Modern bionic hand prostheses nearly match their natural counterparts when it comes to dexterity, degrees of freedom, and capability. And many amputees who tried advanced bionic hands apparently didn’t like them. “Up to 50 percent of people with upper limb amputation abandon these prostheses, never to use them again,” says Jake George, an electrical and computer engineer at the University of Utah.
The main issue with bionic hands that drives users away from them, George explains, is that they’re difficult to control. “Our goal was making such bionic arms more intuitive, so that users could go about their tasks without having to think about it,” George says. To make this happen, his team came up with an AI bionic hand co-pilot.
Micro-management issues
Bionic hands’ control problems stem largely from their lack of autonomy. Grasping a paper cup without crushing it or catching a ball mid-flight appear so effortless because our natural movements rely on an elaborate system of reflexes and feedback loops. When an object you hold begins to slip, tiny mechanoreceptors in your fingertips send signals to the nervous system that make the hand tighten its grip. This all happens within 60 to 80 milliseconds—before you even consciously notice. This reflex is just one of many ways your brain automatically assists you in dexterity-based tasks.
AI company Runway has announced what it calls its first world model, GWM-1. It’s a significant step in a new direction for a company that has made its name primarily on video generation, and it’s part of a wider gold rush to build new frontier of models as large language models and image and video generation move into a refinement phase, no longer an untapped frontier.
GWM-1 is a blanket term for a trio of autoregression models, each built on top of Runway’s Gen-4.5 text-to-video generation model and then post-trained with domain-specific data for different kinds of applications. Here’s what each does.
Runway’s world model announcement livestream video.
GWM Worlds
GWM Worlds offers an interface for digital environment exploration with real-time user input that affects the generation of coming frames, which Runway suggests can remain consistent and coherent “across long sequences of movement.”
It’s a regrettable reality that there is never enough time to cover all the interesting scientific stories we come across each month. In the past, we’ve featured year-end roundups of cool science stories we (almost) missed. This year, we’re experimenting with a monthly collection. November’s list includes forensic details of the medieval assassination of a Hungarian duke, why woodpeckers grunt when they peck, and more evidence that X’s much-maligned community notes might actually help combat the spread of misinformation after all.
An assassinated medieval Hungarian duke
Credit:
Tamás Hajdu et al., 2026
Back in 1915, archaeologists discovered the skeletal remains of a young man in a Dominican monastery on Margaret Island in Budapest, Hungary. The remains were believed to be those of Duke Bela of Masco, grandson of the medieval Hungarian King Bela IV. Per historical records, the young duke was brutally assassinated in 1272 by a rival faction and his mutilated remains were recovered by the duke’s sister and niece and buried in the monastery.
With the arrival of Amazon’s Zoox robot taxi in San Francisco to compete with Waymo, autonomous services are gaining momentum. But there are pros and cons.
The future of home robotics is here — and it’s a little awkward. Meet the NEO 1X humanoid robot, designed to help with chores but raising huge cybersecurity and privacy questions. We discuss what it can actually do, the risks of having an always-connected humanoid in your home, and why it’s definitely not the “Robot […]
Tesla shareholders approved a plan to grant Elon Musk shares worth nearly $1 trillion if he meets ambitious goals, including vastly expanding the company’s stock market valuation.
Mr. Musk’s supporters say he may quit if shareholders don’t approve a trillion-dollar package. Some investors say it’s excessive and would give him too much sway.
Achieving that perfectly manicured lawn is a whole lot less time-consuming now that a robot can do the job for you. Over the long term, a robot lawn mower will cost a whole lot less than hiring a landscaper—and it won’t expect a tip every week and during the winter holidays.
Top-of-the-line robot mowers cost a pretty penny, but they can climb slopes and handle very large yards (we’re talking acres of grass). While early robot lawn mowers required you to lay down a boundary wire to prevent them from wandering out of your yard, each of the mowers listed here uses advanced navigation technology to eliminate the need for any wires.
We’ve already spotted some terrific robot lawn mowers deals ahead of next week’s Amazon Prime Big Deal Days, and we expect plenty more as Amazon’s two-day shopping event gets underway. Just remember that the sale runs for just two days–Tuesday October 8 and Wednesday October 9–so don’t wait too long to scoop up the best discounts.
Another choice for smaller yards, the Ecovacs GOAT O1000 RTKcan handle up to 1/4 acres of lawn, and it’s on sale for just $750, a 25% discount. We recommend you take advantage of this deal, especially if you own other Ecovacs products.
Anthbot says its Genie 600 robot lawn mower uses AI to avoid obstacles as it mows lawns up to .22 acres (9,583 sq ft). And since it relies on GPS technology for navigation, it doesn’t require a boundary wire. You can clip a coupon at Amazon to get a $200 discount on the mower, bringing its final price down to $789.
