Robot vacuum technology is advancing. While robot vacuums are still unable to navigate staircases, they have significantly improved, becoming more affordable and sophisticated over the years. This improvement is so substantial that individuals are purchasing separate units for each level of their homes. If you’re curious about whether a robot vacuum can operate on stairs without tumbling down, you’re not alone.
Are Robot Vacuums Prone To Falling Down Stairs
Many robot vacuums have “cliff sensors” to prevent them from falling stairs. Over the years, the sensors have become more advanced, so robot vacuums rarely fall stairs. Older models may, however, fall.
How Robot Vacuums Avoid Stairs
Most robot vacuums come with interactive ledge sensors, which prevent the automated machine from going near stairs and ledges. The device does this by communicating data to the microprocessor inside, which alters the cleaning path based on the information.
As the vacuum travels across your floor, four small infrared sensors prevent it from bumping into objects. If it senses stairs, it will think about it and process sensor data to make doubly sure it won’t fall stairs.
Many robotic vacuums come with a protective front bumper, and some have a lot more sensors than the competition. Every robot vacuum comes with cliff sensors on the bottom pointed downwards.
The sensors on the device constantly send data to the processor, including how close the device is to the floor. It automatically replots its path when the vacuum detects a gap between it and the floor. It’s for this reason that robot vacuums don’t move too fast. They have to detect cliffs first before they hurtle toward them.
Clean Path for Robot Vacuums
Cleaning paths are plotted by the sensors on the small vacuum. Usually, the device moves away from the docking station spirally. It moves in a straight line for a while, until it bumps into something. Then it sweeps around the edges of the object, and it keeps going.
It’ll keep doing this until it gets back to where it started from or until it needs recharged batteries. Advanced models may even map out the room as they work, but dumber models just run for a long time to make sure the room is covered. Each system includes programs to avoid injuries from falling.
Cliff Sensors – Can They Be Trusted
Cliff sensors are reliable, but they need cleaning, as they are close to the ground and gather dust. The sensor has problems transmitting and receiving data when it is dirty. Simply wipe off the sensors with a clean cloth to clean them.
Dusting the cliff sensors depends on a few factors, including frequency of use and floor condition. The color of your floor or carpet can affect sensor reliability.
Grey and dark colors may confuse cliff sensors. Sensors can mistake the darker colors for stairs, resulting in a charge. As a result, you may not be able to vacuum dark sections of the floor.
Handling Robot Vacuums In Homes With Stairs
Living in a two-story home doesn’t mean you can’t use a robot vacuum. Move the vacuum yourself up and down the stairs. You can always charge your vacuum if you get two docking stations, one upstairs and one downstairs. You don’t have to carry it back.
You can also get a second robot vacuum, which is the easiest and most expensive. With two robot vacuums, you can easily clean both floors of your house; if you’re worried about the upstairs robot falling, block off the stairs.
Is a Robot Vacuum Right for You
Try to think about the rooms in your house when you’re looking for a robot vacuum to make cleaning easier. Even if you have stairs, you can keep the vacuum from falling.
You’ll run into issues if your rooms are cluttered, as they’re designed to avoid bumping into objects. When you don’t do a little pre-cleaning ahead of time, hair ties, wires, and other little things get tangled in the vacuum’s internals.
Rather than vacuuming, the device will spend its time avoiding objects in its path. In addition to reducing battery life, the vacuum is not picking up dirt and debris. It is often impossible to pick up everything from the floor. Go for higher-priced vacuums that come with powerful sensors that keep the device cleaning around the objects.
Conclusion
So there you go! A simple guide to answer whether robot vacuums fall downstairs. Now you don’t have to worry about your robot vacuum falling stairs because they know where stairs are. If you’re expecting robots to clean stairs, you’ll have to wait for it to be developed.
