NEATO DOCKING TEST (TEST 2 DONE)

[aubie]

I decided to run some docking test on my Neato after it's false docking attempt a couple of weeks ago.

My Neato is an XV-12, board 1.3, software 2.6.
Neato has docked 100% of the time before these test.

These are real life test. The test area is a Media room (carpeted), Bar area (tile), hallway to garage (carpeted),
Foyer (tile), Office (carpeted), 1/2 bath (tile) ..

Neato's normal dock postion is in the media room. Neato normally finishes it's cleaning in the office. Cleaning time 70 - 90 min. always on one charge.

The First test

Can Neato dock at multiple docking stations. In this test, I allowed Neato to start his normal scheduled cleaning.
After Neato had cleaned the area near it's docking station, and left the area, so it's laser could no longer see the docking station, I moved the docking station to the Foyer, an area where Neato had not yet seen with it's laser.

Results,
Neato docked at the new docking station location 100% of the time (5 out of 5)

Next test, if the first docking station Neato try's to dock to, is not working (no power) will it move on to the next station.
Results next week !

[Fraggboy]

Interesting test! Thank you for sharing that.

I am very interested if the XV-12 is smart enough to know it's not getting charged by the dock and back up and try the other dock.

I don't think it will move away and search for another dock (I don't think it's programmed to do that), but I will be the first to admit if I'm wrong.

[aubie]

Interesting test! Thank you for sharing that.

I am very interested if the XV-12 is smart enough to know it's not getting charged by the dock and back up and try the other dock.

I don't think it will move away and search for another dock (I don't think it's programmed to do that), but I will be the first to admit if I'm wrong.

While I will start the test (no power) today, my guess based on the false docking attempt from a couple of weeks ago, is that Neato will move on to the next station. Will know for sure in a couple of days !

[OntheWay]

In my experiences, it fails to dock only when the map in memory is garbled for some reason, and in such cases, it already drives to odd directions instead of correct room, and even I place it in front of dock, still fails to detect dock for some reason and drives away (fw2.6).

[neato]

All Neato firmware will perform as reported above. The Neato keeps a list of probable base locations. It works through the list until it docks and has power or runs out of locations. Then it will return to the starting point. This is why it will move on to another base in another room and why it will sometimes stop a few inches from the base without trying to dock.

[aubie]

All Neato firmware will perform as reported above. The Neato keeps a list of probable base locations. It works through the list until it docks and has power or runs out of locations. Then it will return to the starting point. This is why it will move on to another base in another room and why it will sometimes stop a few inches from the base without trying to dock.

Are the probable base locations determined by the reflective tape in the docking station, and or the shape of the docking station ?

on my first test run of the no power at first station, which I started by pressing the start button, it tried to dock at the no power station, then moved to the original docking station.
However it stopped and shut down as if you had placed it in a room and manually started it. I am getting ready to run the same test via the scheduler.

[Fraggboy]

That is great news! Turns out, I am wrong. Great information to know.

[Jeff_K]

The testing you folks are doing is totally fascinating, so I thought I'd contribute towards the project. The first test was only for my own curiosity, but the second is relevant to this thread:

TEST 1:
- Powered docking station in bedroom
- Neato placed in living room, powered up, and told to "clean house"

Results: Neato did not return to where it was placed, but in fact returned to the powered docking station in bedroom.

TEST 2:
- Powered docking station in bedroom
- Neato set to clean house from bedroom
- Non-powered docking station in living room

Results: Neato tried unsuccessfully to "dock" with the non-powered docking station in the living room (repeating the "waddling effect" for quite a long time), and then returned to the last known docking station in the bedroom.


For newbies, let's not forget that the base station is a "static" device as seen by the Neato (meaning it doesn't emit any "beacon" infrared power, but simply reflects near-infrared energy). Some may be curious as to what I'm talking about, so please take a high-powered flashlight and examine the black strip above the power contacts closely. What you'll see is two narrow strips on either side (about 25mm each), and a wide strip in the middle (about 100mm wide). Because the plastic covering these strips is in the near-infrared range, we humans see it as black, but the LIDAR in the Neato sees these strips (often referred to as a "bar-code" here) as an identifier as the base station.

Heh, heh...my next test will be to print this same "bar-code" on plain white paper, at the proper height, and see if the Neato thinks it's a base station!

[OntheWay]

Alltough some parts of "barcode" are highly reflective, other parts possibly highly absorbing (not reflecting anything back, or may be this is achieved by red cover plate).

Another point, it might be a good idea to state testing firmware, for future reference..

[Jeff_K]

Thanks for the tips. My FW is 2.6, and attached is a picture of the dis-assembled docking base. Note that the IR cover is completely removed.


