In previous blog posts, we introduced you to the revolutionary concept behind the Yarbo robot property maintenance system. We also discussed the Yarbo robot snowblower’s price point.
We based those blogs on everything we knew at the time about Yarbo from trade show demos (like when we interviewed Yarbo at the EQUIP Expo) and industry publications. However, the Yarbo 3-in-1 property maintenance system was still in prototype mode, so we couldn’t review the actual Yarbo robot yet.
Until now.
The Yarbo base unit (the Y1) and the snowblower attachment (the Yarbo S1) are now available. So we got a hold of them and played around with them. Not because we love these things the way kids love Pokemon cards. Oh, no. We did this solely as a sacrifice for you, our dear readers, to give you the most in-depth information possible.
You can see our thoughts in the video below. Otherwise, read on to hear our reflections of the pros and cons of the Yarbo machines available so far.
What Is Yarbo?
To our shock and dismay, we were recently told that not everyone reads every single one of our posts. (Our family told us this because apparently we kept strutting around like we were super important.) As a result, you may not be fully familiar with the Yarbo robot property maintenance system. If not, let’s give a quick primer.
What makes the Yarbo robot unique? Modularity. What does that mean? Basically, it’s that you are getting several robotic property maintenance machines rolled into one. The Yarbo robot has a base unit (Y1). Upon that base, you can add several different attachments to help automate your property maintenance.
What attachments are available? The Yarbo S1 (i.e. the Yarbo snow blower) is out now. The Yarbo M1 (aka the Yarbo robotic mower) will be released this spring. And Yarbo plans to release a leaf blower attachment this fall. That is why you will often hear references to a Yarbo 3-in-1 system.
But, those attachments are only the beginning for the Yarbo robot. The ultimate plan is incredibly ambitious, but if successful, everything you do to maintain your property could be automated by just one machine. A sweeper attachment, a plow attachment, a sprinkler attachment…honestly, we start salivating just thinking of all the possibilities!
OK, now that you know the basics of the Yarbo robot system, let’s move on to our first in-depth look. After all, if you are anything like us, you can’t wait to see how the Yarbo works!
Our In-Depth Review of the Yarbo Robot: Our Experience So Far
For this video, we were able to look big picture at both the Yarbo Y1 and Yarbo S1. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on whom you ask), we weren’t able to test the Yarbo S1’s actual snow removal capabilities. Why? Well, because at our headquarters, we simply haven’t gotten any snow yet. (We aren’t exactly known for huge snowfall totals.)
But still, we were able to run a lot of general testing. Our overall impression? The Yarbo robot is a really high-quality and innovative product in many ways. In fact, we would even categorize some aspects of the Yarbo robot as game-changing.
Below, we lay out some key components of the Yarbo 3-in-1 system in general and give our thoughts. In our next blog, we will get into more specifics about our initial reactions to the Yarbo S1.
Quality of Parts and Engineering
We will be honest: the price of the Yarbo robotic system is higher than most other brands. As such, you would expect that Yarbo is composed of high-quality materials. You would also expect that the Yarbo robot would be engineered well. In other words, that Yarbo would feature innovative components that would help the machine do its job even better or that aid the user experience.
We are happy to report that the Yarbo robot features both–in abundance.
First Impressions of the Yarbo Robot
The quality of the machine and the user-friendliness of the company was evident right from the unboxing experience. We recognize that might seem like an odd statement, but these first impressions matter. Some companies ship their robotic property maintenance machines in containers without clear markings. Not so with Yarbo. All the parts were clearly labeled. In fact, we wish Yarbo could come and organize the junk drawers in our kitchens…can’t ever find that damn singing bottle opener…
Weight
Another aspect of the Yarbo robot we noticed right away is that the base unit (Yarbo Y1) is heavy. It feels like you are lifting a little tank. That tells us two things: 1. The parts are high-quality. 2. Yarbo knows that the base unit needs to be heavy and have a low center of gravity. After all, part of the function is for the Yarbo robot to move over snow and ice, and the heft helps it do just that.
Treads
Similarly, the Yarbo robot’s base features circular treads, also ideal for handling on snow and ice. If that isn’t enough grip, you can even install studs on these treads. We took the Yarbo robot to a park and had it climb steep hills. It had no troubles at all.
Attachment Movement
We noticed that the modules (aka attachments) do not move nearly as well as the base unit. While that could be considered a drawback, this design is on purpose so that the attachment stays low to the ground and steady while clearing snow or mowing.
