrade to its AquaSonar communication technology planned for future robotic pool cleaners.

MOVA also showed several broader technology concepts. AstraX is a robotic mower concept built around a multifunction robotic arm, while Knot 80 is a separate humanoid-inspired robotic arm and hand system designed for object handling.

The company also demonstrated TactiPercept, a touch-sensing system for future robot vacuums.

MOVA Brings Zero-Edge Cutting to Gen 2 LiDAX Ultra Mowers

MOVA’s second-generation LiDAX Ultra mowers are set to make a much bigger push toward zero-edge mowing with UltraTrim 3.0.

The system adds a dedicated cutting disc on the mower’s right side that extends beyond the main cutting deck to reach grass directly along walls, fences and hedges.

UltraTrim 3.0 is designed to cut directly along those boundaries, reducing the need for follow-up trimming around the perimeter of a lawn.

Putting a spinning cutting disc outside the mower’s body also creates an obvious safety concern. MOVA says an infrared thermal sensor works with UltraView 2.0 to detect nearby people and pets and automatically stop the edge-cutting disc.

That marks a significant upgrade over MOVA’s current LiDAX Ultra mowers. The non-AWD LiDAX Ultra 1000 and 2000 use UltraTrim 1.0, which leaves less than 2 inches of uncut grass along walls, hedges and raised borders. UltraTrim 2.0, used on the LiDAX Ultra 2000 AWD and 3000 AWD, extends the cutting disc outward past the deck and narrows that strip to less than 1.2 inches.

UltraTrim 3.0 is expected to debut in the United States next year on MOVA’s second-generation LiDAX Ultra models.

LiDAX Omni AWD Adds UltraTrim 4.0

MOVA said it plans to launch a new LiDAX Omni AWD robotic mower with upgraded all-wheel drive, new steering technology and UltraTrim 4.0 edge cutting, although the company has not announced a firm launch time frame.

The LiDAX Omni AWD features MOVA’s UltraDrive 2.0 traction system, which is designed for more challenging yards. MOVA says the mower can handle slopes up to 100%, or 45 degrees, compared with 80% on the current LiDAX Ultra 3000 AWD.

The current LiDAX Ultra 3000 AWD also has omni wheels at the front and conventional treaded wheels at the rear, and it turns by varying wheel speed.

The LiDAX Omni AWD's VectorX replaces that with 180-degree servo steering, letting the wheels actively change direction for tighter, smoother turns and better control on steep slopes.

Navigation also gets an upgrade with UltraView 4.0, which combines 360-degree 3D lidar, multiple cameras, NRTK positioning and time-of-flight sensors.

The LiDAX Omni AWD uses two floating cutting discs with a combined cutting width of 15.7 inches and an adjustable cutting height from 1 to 3.7 inches. A separate UltraTrim 4.0 disc handles edge cutting.

Unlike the mower’s main cutting discs, UltraTrim 4.0 sits on an extension arm that can reach beyond the side of the mower. The disc also floats to follow uneven terrain and offers three cutting heights of about 1.6, 2 or 2.4 inches.

The extension arm retracts automatically when it encounters an obstacle.

That independent height adjustment is new. UltraTrim 1.0 and 2.0 do not allow the edge-cutting height to be adjusted separately.

The LiDAX Omni AWD runs on a rechargeable 36-volt battery system, though MOVA has not released details on battery capacity or expected runtime.

The company also has not announced pricing or detailed regional availability.

AquaSonar Uses Ultrasonic Communication Underwater

MOVA also showed an upgrade to AquaSonar, the ultrasonic communication system in its robotic pool cleaners.

Wi-Fi and other common wireless signals do not travel reliably through water, which can make real-time communication with a submerged pool robot difficult.

The current AquaSonar system uses a separate floating communication unit that connects to the home Wi-Fi network above the surface, then relays data to the submerged robot through ultrasonic signals.

The upgraded system moves that communication relay into the robot's dock, eliminating the separate floating buoy. The pool cleaner stays connected underwater, so status information and controls remain available through the app.

AstraX Adds a Multipurpose Arm

The AstraX concept uses an articulated robotic arm with interchangeable attachments to perform yard tasks beyond mowing.

MOVA says the mower’s vision system can identify an object blocking its path and use the arm to remove it before continuing to mow.

The AstraX concept also uses OmniSense 4.0, which combines lidar, NRTK positioning, binocular AI vision and other sensors for navigation and object detection.

During its IFA keynote, MOVA showed the mower using a two-finger gripper to pick up objects and fallen fruit, along with a watering attachment designed for specific areas of a yard.

At its IFA booth, MOVA demonstrated several AstraX units performing synchronized arm movements in what the company described as the world’s first robotic mower arm show.

Knot 80 Focuses on Handling Objects

MOVA also demonstrated Knot 80, a robotic hand and arm system. The hand offers 11 degrees of freedom, while the full arm assembly has 15 articulated joints.

The system combines 3D structured-light sensing with robotic grasp control to identify an object’s position and orientation before determining how to pick it up.

Knot 80 can adjust its gripping force between 25 and 50 N and uses continuous visual feedback to refine its movements while handling an object.

The technology is intended to explore how future robots could pick up, move and organize objects rather than simply navigate around them.

TactiPercept Adds Touch Sensing

TactiPercept combines visual recognition with 128 pressure sensors beneath a flexible cushioning structure to detect where and how strongly a robot makes contact with walls, furniture and other objects.

The system provides real-time pressure feedback after contact occurs rather than relying entirely on cameras, lidar and other optical sensors.

MOVA says a robot could use the feedback to slow down after lightly touching an obstacle, maintain controlled contact with a wall while edge cleaning or help determine how to recover if it becomes stuck.

Images courtesy of MOVA.