How to create a new map for a robot vacuum cleaner Xiaomi

Modern robot vacuum cleaners in the Xiaomi, Roborock and Mijia series have impressive navigation functionality, relying on accurate laser scanning or visual sensors. However, moving to a new apartment, cleaning or trivial furniture rearranging often requires a complete overhaul of the device's navigation model. Users often wonder how to create a new map when the old one has ceased to correspond to reality or was accidentally removed.

The challenge is that the robot's navigation algorithms are designed to keep it current, so that you don't have to re-scan it every time you start, and you don't have to do a series of sequential steps in the Mi Home app to force the initial calibration mode, and it's important to understand that creating a new map is actually a reset of navigation memory, which takes time and certain light conditions to be met.

In this article, we will go into detail all the nuances of the procedure, from forced reset through the service menu to fine-tuning virtual walls. You will learn why a robot can refuse to save a room plan and how to properly prepare the room for a perfect scan. We will also touch on the topic of multi-maping, which allows one device to serve several floors, which is a critical feature for owners of large houses.

Preparation of premises and equipment for scanning

Before you start the process of creating a new map, you need to ensure the perfect conditions for the sensors to work. Laser rangefinder (Lidar) or visual camera (VSLAM) should have unimpeded access to walls and corners. Remove from the floor wires, toys, shoes and other small objects that can be perceived as obstacles or, worse, swallowed by the brush during chaotic movements in the construction of the map. Lighting in the room should be sufficient, especially if you use a model with optical navigation.

It is critical to check the battery power. The mapping process can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the area. If the charge drops below 20%, the robot can interrupt the scan and return to base with only fragmentary data. Make sure the dock is mounted against the wall, has free access on both sides and is connected to the network. Also check that the wheels and bumper sensors are clean, as contamination can lead to positioning errors.

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Wipe the top cover of the robot, where the laser rangefinder is located, with dry soft cloth, and even a thin layer of dust can distort the scan data and create "noise" on the map.

Be sure to check the status of your Wi-Fi connection. Although the map is built locally, synchronization with the cloud and saving the final result requires a stable connection. If you change the router or network frequency, it is better to reconnect the device through pairing mode before starting the procedure.

Methods of forced resetting of navigation map

There are several ways to make a robot vacuum cleaner forget the old layout. The easiest, but not always working, method is to remove the current map through the application interface. Go to Mi Home, select the device, go to the map settings (usually the card icon or three dots in the corner), and select "Delete the map" or "Reset the map." However, on many firmware, this action only clears the names of the rooms, but does not reset the coordinates of obstacles.

A more reliable way is to use a hidden menu of engineering settings or maintenance mode. This often requires activating the developer mode in the application or using special commands. For example, on some models, Roborock helps to keep the combination of buttons on the case (usually Home and Turn on) for 5-10 seconds until the voice message about the reset sounds. But be careful: this method can reset other device settings.

The most versatile and safe method recommended by manufacturers is to simulate a move. The robot must "understand" that it is in a new place. To do this, some users recommend taking the robot outside or in a completely different room, disabling it, moving it to a new place of inclusion and starting a full cleaning. The navigation system, without finding familiar landmarks, can itself initiate the restructuring. However, the guaranteed result is only a software reset through the menu.

Step-by-step: creating a map in Mi Home

So let's look at the algorithm for creating a new map on current firmware versions. Once you've cleaned the map with old methods or decided to create a new one from scratch, follow these steps: Open the Mi Home app on your smartphone and go to the main control screen of your robot vacuum cleaner. Make sure the device is online.

Click the Settings menu button (three dots in the top right corner). Find the section related to card management. It can be called "Maps settings," "Map management" or "Map and cleaning." Inside this menu, look for the option "Save maps" or "Maps list." If there is an old card, delete it. If the list is empty or there are no removal options, look for the button "Create a new map" or "Start scanning."

Once the team is launched, the robot will go to base, turn around and start spiraling, actively rotating the laser tower at the top, at which point the phone screen will display the process of drawing walls in real time. Don't interfere with the device: don't lift it, push it, or open doors to rooms that don't need to be scanned yet if you're planning zoning.

The process will end automatically when the robot covers the available area and returns to the base, and the app will notify you that the map has been created and saved, and you can now rename it, for example, "First Floor" or "Apartment", and start editing.

Editing the map: zones, walls and rooms

Once you scan, you get a raw plan that often needs to be reworked, algorithms may misfold the kitchen and the living room, or you may not notice the threshold, go to map editing mode to fix it, and the Rooms Division tool is available, and draw a line across the floor to divide the space into logical zones, such as separating the hall from the hall.

Use the Merger tool if the robot has divided a room into several parts because of furniture. Just single out adjacent areas and they'll come together in a single cleaning area. It's also critical to install virtual walls and no-go zones. These are lines or squares that the robot will ignore as impassable obstacles. This is relevant for protecting high-pile carpets, animal water bowls, or wired areas.

Don't forget to give each room the correct name from the list (Bedroom, Kitchen, Living room) and it's not just cosmetics, it's used for voice control through Alice, Siri or Google Assistant, you can say, "Alice, let the robot vacuum the kitchen," and the device will know which area on the map to activate.

Multi-mapping settings for multiple floors

Owners of two- and three-storey houses will need a function of saving several cards. Modern models Xiaomi and Roborock (starting with the S5 Max, S6, S7 and later) support storage of up to 4 cards in memory. To add a floor, you do not need to do a full reset every time. It is enough to select the map menu or simply move the robot to a new floor and start cleaning, if the appropriate option is enabled in the settings.

When you move a robot to another floor, it's important to let it navigate, put it on the base (or manually turn it on) at a new level, and the robot will try to find familiar features, and if it doesn't find them, it will ask (voice or in the app) if it's in a new location, confirm that, and then start scanning the new floor, and then the new map will be saved as a separate layer.

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Multimaping allows you to store up to 4 cards at a time, switching between floors automatically when you move the base or manually through the application.

You can customize the suction force, the water supply level (for detergent models) and the cleaning schedule for each floor, for example, in the kitchen you can set maximum power, and in the bedroom you can set a quiet mode and a minimum water supply, which makes navigation around the house as flexible and efficient as possible.

Removing errors and problems in map construction

Sometimes the process of mapping is imperfect. The robot can get lost, start to ride around in circles, or create a map with tears. Often the cause is mirrored or black surfaces. The laser can't see the black floors (absorbing the beam) or bounce off mirrors and glass, creating phantom walls, whether it's by sticking matte tape on the legs of glass tables or putting virtual walls in front of mirrors.

⚠️ Attention: If the robot is constantly losing orientation, check the collision sensor and the wheel. Trash stuck in the bumper can give a false signal of an obstacle, causing the robot to randomly change direction and knock down the map.

Another problem is that the map is left, and over time, the coordinates can shift, and in this case, the gyroscope calibration helps, and in some models, it is done automatically, in others, through a special menu in the application (usually hidden), and a simple system reboot helps: turn off the robot with a button on the case, wait 10 seconds and turn it on again.

If the robot ignores certain areas, check to see if there are previously installed virtual walls. Sometimes when updating the firmware settings can get confused or, conversely, stick. In extreme cases, if the map is damaged critically and not edited, only a full reset to factory settings (Hard Reset), but this will remove the Wi-Fi settings too.