MOVA ViAX 500 test: Handy AI robot mower for gardens up to 500 m²

The robotic mower market has developed rapidly in recent years. Away from sluggish random machines that had to be laboriously locked in using perimeter wires – towards intelligent devices that map and navigate independently and require hardly any set-up effort. The MOVA ViAX 500 is a wireless robotic mower that completely dispenses with perimeter wires, RTK stations or antennas and instead relies on AI-supported mapping. I have extensively tested the mower for lawns of up to 500 m² and show you the pros and cons.

Technical data of the MOVA ViAX 500

Model	MOVA Viax 500
Recommended mowing area	500 m²
Cutting height	20 to 60 mm (infinitely variable)
Cutting width	20 cm
Max. incline	40% (22°)
Navigation system	UltraEyes 2.0 (AI Dual-Vision + 360° LiDAR)
Charging time	approx. 45 min
Noise level	59 dB
Dimensions and weight Robot lawn mower	380.4 × 595.1 × 271.9 mm and 9.4 kg
Charging station dimensions	481 × 770 × 309 mm
Price	€ 569.00 *

Scope of delivery of the MOVA 500 ViAX

• MOVA Viax 500 robotic lawnmower
• Base station
• Ground pegs + Allen key
• Spare blades + screwdriver
• Microfiber cloth for lens cleaning
• power supply
• Operating instructions
• Quick Start Guide

Design and processing of the MOVA ViAX 500

The MOVA ViAX 500 comes in a dark matt gray and combines this with black plastic elements. This is a typical MOVA color scheme, which is already familiar from other models of the brand such as the MOVA 600 or the MOVA LiDAX Ultra 1000 AWD. The red STOP button on the top is easy to reach and provides a striking accent.

The workmanship is robust and solid, even if the design is not quite on a par with premium models. The wheels make a decent impression and, with their deep tread, radiate off-road capability. This promises good traction and prevents slipping or getting stuck on slopes. According to MOVA, slopes of up to 40% should be no problem for the robot lawn mower.

This is definitely noticeable in practice. Even on slightly damp surfaces, the ViAX 500 has no problems keeping the track. The control unit is located on the top, which is protected by a plastic cover with a high-gloss finish.

In addition to various buttons, there is also a simple rotary switch for adjusting the cutting height. This makes it easy to set the cutting height between 2 and 6 cm – a direct, mechanical solution without having to type in an app, which I personally really appreciate.

With a weight of 9.4 kg, the device is comparatively light for a robotic lawnmower. The practical trough in the housing at the back makes it easy to transport from A to B. This makes it easy to carry the Robo to its garage in an emergency.

Setup and commissioning

MOVA promises a set-up time of around 10 minutes for lawns up to 500 m². In my opinion, this is a little ambitious. It took me around 20 minutes to set up my 100 m² lawn. Nevertheless, I have to praise the typically uncomplicated set-up that models without boundary wires and RTK antenna have to offer. Set up the charging station, switch on the device, open the app, establish a WLAN connection and off you go on your first mapping trip.

You are spoiled for choice during the mapping trip. The system allows you to choose whether you want to create a lawn map automatically or manually. While the ViAX should be able to recognize lawn edges and borders automatically when mapping automatically, you can steer it like a remote-controlled car through the garden and drive along the edges when mapping manually. I opted for manual mapping when setting it up, as the automatic alternative was a little imprecise for my taste. However, this may vary from garden to garden.

As soon as the map has been created, you can still make adjustments in the app. If the result meets the user’s expectations, the first mowing tour is almost imminent. First you make adjustments such as the mowing mode (standard or efficient) and choose between a checkerboard or cross pattern. All in all, the set-up was really easy. You can find out more about cordless mowing and what generally needs to be considered in our guide: Robot lawn mower without boundary wire: What really matters.

MOVA app

Control is via the MOVAhome app, which is available for iOS and Android. The interface is tidy and self-explanatory. After the first mapping run, the app shows a detailed map of the garden on which mowing areas, restricted zones and paths between areas can be entered. The ViAX 500 offers a total of 5 mowing modes as well as dual-map management, zone settings and the option to create schedules directly via the app.

In practice, this means that I can, for example, manage the lawn in front of the house and the back patio separately and set different cutting frequencies. After creating the map, the app automatically generates an initial schedule, which can of course be adjusted at any time. Two separate schedules are available in the mowing modes “All areas”, “Area” and “Edge” – sufficient for most everyday situations.

