When running an autonomous mowing plan and encountering an obstacle, Yarbo reacts intelligently:
This behavior is powered by three sensing layers working together:
You can fine-tune how Yarbo reacts to obstacles by selecting one of three Obstacle Avoidance Modes in the app.
Best for clean, well-maintained lawns with few obstacles.
Ideal for typical lawns with uneven grass, weeds, small stones, or toys under 20 cm.
Best for tall grass (20 cm +) or segmented work areas where minor contact is acceptable.
⚠️ Important Note: Camera Dirty or Blocked
If Yarbo detects that its camera is dirty or blocked during operation, a notification will be clearly displayed on the App homepage. Please be aware of the following changes in obstacle avoidance behavior:
- If using Sensitive Bypass: Yarbo will pause the current work plan to prevent any accidental contact with obstacles. You must clean the camera to resume.
- If using Moderate Bypass or Gentle Contact: Yarbo will continue mowing, but will rely entirely on the bumper to detect obstacles (if your model has ultrasonic radar, it will use a combination of the radar and bumper).
The Mower Pro includes additional control on obstacle avoidance. By enabling Boundary Obstacle Avoidance or Ultrasonic Detection, the Mower Pro can decide to avoid obstacles by combining camera and ultrasonic sensing, to manage close-distance risk or dangling objects (swingers, goalpost) more precisely.
When Yarbo is traveling along a Pathway and detects a vehicle or large obstacle, it will perform a confirmation sequence before taking action — reducing false stops caused by misidentification:
Behavior after 3 confirmed detections:
Note: This confirmation logic reduces unintended stops caused by people walking past the mower or brief misidentifications, while still protecting Yarbo from navigating into genuinely blocked pathways.
Gentle Contact mode is enabled by default when the mower is in a deadend.
| Mode | Stop Distance | Contact | Suitable For | Key Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sensitive | ≈ 50 cm ± 10 cm | No | Clean lawns | Maximum safety |
| Moderate | ≈ 30 cm ± 10 cm | No | Typical mixed lawns | Balanced coverage |
| Gentle Contact | Physical contact allowed | Yes | Tall grass / dense areas | Fewer missed spots |