Moving the vacuum cleaner base to a new location is often a necessity when the layout of the room changes or the old dot is uncomfortable. The robot vacuum cleaners Xiaomi and Roborock rely on the exact geometry of the room, so simply moving the charger physically without software reconfiguration will lead to navigation errors. The device will continue to search for the base by the coordinates stored in the memory, and, without finding it, return to the starting point or stand in the middle of the room.
To successfully change the location, you need to perform a set of actions that includes not only physical transfer, but also mandatory updating of the virtual map in the Mi Home application. Ignoring this stage will lead to the fact that the algorithms for building the route will work incorrectly, and the zones of prohibition can shift to the traversed areas. In this manual, we will analyze all the steps from the selection of the location to the final calibration of the sensors.
Modern models with lidar and visual navigation are highly accurate, but they are extremely sensitive to changes in the starting point. The base station should have unimpeded access to the Wi-Fi router, since the signal is often worse at the floor where the device is usually located. Before you start acting, make sure you are ready to spend about 15-20 minutes on a full reconfiguration cycle to achieve the perfect result.
Choosing the Best Place for a New Base
The first and critical step is to find the right location, and the robot must have free access to the base from three sides: front and side, the minimum distance to the walls or furniture on the sides should be at least 0.5 meters, and the front should be at least 1.5 meters, which is the space necessary for maneuvering when the robot vacuum cleaner tries to enter charging contacts.
It is also worth considering the presence of sources of interference. It is not recommended to install a base near heating radiators, air conditioners or other appliances that emit heat, as this can knock out the work of infrared sensors. The surface should be flat and hard; soft carpets with a high pile can prevent the base from snugly adjoining the floor, which will cause skew and contact problems.
⚠️ Warning: Don't set up a base in places where sunlight directly hits the infrared receiver. Sunlight contains infrared radiation that can blind the sensor, and the robot simply won't see the command "I'm home».
Check the availability of the electrical outlet. The use of extension cords is undesirable, as they pose the risk that the robot will get entangled in the wires or pull the base from place during the race. If the outlet is far away, it is better to consider moving the outlet itself or using another corner of the room.
Preparation for moving and cleaning the map
Once the location is selected, you need to prepare the software part. If you just reposition the base and start cleaning, the robot will create a second map or try to combine the new reality with the old one, which will cause chaos in navigation.
To do this, open the Mi Home app, select your vacuum cleaner, and go to the map settings. In the map management menu (usually a three-point icon or a map icon), you need to find the option “Delete the map” or “Reset the card.” Once confirmed, the robot’s memory will be cleared, and it will be ready to build a new geometry of the room to take into account the new position of the base.
- 🗑️ Removing the old map avoids coordinate and zoning conflicts.
- 📶 Make sure your phone is connected to the same 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network as the robot.
- 🔋 Charge the device to minimum 20-30% before starting a new map.
Some users prefer not to delete the card, but to use the Save Maps feature if their model supports storage of several floors, but to ensure stable operation when moving the base to a permanent new location, a full reset is the most reliable method.
Physical installation and connection of the base
Now, to move physically, disconnect the base from the grid, move it neatly to a new location, and connect it to the outlet, make sure the lights on the housing light up, signaling power, and it's important to press the base tightly against the wall so that it doesn't stagger.
Wipe the contact plates on the base and on the bottom of the robot with dry cloth. Oxidation or dust on the contacts can cause the robot to enter the base, but can not charge, constantly turning on and off the engine. Clean contacts are the key to long battery life.
Put Xiaomi's robot vacuum cleaner right on the base manually, and after waiting for the characteristic beep or voice message to start charging, you can proceed to the setting in the application. If the robot can't see the base, try to move it back and forth slightly until the charging indicator lights up.
☑️ Checklist of base installation
Construction of a new room map
Start the map-building process through the application. To do this, select the Map mode in the control interface or start a full cleaning if the automatic construction is not activated separately. The robot will start moving by scanning the room with a laser rangefinder (LIDAR) or a camera.
When you scan, don't touch the robot or block its path. If it gets stuck, it will try to get around the obstacle, which can distort the map. It's best to be close at this time to free the wheel from the wire or carpet if necessary, but try not to interfere with the process without extreme need.
| Parameter | Requirement | Impact on outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Lighting | Bright, uniform. | Critical for Camera Models (VSLAM) |
| Doors. | Open to all rooms. | Allows you to build a complete floor map |
| Obstacles | Remove wires, toys. | Reduces the risk of card errors and stickiness |
| Mirrors. | Close or circumvent | Lidar can be "lost" in reflections |
Once the cycle is complete, the robot will return to base, if it has successfully docked, an updated map will appear on the smartphone screen, check its contours: they must match the actual layout of your room, if the map has "got" or has breaks, the procedure should be repeated.
What to do if the robot gets lost?
Configuring zones and virtual walls
Once you've successfully built the map, you need to reconfigure the cleaning areas and the virtual walls, and as the base has shifted, all the previously set restrictions (No-Go zones) are now in the wrong places. Go to the map settings in the Mi Home app.
Use the Virtual Wall or No-Go tool to fence off places the robot should not go to (e.g. animal bowls, wires, slippery mats) and create room-cleaning areas if you plan to use the selective cleaning feature.
It's important to set up a Do Not Disturb zone around the new base if it's in the bedroom or nursery, so that the robot can quietly charge at a certain time without sound notifications, and you can set time intervals in the schedule menu when the sound function is off.
⚠️ WARNING: When drawing virtual walls, leave a small gap (2-3 Robots have inertia and can touch furniture if the boundary is set close to the edge.
Calibration and final tests
The final step is to test the system in the new environment, run a short cleaning or Zone Cleaning mode in different parts of the room, and see how the robot navigates and whether it returns to base afterward.
Check the app: the status of the map should be Active, not Draft. If everything works correctly, the robot will build optimal routes (snake or spiral), without missing sections. In case of repeated navigation errors, you may need to clean the LIDAR sensors with a wet wipe.
💡
Rub the round lidar window (the rotating part at the top) with a dry soft cloth once a week. The dust on the lens is the most common cause of map errors and chaotic robot behavior.
If the robot has successfully completed the test cleaning and returned to base, the transfer process can be considered complete.
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The main secret of success is not just to rearrange the base, but to remove the old map and build a new one so that the coordinates of the reference coincide with reality.