We have already established in the MOVA P70 Pro Ultra test and the MOVA V70 Ultra Complete that MOVA also offers strong app experiences for robot hoovers – the app philosophy is recognizably consistent. The only point of criticism: A stable Wi-Fi connection is essential for the full range of functions. If you have the router far away from the garden, you should consider a Wi-Fi repeater, as remote control and live feed are not possible without a network connection.

One fun feature is its use as a mobile surveillance camera. You can have the ViAX patrol your garden and keep an eye out for anything unusual. The whole thing can then be conveniently monitored as live video via the app. This is particularly practical if you want to keep an eye on your property while you’re out and about.

Navigation and obstacle detection

In contrast to many other LiDAR robotic lawnmowers, the ViAX 500 does not have the typical hemisphere on the top. Nevertheless, the robot relies on proven laser navigation, but uses a slightly modified system. The technical heart of the ViAX 500 is the UltraEyes 2.0 system. It combines two HDR cameras with a 3D LiDAR sensor for automatic mapping, edge detection and route optimization. The two Ultra HDR AI cameras in conjunction with the 360° LiDAR ensure high-precision perception of the surroundings and enable safe mowing even in narrow passages and on complex landforms.

In practice, the obstacle detection is truly impressive. The system recognizes over 300 different objects – including toys, pets and small animals – and reliably avoids both moving and stationary obstacles. My garden hose, which I had once laid across the lawn, was detected and avoided without a hitch. The same applied to my plastic hedgehog family, which I like to place as an obstacle on the lawn in my robotic lawnmower tests.

It even reliably avoided my flat garden lawn, which is anything but a matter of course. Even under trees or in narrow passages where satellite signals are weak or non-existent, navigation remains reliable thanks to the camera- and LiDAR-based positioning. This is a clear advantage over purely GPS-based systems with an RTK antenna, such as an ANTHBOT M9. However, even the ViAX 500 reaches its limits on very uneven terrain, such as pronounced molehills.

It masters small bumps and minor unevenness without any problems; larger hills, on the other hand, can occasionally cause it to stop and wait for help. However, as this hardly ever happened in my test garden, it didn’t bother me. Incidentally, thanks to the intelligent U-shaped path planning, the ViAX 500 follows the most efficient route every time and thus not only ensures thorough, even coverage of the lawn. On top of that, I could rely on it to find its way back to the charging station every time.

Mowing performance of the MOVA ViAX 500

With a cutting width of 20 cm and an adjustable cutting height of between 2 and 6 cm, the ViAX 500 covers what the average garden needs. According to the manufacturer, it manages 400 m² per 24 hours in standard mode and up to 600 m² in efficiency mode – whereby the latter is a comfortable buffer for the recommended maximum mowing area of 500 m². The cutting system is floating, which compensates for any unevenness and still promises even mowing.

The flexible mower blade suspension ensures gentle vertical movements and thus guarantees an even mowing result, even on different terrain conditions. This can be seen in the cutting pattern: after a round with the ViAX 500, the lawn looks neat and even – no missed stripes, no irregular cutting depths on my test area. On denser, slightly wetter grass, the working speed slows down noticeably, but this is completely normal and does not affect the cutting pattern.

In general, the ViAX 500 is not the fastest. It needed just under an hour in standard mode for my approx. 100 m² lawn. That doesn’t bother me at all. After all, its noise level of 59 dB is hardly noticeable. The ViAX 500 simply runs in the background without really being a nuisance. However, there is one weakness when mowing – mowing around the edges. The ViAX 500 simply lacks an extendable mowing disc or other edge mowing technology such as that offered by the ECOVACS GOAT O1200.

The situation is different, of course, if the lawn edges are level with the lawn itself. In this case, the MOVA can simply drive over them so that the mowing disc can also reach over the edge. The robotic lawnmower automatically returns to the charging station when a configurable minimum battery level is reached and continues mowing at the interrupted point after recharging. According to the manufacturer, the charging time is around 45 minutes – a realistic value in my test.

Conclusion on the MOVA ViAX 500

The MOVA ViAX 500 is a solid, technically well-equipped robotic lawnmower for gardens up to 500 m², which is not only attractive because of its great price-performance ratio. On top of that, it scores points for being very easy and, above all, quick to set up. The U-shaped navigation strategy ensures a clean, seamless mowing pattern and the reliable obstacle detection convinced me in practice. It is also suitable for smaller gardens and the app is intuitive enough to get started without a long learning curve. Anyone looking for an uncomplicated, comparatively inexpensive entry into the world of cordless mowing and doesn’t have a particularly demanding garden geometry will be happy with the ViAX 500. Weaknesses are evident on very uneven terrain, when mowing around the edges and with poor WLAN coverage in the garden.