Obstacle Avoidance
Obstacle avoidance is clearly important with any robotic lawn care machine. You don’t want the unit crashing into trees or, worse yet, hitting people or pets.
Yarbo has really gone above and beyond with their object avoidance. This is one of the best systems we have seen. The base features two side-facing cameras. The attachments have a front-facing camera. These are high-quality cameras. The Yarbo robot also comes equipped with millimeter wave radar. Put it together, and the system is very sensitive. Unlike other machines, the Yarbo doesn’t need to hit its bumper on something to come to a stop. If the Yarbo robot detects an object, it moves around it. And even if a pedestrian is over 15 feet away, The Yarbo will simply stop. And, it will alert you as to why it stopped.
During our testing, we actually had to hide, or the unit would detect us and then stop. So, if there is any drawback at all, the Yarbo obstacle avoidance might be a little too sensitive. However, we would much rather have a machine that is too sensitive than not sensitive enough. This way, the Yarbo protects itself, and it protects your property. And if you are using the Yarbo robot commercially, this advanced object avoidance also keeps you protected from liability.
We thought this was one of the best features of the Yarbo system.
That said, we do need to call out one flaw that we noticed. As of right now, the Yarbo does not feature a camera in the rear of the unit. As such, the obstacle avoidance system does not work well if the unit is moving backwards. The company is working on a solution to this problem, but still, we felt we needed to point it out as a limitation.
Hitch
One other innovation that we thought was a potential game-changer was the hitch. Yes, you read that right. The Yarbo robot has a hitch attached. Soon, attachments for tongue weight will be available, and you can use the Yarbo to move boats, small trailers, and more. In fact, the plan is for the Yarbo Y1 to move at least 3,000 pounds!
Signal and Connectivity
Of course, another key factor we need to consider when we evaluate any robotic lawn care machine is how well it connects to the internet, to satellites, and to your phone.
Once again, the Yarbo robot excelled in this area. The machine can connect in many different ways (Wifi, 4G, LoRa, and RTK). In our testing, they all worked well. (Though we found that making the machine its own mobile hotspot was better than trying to connect to Wifi.) And of course, the fact that the Yarbo robot has so many different ways to connect means that you should never lose connection. Indeed, the Yarbo robot can automatically switch to another method if one is lost.
In our testing at the local park, we ran the Yarbo robot under some heavy tree cover to see if that would impact the signal. We were very impressed because the Yarbo just kept going.
Of course, to set everything up, you need one more key connection: a connection to a good app. We will discuss the Yarbo app in more depth in our next blog post because we used it in-depth to set up the snowblower. However, spoiler alert: the app is excellent. It’s super intuitive and user-friendly. And if you ever need to, you can also run the Yarbo robot using a manual controller.
Battery and Charging
One other key element to any autonomous property maintenance system is the power supply. You need one with enough power for the intended tasks (See our post about battery life in robotic mowers for a more in-depth discussion.) And of course, you need a system that can reliably recharge as needed for continuous autonomous operation.
As we have said about many elements throughout our review, the Yarbo system rises above the competition in this area. First off, the battery is massive (38.4 AH Li-Ion) and extremely durable.
But the biggest innovation, the one that made us the most excited, is the charging system. For the first time that we have seen in the industry, a company has gone wireless. The Yarbo robot just drives onto the charging mat, and the charging begins. Again, the brilliance of this lies in the fact that Yarbo is intended for all seasons. So especially in the winter, you do not have to worry about contacts getting covered on a Yarbo charging station. Instead, the machine can just drive up onto it, clean the station off if necessary, and begin charging.
One more innovation we have to point out about the charging station is that the Yarbo battery is removable. For one, this leads to easy maintenance. But soon, Yarbo intends for these batteries to serve as charging stations. So you can bring a power source with you if you need it. How cool is that?!?!?
Summary: Our First Impression of the Yarbo Robot
Suffice it to say that we are extremely impressed with what we have seen of Yarbo so far. This is definitely one of the most high-quality and innovative products that we have seen in the industry in quite some time.
If you are interested in purchasing anything from
Do you have any questions about the Yarbo robot? Interested in checking out a demo yourself? Check out our page devoted to Yarbo products. There, you can get some more detailed specs, or you can fill out your contact information, and we will be happy to chat.
In the meantime, we will just keep marveling over our new toy.