You’ll need a robot mower with a powerful motor and all-wheel drive–the Mowrator S1 is shown here–to tackle a sloped yard.
Ed Oswald/Foundry
We’ve just finished testing the UBHome M10, which is now on sale on Amazon. While this mower’s GPS has somewhat finicky at times, it mows as well, if not better, than some robots priced much higher. Right now, you can score this mower for $1,139, a 12% discount.
The Sunseeker X3 Plus is on sale at Amazon for 30% off, bringing it price down to $1,116. This RTK mower is rated for small to medium-sized yards up to 0.30 acres and it has a cutting height of 1.6- to 3.2 inches.
We tested last year’s Mammotion Yuka model and currently have the Luba Mini AWD in our test yard. The Mammotion Luba Mini AWD 800 handles up to 0.20-acre lawns with a cutting-height range of 0.80 to 2.6 inches. You can save 25% on Amazon, bringing its price down to $1,199.
The Eufy Robot Lawn Mower E15 can handle lawns up to .2 acres in size (8,712 sq ft) and is getting a generous 32% discount on Prime Day, dropping its price tag to $1,300. Need more coverage? The Eufy Robot Lawn Mower E18 can tackle lawns up to .3 acres (13,068 sq ft), and it can climb up to an 18-degree incline. You can pick one up for $1,500–a 42% discount off its $2,600 MSRP.
Segway’s H-series mowers are also on sale. Launched in 2023, these predecessors to the Segway i-series mowers (we tested the i110n) are still very capable. They’re rated to handle larger yards and have slightly better slope capabilities, although with slightly less accurate navigation. The .38-acre Segway Navimow H1500N-VF is on sale for $1,599, a 27% discount, while the .74-acre Navimow H3000N-VF is gets a 23% discount to $1,999.
While any of the above options would be more than sufficient for most yards and uses, there are those of us who might find these options a little pedestrian. Well, we’ve spotted a few deals for you, too.
If that’s not enough for you, select configurations of the Yarbo multi-purpose yard robot also have special promotional coupons available through Amazon. The Yarbo Core + Snowblower Module bundle is available with a $500 coupon, bringing its price down to $4,499. A $500 coupon is also available for the Yarbo Core + Snowblower + Lawn Mower bundle, which reduces the price for the robot and two accessories to $5,699.
If you already own the Yarbo Core, the Snowblower Module is on sale for 20% off, slashing its price to $1,039 during Prime Big Deal Days. That’s not much more than most equally sized push snowblowers at your local home improvement store.
We’ll update this list as we find new deals during Amazon’s October Prime Day 2025 sale. And if you’re looking to save money on more of the latest technology, visit PCWorld’s Amazon Prime Day Tech Deals 2025 hub.
Frequently asked questions about buying a robot lawn mower
1.
I’ve seen numerous acronyms in robot mower product descriptions. What do they mean?
AWD and RWD are the most obvious. Most mowers will be rear-wheel-drive (RWD), but more expensive mowers come in all-wheel-drive (AWD) models.
RTK stands for Real-Time Kinematic Positioning. This technology helps correct for errors present in GPS, due to the movement of the mower itself. RTK mowers will be more accurate in positioning than those that rely on GPS alone.
LiDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging, and uses laser pulses to detect obstructions and reference points by measuring the amount of reflection back. Mowers with LiDAR will have superior low-light and nighttime mowing capabilities.
AI, or artificial intelligence, is also increasingly found in robot mowers. The application will vary. While some mowers use it to better detect obstacles, some mowers take it even further and learn and adjust over time using ML, or machine learning.
2.
What does the yard capacity really mean?
Manufacturers measure the maximum capacity by the amount of yard a robot mower can cover over 24 hours, including idle time from charging. In other words, if you had your robot in operation continuously, the maximum capacity is the amount of mowing it could do.
There are a few key points to keep in mind. First, your property acreage includes land occupied by other structures and obstructions (such as your house, trees, garden, pavement, etc.). Additionally, you do not want your robot mower to work continuously, as it will shorten its usable life significantly.
The trick is to find the happy medium between the actual acreage of the grass on your lawn and the capacity of your robot mower. Using tools like Google Maps can also help you estimate your yard space better.
3.
I have a lot of trees or obstructions in my yard. Is a robot mower going to work?
Not if your mower is based primarily or entirely on GPS positioning, unless you have a place to put the GPS antenna above those obstructions. In this case, we’d recommend a mower like the Eufy E15, Eufy E18, or Ecovacs GOAT A3000 (or any mower that uses vision for navigation).
