MOVA has used IFA 2026 in Berlin to unveil 22 new products and 15 technologies, expanding its ambitions beyond conventional smart appliances into robotic lawn care, advanced floor cleaning and embodied artificial intelligence.

Under the banner “The AI MOVAment”, the company is showcasing technology spanning home cleaning, outdoor appliances, smart kitchens, pet care and robotics across more than 1,700 square metres of exhibition space.

Among the more unusual developments is TactiPercept, a sensing system designed to effectively give robot vacuum cleaners a sense of touch.

Rather than relying solely on cameras and other conventional navigation sensors, TactiPercept combines visual recognition with 128 pressure sensors and a flexible cushioning structure. Real-time pressure information allows a compatible robot to recognise physical contact with furniture, walls and other objects and alter its behaviour accordingly.

For example, a robot can slow when it makes gentle contact with an obstacle, maintain controlled contact with a wall when cleaning edges and use tactile information to help recover when it becomes stuck.

MOVA is also developing new communication technology for robotic pool cleaners. Its upgraded AquaSonar system uses ultrasonic communication to maintain a connection while the cleaner is underwater, where conventional Wi-Fi signals cannot operate reliably.

Instead of requiring a separate floating communication device, MOVA has integrated the relay into the robot’s dock. The system is intended to allow users to monitor the cleaner and access controls while reducing the amount of additional equipment required around a pool.

Outdoor appliances are another major focus for MOVA at IFA, including technology aimed at eliminating one of the persistent shortcomings of robotic lawn mowers: grass left around the edges of lawns.

The new LiDAX Ultra Gen 2 incorporates UltraTrim 3.0, which adds a dedicated cutting disc to the right side of the mower. MOVA claims the system can achieve a 0cm edge gap along walls, fences and hedges.

Where grass meets a hard surface at the same level, the mower can travel across the boundary and trim the edge during the same pass.

MOVA is also demonstrating UltraTrim 4.0, which takes a more sophisticated approach using an adaptive robotic edging arm extending beyond the mower’s body. Its floating mechanism follows changes in the terrain, while users can select cutting heights of 4cm, 5cm or 6cm.

The arm can automatically retract when it encounters an obstacle, potentially allowing the mower to handle more complicated gardens containing pathways, flower beds and uneven surfaces.

MOVA cites Frost & Sullivan research from December 2025 identifying it as the world’s largest LiDAR robotic lawn mower brand by sales volume.

Perhaps the company’s most ambitious IFA exhibit is AstraX, its first robotic lawn mower equipped with a multi-function robotic arm.

Interchangeable attachments allow AstraX to perform jobs extending well beyond cutting grass. MOVA says its AI vision system can identify an object obstructing the mower’s path and use the arm to move it before continuing to mow.

A two-finger gripper can also pick fruit from low positions, while another attachment enables the machine to water designated areas according to a schedule.

MOVA is demonstrating the technology at IFA through what it describes as the world’s first robotic mower arm show, with multiple AstraX machines performing synchronised arm movements.

The company is looking beyond lawn care with Knot 80, a humanoid-inspired robotic hand and arm designed to demonstrate how future household robots could physically interact with everyday objects.

Knot 80 combines 3D spatial sensing with intelligent grasp control. The hand has 11 independently movable joints, while the complete robotic arm system has 15 articulated joints.

MOVA says the system can identify the position and orientation of different objects, determine an appropriate way to pick them up and adjust its gripping force between 25 and 50N. Visual feedback then allows the robot to make adjustments while performing the movement.

While Knot 80 is currently a demonstration of MOVA’s embodied AI technology rather than a conventional household appliance, the company sees potential for similar systems to eventually perform tasks involving cleaning, organisation, storage and moving objects around the home.

The IFA announcements represent a significant expansion of MOVA’s technology portfolio as the company attempts to position itself as a broader AI smart-living brand rather than primarily a floorcare manufacturer.

That strategy is particularly relevant to Australia. MOVA has been expanding its local presence across floorcare, outdoor equipment, kitchen appliances and other smart-home categories, with products now distributed through major retailers including JB Hi-Fi, The Good Guys and Harvey Norman.

However, MOVA has not confirmed Australian availability for all of the products and technologies being demonstrated at IFA 2026. Products such as AstraX and technologies including TactiPercept, UltraTrim 4.0 and Knot 80 should therefore be viewed as part of the company’s global technology roadmap until specific Australian launch plans are announced.