Continuing the saga begun here:
My Roomba fell down a flight of stairs! Ack! :eek:
It wasn’t supposed to happen. Its cliff sensors were supposed to yank it back from the edge of the abyss. And yet… Herewith a cautionary tale.
Little Red Roombahood was stuttering today; starting with a happy little tune and puttering along, then stopping after a few minutes with a disconsolate beep for help. After some failed revivals, I discovered the problem: A wad of fur was clogging the little whirling brush that directs edge dirt into its suction. I extracted the cat mat and wee Roomba bustled off to work while I took a shower.
I emerged from the bathroom in time to see my cleaning contraption Roombarrelling toward the top of the stairs. “Ah!” I thought. “It will clonk to a stop as its front cliff sensors detect the dropoff, bounce back, and scuttle away.”
But no! Roomba whirred forward… forward… forward till it hung, precariously balanced, as its side cliff sensors detected – too late! – the doom beneath its wheels. It teetered, it tottered, and it fell!
I leaped for my toppling toy – too late to save it, in time to watch it tip down, land on its bumpered head, do a backflip, and cartwheel down the stairs, scattering parts as it tumbled. It landed upside down, beeping piteously. Roomba was alive! But how badly hurt?
I dashed down to it, righted it, turned it off, and began putting it back together. Nothing had broken. Fearing the worst, I set it down on the floor and turned it on. The lights lit up in their familiar pattern, it beeped its happy little “I’m working here!” tune, and off it went, none the worse for wear.
So, what happened? I suspect some dirt has bollixed up the front cliff sensors. The instruction booklet suggests cleaning them with either cotton swabs or compressed air. I’ve had at them with the swabs but feel worried enough to set up a phsyical barrier (or Roomba’s Virtual Wall) henceforth at the top of the stairs. Why tempt fate, eh?
Meanwhile, on the feline front: The cats still regard Roomba as a Very Bad Idea, but their curiosity is niggling at them. They creep near, observe, then scramble for safety when Roomba turns to chase them. I give it another week or so before one of them tries to swat Roomba as it passes.