4.
Do I need to lay down boundary wire?
Not anymore. Robot mower technology has advanced far enough that even the most affordable mowers are now boundary-wire-free. We’ve removed boundary-wire mowers from our recommendations based on our experience.
You should keep in mind that not all boundary-wire-free mowers are equal: we recommend models that use more than just GPS to navigate your yard for the best (and most problem-free) results.
5.
I like the idea of controlling my mower, versus letting it run around autonomously, but the price of the Mowrator series is nuts. Are there any other remote-controlled options?
We’re not sure if Mowrator was the catalyst, but such a feature has become quite common in mowers we’ve tested in the past year or two. Mammotion and UBHome both offer this feature at about half the price. You should bear in mind, however, that the Mowrator is controlled by an RF remote. These other options are controlled through your Wi-Fi network, which will not be as responsive.
6.
I hear robot mowers are temperamental. Is that true?
Yes, but nowhere near the degree as we’ve seen in previous years. Of all the mowers we tested this season, only one has had serious issues. In previous years, there were multiple. To minimize this, we recommend following the manufacturer’s instructions and not pushing the limits of your mower until you understand how it handles your yard. While we’ve moved out of the “early adopter” phase, the state of the art is not yet perfect.
We’ll update this list as we find new deals during Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days. And if you’re looking to save money on more of the latest technology, visit PCWorld’s Amazon Prime Big Deal Days hub.
Achieving that perfectly manicured lawn is a whole lot less time-consuming now that a robot can do the job for you. Over the long term, a robot lawn mower will cost a whole lot less than hiring a landscaper—and it won’t expect a tip every week and during the winter holidays.
Top-of-the-line robot mowers cost a pretty penny, but they can climb slopes and handle very large yards (we’re talking acres of grass). While early robot lawn mowers required you to lay down a boundary wire to prevent them from wandering out of your yard, each of the mowers listed here uses advanced navigation technology to eliminate the need for any wires.
We’ve already spotted some terrific robot lawn mowers deals ahead of next week’s Amazon Prime Big Deal Days, and we expect plenty more as Amazon’s two-day shopping event gets underway. Just remember that the sale runs for just two days–Monday October 8 and Tuesday October 9–so don’t wait too long to scoop up the best discounts.
The LawnMaster OcuMow is well-suited to smaller yards—up to 1/6 of an acre (7,260 square feet)—and it doesn’t require a boundary wire. You can pick one up this Prime Day at a 25% discount at Amazon, bringing its final price to just $600.
Another choice for smaller yards, the Ecovacs GOAT O1000 RTKcan handle up to 1/4 acres of lawn, and it’s on sale for just $785, a 22% discount. We recommend you take advantage of this deal, especially if you own other Ecovacs products.
Anthbot says its Genie 600 robot lawn mower uses AI to avoid obstacles as it mows lawns up to .22 acres (9,583 sq ft). And since it relies on GPS technology for navigation, it doesn’t require a boundary wire. You can clip a coupon at Amazon to get a $200 discount on the mower, bringing its final price down to $789.
You’ll need a robot mower with a powerful motor and all-wheel drive–the Mowrator S1 is shown here–to tackle a sloped yard.
Ed Oswald/Foundry
We’re in the midst of testing the UBHome M10, just in time for a significant sale on Amazon. While this mower’s GPS has somewhat finicky at times, it mows as well, if not better, than some robots priced much higher. Right now, you can score this mower for $1,099, a 27% discount after clipping a $200 coupon. That’s the best deal we’ve seen on Amazon this year.
The Eufy Robot Lawn Mower E15 can handle lawns up to .2 acres in size (8,712 sq ft) and is getting a generous 39% discount on Prime Day, dropping its price tag to $1,400. Need more coverage? The Eufy Robot Lawn Mower E18 can tackle lawns up to .3 acres (13,068 sq ft), and it can climb up to an 18-degree incline. You can pick one up for $1,600–a 38% discount off its $2,600 MSRP.
We tested last year’s Mammotion Yuka model and currently have the Luba Mini AWD in our test yard. The Mammotion Luba Mini AWD 800H handles quarter-acre yards, and its cutting-height range of 2.2 to 4.0 inches is more suitable for U.S. yards. You can save 25% on Amazon, bringing its price down to $1,199, a $400 discount.
If you have a larger lawn to mow, the bigger Mammotion Luba 2 AWD 5000HX handles yards up to 1.5 acres and is on sale for $2,399, a 20% discount.
