Does Roomba learn layout?
iRobot says the device can remember up to 10 floorplans, meaning you can “kidnap” it, take it to a new place, and it will learn that one, too.
These vacuums use a navigation algorithm called visual simultaneous location and mapping, or VSLAM. The optical system can identify landmarks on the ceiling, as well as judge the distance between walls. The iRobot Roomba i7 Plus shows a more logical, thorough navigation path thanks to its optical technology.
If you want your robot to learn a new area, simply bring it to a new area and press New Job +. Once your robot realizes it is in a new, unmapped area, it will create a second map at the end of the cleaning job.
i3/i4/i5 Roombas have Smart Mapping capabilities. Your Smart Map allows your robot to remember your home so you can tailor your clean by sending your robot to clean specific areas of your home. The availability of this feature is region-specific.
It works by feel every time, adapting to changes in furniture and other objects. Thus, you should have no issues changing floors. However, you will want to relocate both the Roomba and its docking station when changing floors. The unit should be started from the docking station, so it has a place to return 'home' to.
Roomba cleaning FAQ
** A Roomba may frequent the same place multiple times due to an immense amount of dirt on the floor, or more likely due to dirty sensors or low light.
Roomba® can also learn your home as it cleans. It typically takes three (3) to five (5) cleaning missions or Mapping Runs to generate a fully developed Imprint™ Smart Map that you can then customize and use.
"The beauty of iRobot Genius is that our robots get smarter over time and continuously provide customers with new ways to clean where, when and how they want," said Keith Hartsfield , chief product officer at iRobot.
But what if they are missing a room? The first thing to do is check the app's settings. Your settings could accidentally be telling your Roomba to only clean certain rooms, not all of them. This is a super simple fix and maybe you are already back to enjoying your Roomba's full clean!
iRobot Roomba robots use a technology called vSLAM, or visual simultaneous localization and mapping. In a nutshell, as the bot moves around, it looks for unique areas that it considers markers and then remembers where those landmarks are so it can orient itself every time it leaves the base.
How do I get my Roomba to vacuum my whole house?
- Remove clutter. The iRobot Roomba will try and clean everywhere and typically bumps into things to achieve that goal. ...
- Re-position permanent floor items. This stage is making slight adjustments to permanent furniture that will be on the floor. ...
- Tidy up the Wires.
With the Home app you can tell your iRobot Roomba when and where to clean, so you don't have to think about it anymore.

In the 2007 study of Roomba owners, the researchers found that the anthropomorphizing increased their trust in their Roombas. In other words, your Roomba is a member of your family in the same way as a pet, and it can even provide a similar kind of companionship (soft, cuddly fur notwithstanding).
They map your house as they vacuum
Make sure the vacuum you buy is equipped with obstacle detection, Hales says. It will sense the location of furniture and other items on the floor and steer clear of them. Also look for a feature called lidar, a laser system the robot uses to create a digital layout of your home.
It's really up to you. We would recommend four to seven times a week. If you live in a big house with mainly carpeted areas, it's better to clean more frequently. Pet owners should also clean their homes every day to remove excessive fur shedding.
If you get a more affordable model, like Roomba 675 you can expect a lifespan of up to two years. Go to the higher-end, like the iRobot j7+, and our research and testing suggest you can get five years plus of cleaning with proper maintenance.
It depends on the room size and also on the vacant space available to clean. From my experience it takes about 30 minutes for about 500 square feet of space. I have not given much thought to the time it takes since I schedule it to clean at around 10 AM everyday, while I'm at work.
Press on the Imprint™ Smart Maps icon on the Home screen. Select the map you would like to edit. To change your map, select either Room divider, Room labels or Zones from the bar at the bottom of the screen.
If you pick up Roomba and manually move it to another location, it may have difficulty finding its Home Base. For best results, allow Roomba to complete its cleaning cycle without interruption. to ensure the Home Base has been installed in an optimal location.
When the bag is full, the user is notified via the iRobot HOME App. Then they simply pull it out of the Clean Base and replace with a new one. The bag can hold 30 bins of debris, so users don't have to think about vacuuming for weeks at a time.
How does Roomba know when job is done?
A Roomba tracks the average frequency of hits to its' front bumper, and uses this to estimate the size of the area. Smaller spaces will cause more collisions in less time. This is used to decide how long it will spend cleaning the area.
CON: IT DOESN'T GET DIRT ON THE EDGE OF RUGS
As great as the Roomba vacuum does on carpet and hard wood floors, it does not do well getting the line of dirt on the wood floor next to the rugs. I have a lot of rugs throughout my home, so this is the one negative thing about my Roomba that probably bothers me the most.
iRobot Roomba vacuums can operate even with simple ambient light, but not in total darkness. What may help with either the i7 or s9 robots is to run a training mission and/or clean your floors with the closet light on until your floor plan map is complete.
It will work in rooms with lots of furniture. That said there are two things to note. One, the Roomba learns the terrain and creates a map over time. So it may take a few times before it “knowns” where to go.
Flip the script: How to clean your robot vacuum
Like its rivals, the Keep Out Zones can be set within the iRobot app by pinching and zooming a box over a specific area of your home map, and, for as long as they appear red on the map, you can rest easy knowing the robot cleaner won't enter them.
All Roombas are equipped with cliff sensors on the underside which detect if it's near a ledge, stair or any other drop off. Roomba will back safely away, every time.
Robots that use iAdapt® 1.0 Navigation Technology utilize a responsive algorithm to navigate the cleaning area. Instead of a systematic cleaning pattern of back and forth, Roomba® heads out to clean, and when it encounters an obstacle, it maps the location internally and then moves in another direction.
To keep your iRobot Select membership active, you will be charged a monthly membership fee every 30 days, The timing of your first monthly fee is indicated on your order confirmation. The next billing cycle begins 30 days after robot delivery.
Check the area around the charging base. Depending on the size of the room you Roomba should run for sometime between about 40 minutes and an hour.
Basically, Roomba robots use a technology called vSLAM, or visual simultaneous localization and mapping. As the robot moves around a room, it looks for unique areas that it considers landmarks. The bot remembers the location of those landmarks, so it can orient itself every time it goes out.
How does Roomba determine mapping run?
- Select the Map icon on the home screen.
- Click the icon in the top right corner of the screen or on the icon of a specific map card.
- Select the Mapping Run button. The Mapping Run Tips screen will open.
- Select Start Mapping Run.
A Roomba contains both infrared sensors and photocell sensors, which work in combination to clean a room. The infrared sensor at the very front of the Roomba allows the vacuum to bounce light off an object to detect its presence, even if it's cleaning after dark and there's limited natural light.
It depends on the room size and also on the vacant space available to clean. From my experience it takes about 30 minutes for about 500 square feet of space. I have not given much thought to the time it takes since I schedule it to clean at around 10 AM everyday, while I'm at work.
To fix this problem, you may have to move a few things around, to create a more open floor plan for your Roomba. You should also turn the lights up high so the camera can see every object in its path. (Except in the case of the i3, because it only works with sensors so it can navigate in the dark.)