I’ve now been involved in 3!!! impacts to RTK antenna whereby the auto-detection of obstacles doesn’t detect a trailer or low hanging branch. In each circumstance, the RTK antenna mounts are broken off, oftentimes further damaging the antenna wiring connectors. I’ve also had 1 instance of the HaLow antenna breaking off.
It is a major design flaw of the Yarbo core that the cameras do not have enough field of vision to correctly account for, and therefore avoid, these situations. Why would you have something sticking out the top of the Yarbo core that you can not protect against with software?
The answer I’ve received from Yarbo is that I need to always ensure I create new no-go zones each time I move something around my yard. This is not a sufficient answer. Yarbo must be redesigned to prevent these issues. I have had other autonomous mowers, each with a smooth back (no antennas sticking up!) that prevented any damage if the mower got into uncertain areas.
We are so sorry to hear about the issues you’ve been facing with the antennas. We understand how frustrating it must be to deal with frequent damage, and we truly empathize with your situation. We’ve noted your support ticket and will arrange for a replacement as soon as possible.
Regarding the design of the stick-out antennas, this is actually done to improve signal reception. We know that other mowers might have different designs, but for the Yarbo Core, which has a firm steel body frame, the signal reception can be weakened by the metal if the antennas are not sticking out. Therefore, we currently do not have plans to change this design.
We understand that the obstacle avoidance feature is crucial in these situations, and we are actively working on improving this with new technology. We will update you as soon as we have progress.
As a temporary workaround, you can try adjusting the no-go zone and obstacle bypass settings to help resolve the issue. We apologize for all the inconvenience you’ve experienced and promise that we are committed to improving the product for a better user experience.
I agree with you that creating no go zones each time something changes or is parked somewhere (like your driveway) is just downright bad design. It’s shocking to me that the cameras can’t detect large objects like cars, trailers, etc… and just rams right into them causing all kinds of damage. Yarbo has to use the driveway in my yard to navigate to the front/back yard locations. It’s not an option to make the whole driveway a no go zone. I HOPE they seriously fix this issue and provide it to all current owners (whatever it is) at no charge.
@Yarbo-Forum unfortunately my rtk antenna got decapitated as well! too bad because yarbo was doing a great job. I reached out to yarbo support and they’re sending me a replacement antenna. I’m hoping to get it pretty soon and that replacement is not an ordeal. I guess I’ll be more careful about planning no go zones in the future
How long did it take to have them decide to send a new antenna? I’m going on a week and being told my case is under investigation after it collided with my fire pit, bending the frame and breaking both antennae. My Yarbo is non-functional currently because of it.
My yarbo just broke off an RTK antenna driving under a forsythia bush. That’s with the new app version 3.15.0 set to moderate bypass. Why don’t you make the antennas stronger or offer a brush deflector? This is just flimsy plastic–at $19 each!
