My new Roomba cleans like it is possessed. Just one little problem however, it does appear that it won’t return to its base. I set it up to do a 12X12 room and started the clean cycle from it base (which is plugged in and both lights are on). It cleans and cleans and over an hour later it is still cleaning. From the literature I was given to understand it would spend about 25 minutes in a room and then dock itself. Anything I can try?
Good day,
What series (Discovery, 500) is your robot? If it is a 500 series robot, make sure to have your robot properly “paired” with the lighthouses. If you have the Discovery series, make sure that the docking station is in an open area, away from any mirrors or other reflective surfaces.
Here are a few details about your Roomba and its cleaning patterns:
The iRobot Roomba is a robot that cleans differently than the way most people clean their floors. Roomba uses iRobot’s AWARE Robot Intelligence System to determine the best way to pass over and clean every section of the floor. Roomba calculates the optimal cleaning path as it cleans, and determines when to use its various cleaning behaviors:
Spiraling: Roomba uses a spiral motion to clean a concentrated area.
Wall Following: Roomba uses this technique to clean the full perimeter of the room and navigate around furniture and obstacles.
Room Crossing: Roomba criss-crosses the room to ensure full cleaning coverage.
Dirt Detection: When Roomba senses dirt, the blue Dirt Detect light is lit and Roomba cleans more intensely in that area.
Usually when a Roomba determines that it has finished cleaning a room, it will go back to its charging station even if its battery is not completely depleted. But, we must remember that not one robot reacts exactly the same as others and not one room is exactly the same as another and has the same obstacles or furniture therefore, setting a specific time may not be accurate.
I have a 520 model since one year and half and it’s always functionning until the battery is weak. Then, it returns to its dock station recharching for some hours. I looked upon the programming code of the roomba and didn’t see algorithms that record the paths of what has been cleaned. The literature is not exact and irobot wants to sell their products…
Finally, your roomba is a really good buy and will give you time to spend elsewhere. Don’t forget to clean all the brushes at intervals of 10 cycles.
Jeff