I'm going to laser-print a replica of the docking base (less the red reflector) and see how the Neato reacts.

The (very rough) dimensions I have are:
Total width: 232mm
Outer black bars: 16mm
Outer white bars: 25mm
Inner black bars: 25mm
Center white bar: 100mm

[aubie]

TEST 2 RESULTS

Test 2 was the no power to dock test.
In this test, Neato started from it's docking station in the Foyer. It cleaned the Foyer, then cleaned the office.
Since I only have 1 docking station, I had to move the docking station from one room to the other. This caused a failure to return to the original (starting) docking station (after attempting to dock at the none powered docking station) and dock (at the powered station) in the first two runs, and in the 8th run.
I did the 8th run to confirm my theory as to why Neato did not dock in the first 2 runs.

Runs 3-7 Neato attempted to dock at the last docking station that it saw (which was the none powered), then went to the next docking station and succesfully docked. 5 FOR 5 100%

On runs 4 + 5 Neato did not finish the Foyer before it started and completed the office. On both of these runs, I moved the docking station back to the Foyer when Neato went back to the Foyer to finish cleaning it. On both of these runs, Neato tried to dock at the station in the Foyer first (which I left unpowered), and then went to the office and docked at the powered station.

On runs 3-6-7 Neato finished the Foyer, then went to the office and cleaned in there. On all three of these runs, Neato tried to dock at the station in the office, which i left unpowered, then went and docked at the powered station in the Foyer.

I believe that this test shows that Neato will attempt to dock at the last station it see's, and if it cannot, it will proceed to the next station in its memory.

So what happened the first 2 times ?
on both of these runs, I moved the station from the Foyer as soon as Neat had started, and done it's outline of the room. On the successfull runs I let Neato completely clean the room before I moved the docking station. I confirmed on the 8th run, that this was the cause of the failures on the first 2 runs.
My theory, is that Neato deletes the station from it's memory, if it does not see the station when it is in an area where it should be able to see the station.
On all three of these runs, Neato returned to within 2' of the docking station in the Foyer and shut down without docking.
I will attempt to test this theory, as this may help explain why some people are having random docking problems.

[aubie]

Results: Neato tried unsuccessfully to "dock" with the non-powered docking station in the living room (repeating the "waddling effect" for quite a long time), and then returned to the last known docking station in the bedroom.


In all of my test Neato attempted to dock for 35 seconds before going to the next station.

[Jeff_K]

Same as my results from "Test 2", huh? It looks we have a pattern here.

However, I wonder if there were 3 docking stations, and the first two-of-three were bad...would it go to the third?

[Fraggboy]

That's a good Q. Neato, care to share how big the list can be?

[aubie]

Same as my results from "Test 2", huh? It looks we have a pattern here.

However, I wonder if there were 3 docking stations, and the first two-of-three were bad...would it go to the third?

Based on Neato's reply earlier in this thread, I would say yes.

[neato]

The docking station list is longer than the Neato has battery power to reach at the end of a cleaning run.

If the base is moved out of the room before the Neato recognizes it, there is no base in that room. So if the Neato has not registered the location of a potential base the "Return to Base" option is not available on the menu.

[aubie]

The docking station list is longer than the Neato has battery power to reach at the end of a cleaning run.

If the base is moved out of the room before the Neato recognizes it, there is no base in that room. So if the Neato has not registered the location of a potential base the "Return to Base" option is not available on the menu.

So the question is, at what point does Neato recognize where the base is located. I assumed that it located the base when it did its power up, or when it did the room outline. However, my testing has proven, my assumption to be incorrect.

[sageman]

i find base is recignised when neato finishes boundry

[aubie]

i find base is recignised when neato finishes boundry

What software version are you running ?

[oscahie]

Nice thread! This is useful information that is not in any manual

I have my base placed under an small table in the living room, which is only about 10cm wider than the base on each side. That means I guess that the legs of the table can easily get in the way of the laser while the robot is scanning and I believe that is the cause why I've found the Neato stopped right in front of the base (not docked) a few times after finishing the house.

Another cause for unsuccessful dockings that I've seen at least once is when the Neato hits something while in the process of turning around to dock on its back. In my case it hit one of the table legs a little bit and then it aborted the docking with an error message ("my path is blocked" or something similar). It actually had enough space to do the docking, if only it had insisted a bit more, correcting its position a little and then trying to turn again. I'm hoping this can be improved in future firmwares.

PS: Yes I'm aware that I'm not following the guidelines for positioning the base somewhere with enough spacing on both sides, but that table happens to be just the place where it fits better in my house.