r to use than its predecessors.
Many advancements are made to our products based on
suggestions and feedback from home robot owners like you.
To share your feedback, stories or ask questions about your
new home robot, please visit our Service and Support site at
www.irobot.com.
We encourage you to register your robot, either online or by
mail. As a registered home robot owner, youll receive information
and updates personalized to your robot and you can save helpful
tips and product information in your account. To register online,
go to www.irobot.com.
Thank you for joining the iRobot community. We look forward
to your valued input as we continue to deliver groundbreaking
products to change and improve your world.
On behalf of the entire iRobot team,
Colin Angle
Co-Founder and CEO
iRobot Corporation 
iRobot Roomba 500 Series

www.irobot.com
5
Important Tips
Table of Contents
Anatomy ..................................................................... 6
Cleaning Pattern .......................................................... 7
Cleaning System ......................................................... 8
Cleaning Modes .......................................................... 9
Battery Storage and Charging ............................... 10 - 11
Virtual Walls
®
............................................................. 12
Virtual Wall® Lighthouses ................................. 13 -- 15
Scheduling Roomba ............................................ 16 -- 17
Home Base
®
.............................................................. 18
Wireless Command Center ........................................... 19
Maintenance ............................................................... 20
Replaceable Modules .................................................. 21
Troubleshooting .................................................. 22 -- 23
iRobot Customer Care ................................................. 24
Important Safety Instructions ....................................... 25
Roomba contains electronic parts. Do NOT submerge Roomba or spray it
with water. Clean with a dry cloth only.
Before you use Roomba the
first time, you need to activate
Roomba by removing the battery
pull tab.
Remove battery tab
Turning Roomba on and off
Roomba does not have a power button.
To turn Roomba ON, press CLEAN once.
To start a cleaning cycle, press CLEAN again. Roomba will start a
cleaning cycle.
To pause Roomba, press CLEAN while Roomba is cleaning.
To turn Roomba OFF, press and hold the CLEAN button until
Roombas lights turn OFF.
For Best Performance
Use the Virtual Walls® or Virtual Wall® Lighthouses to keep
Roomba cleaning where you want it.
Empty Roombas bin and clean its filter after every 3 uses.
Roomba® is very effective at picking up hair. Remove and clean
Roombas brushes after every 3 uses.
Voice Demonstration
To start the voice demonstration, push and hold the DOCK/
DEMO button.
To abort the voice demonstration, press and hold the CLEAN button
until the robot shuts down.
Roomba® features a voice demonstration to walk you through
using Roomba.
Battery Life
To extend the battery life, iRobot recommends always storing Roomba
plugged in. 
iRobot Roomba 500 Series

www.irobot.com


iRobot Roomba Anatomy
Cleaning Pattern
Roomba is a robot that cleans differently than the way most people clean
their floors. Roomba uses its robot intelligence to efficiently clean the whole
floor, under and around furniture and along walls.
Roomba calculates the optimal cleaning path as it cleans and determines
when to use its various cleaning behaviors:
Spiraling: Roomba uses
a spiral motion to clean a
concentrated area.
Wall Following: Roomba
uses this technique to clean
the full perimeter of the
room and navigate around
furniture and obstacles.
Room Crossing: Roomba
criss-crosses the room
to ensure full cleaning
coverage.
Dirt Detection: When
Roomba senses dirt, the
blue Dirt Detect light is lit
and Roomba cleans more
intensely in that area.
TIP: Roomba takes approximately 5 minutes to clean an average room and
will pass over the same area of the floor multiple times to ensure total
floor coverage.
TIP: For fastest cleaning and best performance, clear your floor of clutter and
use a Virtual Wall to confine Roomba to one room.
Spot
Cleaning
Button
Clean/Power
Button
Dock/Demo
Button
Dirt Detect
Virtual Wall
Sensor
Bin Release
Battery Charger
Socket
Handle
Flexible
Brush
Cliff Sensor
Openings
Edge-Cleaning
Side Brush
Dirt Detect
Sensor
Contact
Points for
Home Base
Replaceable
Squeegee
Brush Guard Release Tabs
(yellow)
Brush
Bearings
Brush
Guard
Removable
Caster Wheel
Brush
Caps
Buttons and Lights
Bottom View
Cleaning Modes: While cleaning, Roomba automatically calculates the room
size and adjusts its cleaning time appropriately.
Spot Mode: Roomba will spiral approximately 3 feet in diameter and then
spiral back to where it started, intensely cleaning a localized area.
Buttons and Lights
(Models 510 - 545)
(Models 550 and above)
Scheduling
interface
Main
Brush 
iRobot Roomba 500 Series

