Rotary encoders on the wheels can detect the rate at which the wheels are spinning so it can determine if they’re slipping or stuck, and drop sensors detect if a wheel is too low (such as getting stuck in a vent). Roombas are driven by two independently-operating side wheels, which can drive the Roomba forwards and backwards as well as perform turns of any radius, including 360° turns in place.
Many second- and third-generation Roombas come packaged with infrared remote controls, allowing a human operator to “drive” the Roomba to areas to be specially cleaned. The availability of the modes varies by model. “Dock” mode, introduced with the third generation, instructs the Roomba to seek a charging base for recharging. Later models introduced several additional operating modes, such as “Spot”, which cleans an area of a few feet, and “Max”, which cleans endlessly until the battery is depleted. Long exposure photo showing path taken by a Roomba as it cleansĪll Roomba models can be operated by pressing the “Clean” button on the top while the Roomba is on the charging base, causing it to reverse off of the base and begin cleaning or by manually carrying the Roomba to the room to be cleaned and pressing the button. It initially confines the vacuum to one area to be cleaned then, once the vacuum reports the area has been sufficiently cleaned (based on its estimated area), it directs it to proceed to the next space to be cleaned, and contains it there. Some 500-, 700- and 800-series models are compatible with the Virtual Wall Lighthouse. Third-generation and newer models are compatible with the Dual Mode Virtual Wall, which, in addition to simulating a straight wall, can create a circular barrier roughly 4 feet (1.2 m) in diameter. It projects a pattern of infrared light, which the vacuum detects and treats as a physical wall, prompting it to stop and turn around.
įirst- and second-generation Roombas were not compatible with the Virtual Wall, an accessory used to prevent them from entering an area. Most models also have a recessed handle on top. A large contact-sensing mechanical bumper is mounted on the front half of all models, with an omnidirectional infrared sensor at its top front center.
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The ninth generation S series are D-shaped rather than circular, with the flat part of the D at the front, and are narrower at 311 millimetres (12.2 in) wide. Most Roomba models are a fancy disk shape, measuring 338–353 millimetres (13.3–13.9 in) in diameter and 86–94 millimetres (3.4–3.7 in) high depending on the model.