Home robotics glossary: the terms on every spec sheet, explained
Plain-English definitions of the terms you will meet when shopping for robot mowers, vacuums, pool cleaners and kits, from RTK and LiDAR to Pa and IPX ratings.
The quick answer
This glossary explains the technical terms used on robot product pages in plain language: navigation terms like RTK, LiDAR and vSLAM, performance figures like Pa and slope percent, and ownership terms like IPX ratings, OTA updates and auto-empty docks.
- AWD (all-wheel drive)
- Power sent to every wheel for grip on slopes and rough ground. Common on robot mowers built for steeper lawns.
- Auto-empty dock
- A base station that sucks the robot vacuum’s bin into a larger bag, so you empty it every few weeks instead of after every run.
- Boundary wire
- A low-voltage wire laid around a lawn that tells a robot mower where to turn.
- Cliff sensor
- A downward-facing sensor that stops a robot vacuum from falling down stairs or ledges.
- Geofencing
- An alert or lock that triggers if a device leaves a defined area, used for robot mower theft protection.
- GNSS
- Global Navigation Satellite Systems, the umbrella term for GPS and the other satellite positioning networks.
- IPX rating
- Water resistance rating. IPX5 and IPX6 resist water jets; higher numbers mean more protection. Pool robots are designed for submersion.
- LiDAR
- Light Detection and Ranging. A laser measures distances to build a map. Used in robot vacuums and mowers; works in the dark.
- LDS
- Laser Distance Sensor, the spinning LiDAR unit on top of many robot vacuums.
- Mulching
- Cutting grass into fine clippings that fall back into the lawn as fertilizer, instead of collecting them.
- No-go zone
- An area drawn in the app that the robot will not enter.
- OTA update
- Over-the-air software update delivered through Wi-Fi or cellular, adding features and fixes.
- Pa (pascal)
- Unit of pressure used for vacuum suction. Higher generally means stronger suction, but brands measure differently.
- RTK
- Real-Time Kinematic positioning. A reference station corrects satellite errors for centimeter-level accuracy.
- Slope percent
- Rise divided by run, times 100. A 45° slope is 100%.
- Structured light
- A projected light pattern a robot reads with a camera to detect the shape of obstacles in front of it.
- vSLAM
- Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping. Building a map and locating the robot within it using cameras.
- Waterline
- The band around a pool wall at water level, where oils and dirt collect into a visible line.
- Zone mowing
- Dividing a lawn into areas with separate schedules or settings in the app.
Your questions, answered.
What is the difference between LiDAR and vSLAM?
LiDAR maps with a laser and works in any light; vSLAM maps with cameras by recognizing visual features and generally needs light.
What does IPX6 mean?
It means the device resists powerful water jets, so a robot mower rated IPX6 can be rinsed down and left in the rain.
What does OTA mean on a robot?
Over-the-air: software updates delivered wirelessly through the app.