Why an apartment map is important for a robot vacuum cleaner – and how to create one without mistakes
Xiaomi’s robot vacuum cleaners (including Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 Pro, DreameBot Z10 Pro and Viomi V3) use laser rangefinders (LDS- scanners) or cameras to map a room. Without an accurate map, the device will move around randomly, skip zones or waste time cleaning the same areas. A properly designed map allows:
✅ Save battery power through optimal routes.
✅ Avoid collisions with furniture and obstacles.
✅ Set up cleaning areas (e.g., clean only the kitchen or avoid the nursery).
✅ Store multiple floors or rooms in the robot's memory.
In this article, you can find step-by-step instructions for creating a map, taking into account the nuances of the Mi Home and Xiaomi Home firmware, as well as solving typical problems (for example, when a robot “loses” a map after updating or resetting).
Preparation of the room before scanning: what to remove and why
Before the first robot launch, you have to prepare the apartment, otherwise the map will be inaccurate or fragmentary.
- 🪑 Remove small objects from the floor: wires, toys, slippers. The robot can get caught or stall, which will distort the map.
- 🚪 Open all the doors to the rooms that need scanning, and the robot will perceive closed doors as walls.
- 🌞 Provide good lighting (for models with cameras, such as DreameBot L10s Ultra). In the dark, the camera may not recognize obstacles.
- 🔌 Close access to stairs or high rapids — the robot may fall and get damaged.
Pay special attention to reflective surfaces (mirrors, glass tables) and the LDS laser scanner may misinterpret them as obstacles or "holes" in space. If there are many mirrors in the room, cover them with cloth while scanning.
⚠️ Warning: Do not launch the robot in a room with black glossy floors (such as porcelain porcelain). Sensors may not recognize the surface and the device will refuse to move.
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If the apartment has carpets with a high pile, raise their edges or use magnetic tapes for robot vacuum cleaners - this will help the device not to get stuck.
Step-by-step: how to start the scan and save the map
The process of creating a map is the same for most Xiaomi models, but may differ depending on the firmware.
- Put the robot on the charging station and plug it into the socket, make sure the power indicator is green.
- Launch the Mi Home app (or Xiaomi Home for new models) and connect the robot to Wi-Fi.
- Click Clean → Map in the device menu. If the map is not already available, select Create a new map.
- Press Start on the robot or in the app, and the device will spiral through the room.
- Wait until it's finished (usually 5-15 minutes depending on the area), and the robot will return to base and save the map automatically.
If the robot does not return to the base or the map is incomplete, check:
- 🔋 Battery charge (must be at least 20%).
- 📶 Wi-Fi signal (the robot must remain online during scanning).
- 🚫 No obstruction to the base (e.g., closed door)
Small objects removed from the floor |
All doors in the premises are open |
Robot stands at the charging station |
Battery charge >20 percent|
Wi-Fi is stable-->
Map Editing: Cleanup Zones, Virtual Walls and No-Go Areas
Once you've created the map, you can go into detail in the Mi Home app, and you can edit the map in the basic ways:
| Function | What do you need? | How to set up |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning areas | Allocation of separate rooms or areas for cleaning | Click Add Zone → Circle the area on the map → Save |
| Virtual walls | Prohibition of travel to certain places (for example, to a cat bowl) | Select Add Virtual Wall → Draw a Line on the Map |
| No-go zones | Exclusion of areas from cleaning (carpets, children's play areas) | Click Add No-Go Zone → Circle the area |
| Room tags | Assigning names to rooms (kitchen, bedroom, etc.) | Select the room → Click Change the name |
For models with wet cleaning (for example, Xiaomi Mi Mop P), you can adjust areas with different levels of humidity, for example, in the kitchen set maximum humidity, and in the bedroom – minimum.
⚠️ Warning: If you use virtual walls to restrict the robot’s access to the stairs, make sure that the line on the map covers the passage with a margin of 10-15 cm.
How to transfer the map to another robot?
Typical card problems and how to fix them
Even after a successful scan, users are still experiencing errors.
1.The robot doesn't save the card after cleaning
Reasons:
- 🔄 Reset the robot settings (e.g., after a firmware update).
- 📱 Sync error with Mi Home application.
- 🔋 Battery discharge until scanning is complete.
Solution: Run a re-scan to make sure the robot is charged and connected to Wi-Fi. If the problem recurs, reinstall the app or reset the robot to factory settings (Settings → Reset).
2.The card is "mistaken" or distorted
This happens if:
- 🪟 The robot collided with a mirror or glass surface.
- 🌑 It's too dark in the room (for models with cameras).
- 🏠 Furniture was rearranged after scanning.
Solution: Rescan the room or manually adjust the map in the app. For models with LDS (laser scanner), you can turn off the camera in the settings if it interferes with accurate scanning.
3.Robot doesn't see charging station
Critical error: If the robot doesn't return to base, it can run out of power in any place.
- 🔌 Location of the station - it should stand on a flat surface, 0.5 m from the walls.
- 📍 Location on the map – if the station is not marked, add it manually (Settings → Map → Add base).
- 🔦 Lighting – In the dark, the robot may not recognize the station’s IR beacon.
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If the robot is constantly losing the card, check the firmware version. Some older versions of the Mi Home had an error that caused the cards to be reset after the update. Update the robot's software and app.
Tips for optimizing the map for different types of premises
Apartments with non-standard layout (studios, two-storey houses, narrow corridors) require a special approach to configuring the map.
🏡 For studios and open spaces
It's hard for a robot to navigate in large spaces without walls.
- 🛋️ Use virtual walls to separate areas (e.g., separate the kitchen from the living room).
- 📏 Install magnetic tapes on the floor to physically limit the zones.
- 🔄 Start cleaning by zone, not by map.
🏠 For two-storey houses
Most Xiaomi robots do not support multi-family maps (with the exception of DreameBot L10s Ultra with Multi-Floor Mapping).
- 🔄 Create a separate map for each floor and switch between them manually.
- 🚫 Don't move the robot to another floor manually, it will reset the map.
- 📱 Use different profiles in the app for each floor.
🚪 For apartments with narrow corridors
The robot can get stuck or maneuver for a long time in tight spaces.
- 📏 Make sure the corridor is at least 60 cm wide (the minimum requirement for most models).
- 🔄 Set up increased suction power for corridors (Settings → Cleaning Modes).
- 🚫 Avoid cleaning the hallway at the same time as other rooms—start it separately.
How to Update or Reset a Card Without Losing Settings
If you've moved furniture or renovated it, you'll have to update the map, and you can do this in two ways:
Partial update (recommended)
Suitable if the changes in the layout are minimal:
- Open the map in the Mi Home app.
- Click Edit → Update the map.
- The robot will drive through the changed areas and adjust the map.
2. Complete card reset
Required for significant changes (e.g. after moving)
- Go to Settings → Map → Reset the card.
- Confirm the action.
- Start a new scan (as described in the section on scanning).
⚠️ Warning: When you completely reset the map, the saved areas and virtual walls will also be removed. Take screenshots of the settings in the app in advance to restore them faster.
For models with cloud-based storage support (e.g. Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 Pro), cards can be exported to your Mi Account and restored after a reset. This feature is available in Settings → Map → Backup.