Roomba i7: can you change the charging station’s location?

The Roomba i7 from iRobot automatically creates a map of your home when while vacuuming. The robot uses this map to orientate itself and to vacuum specific rooms or zones. But what happens if the base station or “Clean Base” is placed somewhere else? Does the robot find its way around or does it have to create a new map?

Moving the Clean Base of the Roomba i7 – this is what you should pay attention to

Whether you can simply move the charging station (or the Clean Base) is not clearly stated in the instructions of the robot hoover. We tested it – the short answer is “Yes, you can”.

Now in more detail: If you move the base station in an already known area, it should normally not be a problem. The robot recognises where it is pretty quickly when it starts vacuuming from its new position. After vacuuming, the updated map is saved and you can see the new location of the “Clean Base” in the smartphone app.
In the first cleaning passes after the change of location, the robot continues to update the map, making it more accurate. Navigation can seem a little “clumsy” during this process. After a few trips, however, the robot finds its way around again as usual.

To ensure that moving the base station works without problems, you should consider the following:

• When choosing a new location for your hoover, you should follow iRobot’s recommendations. In short, there should be no obstacles within a 0.5 metre radius of the “Clean Base”. In addition, the base station should be at least 1.2 metres away from any steps. There should be 1.2 metres of space in front of the base station to allow your Roomba to park and unpark easily.
• Before moving, it’s also a good idea to clean all of the robot’s sensors of dirt and dust. Your Roomba uses them to find its way around your living space and create an accurate map.
• Your Roomba will save an updated map after each cleaning session. When the first cleaning is completed after moving the Base Station, it may take a few seconds for the new Base Station location to appear in the smartphone app.