Segway’s H-series mowers are also on sale. Launched in 2023, these predecessors to the Segway i-series mowers (we tested the i110n) are still very capable. They’re rated to handle larger yards and have slightly better slope capabilities, although with slightly less accurate navigation. The .38-acre Segway Navimow H1500N-VF is on sale for $1,599, a 27% discount, while the .74-acre Navimow H3000N-VF is gets a 23% discount to $1,999.
While any of the above options would be more than sufficient for most yards and uses, there are those of us who might find these options a little pedestrian. Well, we’ve spotted a few deals for you, too.
The Mowrator immediately comes to mind. Since we tested the original all-wheel drive model, a 2WD model, the S1 AWD was launched. While stock is limited, a $370 coupon is available on Amazon, reducing its price to $2,129–a 15% discount.
If that’s not enough for you, select configurations of the Yarbo multi-purpose yard robot also have special promotional coupons available through Amazon. The Yarbo Core + Snowblower Module bundle is available with a $300 coupon, bringing its price down to $4,699. A $300 coupon is also available for the Yarbo Core + Snowblower + Lawn Mower bundle, which reduces the price for the robot and two accessories to $5,829.
If you already own the Yarbo Core, the Snowblower Module is on sale for $1,199 after you clip a $100 coupon during Prime Big Deal Days. That’s not much more than most equally sized push snowblowers at your local home improvement store.
We’ll update this list as we find new deals during Amazon’s October Prime Day 2025 sale. And if you’re looking to save money on more of the latest technology, visit PCWorld’s Amazon Prime Day Tech Deals 2025 hub.
Frequently asked questions about buying a robot lawn mower
1.
I’ve seen numerous acronyms in robot mower product descriptions. What do they mean?
AWD and RWD are the most obvious. Most mowers will be rear-wheel-drive (RWD), but more expensive mowers come in all-wheel-drive (AWD) models.
RTK stands for Real-Time Kinematic Positioning. This technology helps correct for errors present in GPS, due to the movement of the mower itself. RTK mowers will be more accurate in positioning than those that rely on GPS alone.
LiDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging, and uses laser pulses to detect obstructions and reference points by measuring the amount of reflection back. Mowers with LiDAR will have superior low-light and nighttime mowing capabilities.
AI, or artificial intelligence, is also increasingly found in robot mowers. The application will vary. While some mowers use it to better detect obstacles, some mowers take it even further and learn and adjust over time using ML, or machine learning.
2.
What does the yard capacity really mean?
Manufacturers measure the maximum capacity by the amount of yard a robot mower can cover over 24 hours, including idle time from charging. In other words, if you had your robot in operation continuously, the maximum capacity is the amount of mowing it could do.
There are a few key points to keep in mind. First, your property acreage includes land occupied by other structures and obstructions (such as your house, trees, garden, pavement, etc.). Additionally, you do not want your robot mower to work continuously, as it will shorten its usable life significantly.
The trick is to find the happy medium between the actual acreage of the grass on your lawn and the capacity of your robot mower. Using tools like Google Maps can also help you estimate your yard space better.
3.
I have a lot of trees or obstructions in my yard. Is a robot mower going to work?
Not if your mower is based primarily or entirely on GPS positioning, unless you have a place to put the GPS antenna above those obstructions. In this case, we’d recommend a mower like the Eufy E15, Eufy E18, or Ecovacs GOAT A3000 (or any mower that uses vision for navigation).
4.
Do I need to lay down boundary wire?
Not anymore. Robot mower technology has advanced far enough that even the most affordable mowers are now boundary-wire-free. We’ve removed boundary-wire mowers from our recommendations based on our experience.
You should keep in mind that not all boundary-wire-free mowers are equal: we recommend models that use more than just GPS to navigate your yard for the best (and most problem-free) results.
5.
I like the idea of controlling my mower, versus letting it run around autonomously, but the price of the Mowrator series is nuts. Are there any other remote-controlled options?
We’re not sure if Mowrator was the catalyst, but such a feature has become quite common in mowers we’ve tested in the past year or two. Mammotion and UBHome both offer this feature at about half the price. You should bear in mind, however, that the Mowrator is controlled by an RF remote. These other options are controlled through your Wi-Fi network, which will not be as responsive.
6.
I hear robot mowers are temperamental. Is that true?
Yes, but nowhere near the degree as we’ve seen in previous years. Of all the mowers we tested this season, only one has had serious issues. In previous years, there were multiple. To minimize this, we recommend following the manufacturer’s instructions and not pushing the limits of your mower until you understand how it handles your yard. While we’ve moved out of the “early adopter” phase, the state of the art is not yet perfect.
We’ll update this list as we find new deals during Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days. And if you’re looking to save money on more of the latest technology, visit PCWorld’s Amazon Prime Big Deal Days hub.
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