Most robot mowers assume your lawn is basically flat. Once slopes, dips, or uneven patches come into play, cutting height can vary and the mower can end up shaving one section too close while barely touching another. After seeing Sunseeker’s new Elite X9 Series at CES, it’s clear the company took a very different approach. They’re aiming beyond standard residential mowing and pushing into commercial-level capability – but with features that directly benefit anyone with a challenging yard.
What immediately stood out to me is the Elite X9’s independent suspension system. Instead of letting the whole body tilt with the terrain, the suspension keeps the cutting deck level even when the ground isn’t. On slopes or uneven sections, the deck stays parallel to the lawn rather than dipping or lifting, which helps deliver a more consistent cut. This is the kind of problem that most robot mowers gloss over, but it has a huge impact on how your lawn ultimately looks.
Sunseeker is backing that hardware up with a serious perception stack. The Elite X9 uses a 16-sensor “full-scene” system, including eight cameras, to monitor the environment in real time. A combination of RTK and an upgraded VSLAM 2.0 engine enables centimeter-level positioning, even when satellite signals get spotty – something that can happen under tree cover or close to buildings. The onboard 10-TOPS chip helps the mower continue mapping and navigating smoothly, reducing the chances of getting confused or stuck in complex spaces.
On the terrain side, the mower’s 4-wheel drive, rear-wheel steering, and independent suspension give it the ability to climb grades up to 42° (roughly a 90% slope), which is beyond what most consumer robot mowers can tolerate. Sunseeker is clearly positioning this as a system capable of handling commercial properties, campuses, and other large sites, and the company says the X9 Series can manage 3–6 acres of mowing coverage within 48 hours. A fleet-management platform ties it all together for teams deploying multiple mowers at once.
One feature I found especially compelling during my CES demo is something Sunseeker calls EdgeZero. It’s a side-mounted trimming arm that extends outward to cut right up against fences, walls, and trees – the areas most robots consistently miss. The extension has its own dedicated ToF + RGBD camera to keep alignment tight, and it automatically tucks itself away when it detects an obstacle.
Charging times are also fast for a mower built to cover this much ground. Sunseeker’s system brings the Elite X9 from empty to full in about 50 minutes, and the Elite X9 Plus drops that to around 20 minutes – impressive turnaround times that minimize downtime. The 42V max, 8Ah battery system is built for extended operation, which matters when you’re maintaining several acres or relying on multiple units to work in rotation.
For anyone managing a large or uneven property, or simply tired of robot mowers that struggle when terrain gets unpredictable, the Elite X9 feels like a notable step forward: it’s designed to stay level, stay precise, and stay aware of its surroundings in ways most mowers just aren’t.
Sunseeker says the Elite X9 Series will reach the U.S. market in Q2 2026. Learn more at Sunseeker's official website.
[Image credit: Techlicious]
