failure mode
Roomba i5 Won't map / cleans randomly / gets lost
Symptom: The robot wanders, repeats areas, cleans in random directions instead of neat rows, can't finish, or won't build/keep a Smart Map. The Clean Map looks broken or it returns to start without finishing. Likely root causes: Dirty floor-tracking sensor on the underside (the i5 navigates by floor tracking, not a camera); Robot picked up / moved mid-clean, so it lost its place on the map; Very shiny, dark, or featureless floor the tracking sensor can't read well; Dirty cliff or wall sensors, or a stuck bumper, throwing off navigation; First runs before a Smart Map is established (early runs map as they clean); Software glitch needing a reboot; clutter the robot keeps getting tangled in Next steps if owner-level checks fail: Robot still won't drive straight rows or keeps getting lost after cleaning the sensors, remapping and a reboot — a sensor or mainboard fault is likely; contact iRobot Customer Care 1-877-855-8593