The mower would like a hand.

Before a robot can mow the lawn, somebody usually has to remove the things that are not lawn. The tennis ball. The abandoned toy. The small archaeological collection beside the hedge.

At IFA Berlin, MOVA introduced AstraX, an arm-equipped mower with interchangeable tool heads. The company describes obstacle removal, low-level fruit picking and watering. That is a more interesting ambition than another promise of perfectly parallel stripes: change the scene, then continue the job.

MOVA describes interchangeable tool heads on AstraX for tasks including obstacle removal, watering and low-level fruit picking. Those functions are manufacturer claims from an IFA showcase.

It also creates harder questions. Which objects should be moved? Where should they go? What deserves to be left alone? A garden is a fairly relaxed place until a machine develops an opinion about its contents.

For now, treat AstraX as a manufacturer showcase. The announcement provides no retail price or shipping date, and we have not tested it. A performance on a show floor is a beginning, not a season in your garden.

Moving an object changes the task: the machine must choose what to pick up and where to put it. The announcement does not establish a retail offer or a season of reliable operation.

Invented robot voice: “Obstacle detected. Previous instruction: avoid obstacle. Updated instruction: relocate obstacle. Clarification requested: is the gnome decorative, migratory, or senior management?”