www.irobot.com


Cleaning System
Roomba features a patented 3-stage cleaning system.
Floor Surfaces
Roomba works on wood, carpet, tile, vinyl and linoleum, and will automatically
adjust to different floor types.
Cleaning Modes
Roomba will clean based on the cleaning mode you select. Roomba has three
cleaning modes.
Clean Mode (all models)
Roomba automatically calculates the room size and adjusts its cleaning time
appropriately.
Spot Mode (all models)
Roomba will spiral approximately 3 feet in diameter and then spiral back to
where it started, intensely cleaning a localized area.

Scheduled Cleaning Mode
(Models 550 and above)
When a cleaning time is programmed, Roomba enters scheduled cleaning
mode. When Roomba is scheduled to clean, it will occasionally flash its next
scheduled cleaning time to indicate it is scheduled. At the specified time,
Roobma leaves its Home Base, cleans, and then returns to the Home Base to
recharge when its done.
1
Side brush sweeps
along edge of walls
and into corners.
2
Two counter-
rotating brushes
scoop up dirt,
hair and debris
into the bin.
3
Powerful vacuum picks up the
remaining fine particles, dirt, and
hair. The filter traps dust and
small particles.
Filter
TIP: When using Roomba With Virtual Wall Lighthouses, Roomba will clean
for approximately 35 minutes per room. 10
iRobot Roomba 500 Series

www.irobot.com
11

Battery Storage and Charging
Clean button light
What it means
Red
Battery empty
Amber pulsing
Charging
Green solid
Fully charged
Amber flashing
16 hour refresh charge
TIP: When Roomba is on the Home Base, always make sure that the Home Base
Power and Docked lights are on.
Or
TIP: For best performance, always store Roombas battery in Roomba
with Roomba plugged in or on the Home Base. Charge Roombas battery
overnight for the first charge.
Charging Roomba
Charge Roomba in one of two ways:
Roomba uses the Clean button light to indicate that it is charging. Use this
chart to determine the status of the battery:
Clean Button
Light
Roomba is powered by a Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH)
rechargeable battery. Roombas battery can last for hundreds
of cleaning cycles before a replacement is necessary.
Battery Life
To extend the battery life, iRobot recommends always storing Roomba
plugged in. For more details on how to maintain Roombas battery life,
visit www.irobot.com.
Tip: If Roombas battery is warm, Roomba will wait for the battery to cool down
before beginning a charge cycle.
Tip: For long term storage, iRobot recommends that the battery be fully charged
and then removed from the robot and stored in a cool, dry place.
Cleaning Time
You should fully charge Roombas battery before each cleaning cycle. When
fully charged, Roombas battery will last for at least one full clean cycle.
1 Hour Refresh Charge
When charging for the first time, or if Roomba has been left off the charger
for a long time, Roomba will initiate a special 16-hour charge cycle. This
extended charge refreshes Roombas battery and extends the life of
the battery. Roombas clean light will pulse quickly during the 16 hour
refresh charge. 12
iRobot Roomba 500 Series

www.irobot.com
13

Virtual Wall Lighthouses

(models 535 and above)
Virtual Wall Lighthouses help Roomba navigate around your home, help
Roomba find the Home Base, and allow Roomba to clean one room before
starting the next. In Virtual Wall mode, they simply keep Roomba cleaning
where you want it and out of off-limit areas.




Lighthouse
Virtual Wall
0-3
4-7
8+
Distance
0m-1
1-5m
3m+
Range
TIP: Virtual Wall Lighthouses turn on and off automatically with Roomba. When
they are on, a light will illuminate on the top of theVirtual Wall Lighthouse.
Lighthouse
Virtual Wall
Mode
Selector
C Alkaline
Batteries
(not included)
Use the mode selector to set the Virtual Wall Lighthouse in Virtual Wall or
Lighthouse mode.
Virtual Wall Lighthouses indicate that their battery is low by flashing
the power light repeatedly.
Virtual Walls
®

(included with models 510 - 530)
The iRobot Roomba Virtual Walls create an invisible barrier that Roomba will
not cross. The Virtual Walls can be set to block an area ranging from zero to
eight feet long.
The Virtual Wall beam is keyhole shaped. A small halo prevents Roomba from
bumping into the Virtual Wall and a larger cone-shaped s