Hidden Roomba Diagnostic checks – Stuck Bumper Sensor

Jay — Mon, 17 May 2010 22:51:03 +0000

Roomba with stuck bumper sensor
The above video shows a roomba with a stuck front bumper sensor. As you can see, the robot keeps backing up and trying to turn away from
the phantom obstacle it thinks is in front of it. This particular sensor was triggering because lint had gotten into the optical beam path and was blocking light to the photodiode detector even when the bumper was not being hit. I was able to repair it by removing the bumper cover (unscrewing 4 screws) and vacuuming out the hole where the plastic pole from the bumper goes between the IR diode and photo-transistor.

I found the following website to be very useful when debugging the sensors on my Roomba to determine which of the front bump detectors were malfunctioning:
http://mysite.verizon.net/gsplews/Diagnositic-Tests_Proc.v.0.5.htm

Summary: Hold the spot and clean buttons down. Push the power switch. Keep holding spot and clean buttons down while the robot gives five ascending beeps, and five descending beeps. Release spot/clean and you are in diagnostic mode.

Test zero: Flash all leds
Press clean to advance to the next test.
Test one: Bumper Sensors
Test-Two: OUTER, CLIFF-SENSORS PAIR
Test-Three: INNER, CLIFF-SENSORS PAIR
Test-Four: WHEEL-DROP SWITCHES (3 ea) and WALL-SENSOR (1 ea)
Many other tests follow, but deal with motors, etc and can be dangerous if you let the robot run itself into something, because it will NOT automatically stop moving. Read the above linked page if you want to do any of the other tests.

Roomba wiggle behavior, fixed

Jay — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 16:16:02 +0000

My iRobot Roomba 4150 started to exhibit a behavior that I hadn't seen before. After starting up, the robot would "wiggle" as it went forward for a few feet, then turn, then move forward a few more feet while wiggling. After a few turns, it would stop and issue a double "uh-oh" sound. After cleaning and removing the vacuum brushes, the behavior was still hapening, so I decided it must be a problem with the sensors or motors on the robot. The robot's wheels would still turn manually, and they would pop up and down into the body as normal. I tried cleaning the clif sensors and that didn't fix the problem. Finally, I blew compressed air into the drive wheel compartment and that fixed the problem. Aparently, the rotary encoders on one of the wheels had gotten jamed up with dirt.

The iRobot website did mention an OSMO update that is supposed to fix this issue, but according to the serial number on my roomba, it had already received the update. I guess removing the debris from the wheel is the better solution.

Jay's Technical Talk » roomba

Hidden Roomba Diagnostic checks – Stuck Bumper Sensor

Roomba wiggle behavior, fixed