When Yarbo is blowing snow, the obstacle avoidance logic is focused on safety around people, pets, and vehicles. The Snow Blower continuously checks surroundings around the machine and in the direction it is throwing snow.
You will see the following behaviors if it sees a person during autonomous plan or returning to dock for recharging:
When a person or pet is detected within the following distances:
- The Snow Blower immediately pauses the auto plan
- The auger (snow intake) stops
- A voice alert plays (“Person detected” or “Animal detected”)
- Yarbo holds its position for about 5 seconds before resuming work
- The same pause and voice alert sequence occurs
- This prevents snow from being thrown toward the person or pet
💡 Tip: This feature helps ensure safety in open driveways or shared areas where people or pets may occasionally walk by during operation.
- Yarbo automatically stops and initiates an avoidance maneuver.
- It reverses approximately 0.3 m (≈ 1 ft) before navigating around the vehicle.
- It maintains a safe distance (~0.3 m / 1 ft)
- The snow chute angle automatically adjusts so snow is not directed toward the vehicle
- Once clear, Yarbo resumes its pre-set snow-throwing direction and continues the task.
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:
- Initial detection — Yarbo reverses 30 cm, then moves forward 25 cm to reconfirm whether an obstacle is present
- No obstacle confirmed — Yarbo resumes the plan normally
- Obstacle still detected — Yarbo repeats the confirmation sequence up to 2 more times (3 attempts total)
- If any attempt finds the path clear, Yarbo resumes the plan
- If all 3 attempts confirm an obstacle is present, Yarbo pauses the plan
Behavior after 3 confirmed detections:
- If Yarbo is leaving the docking station, it will return to the docking station
- If Yarbo is returning to recharge, it will pause the plan and notify you in the app
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.
When the Snow Blower is traveling on a Sidewalk, the avoidance logic works differently than in open areas:
- If Yarbo detects a car or large obstacle blocking the sidewalk, it will pause the auto plan and return to the Docking Station, rather than attempting to navigate around it in a confined space.