Robot vacuum avoids certain dark-colored rugs or refuses to cross dark floor patterns.

Safety first: Keep the robot away from actual stairs while testing.

Steps:

• 1. Clean cliff sensors: Wipe the downward-facing sensors with a soft, dry cloth.
• 2. Improve lighting: Increase room lighting and test again; some sensors perform better with more ambient light.
• 3. Use boundary markers: If the robot consistently avoids a dark rug, consider blocking that area with boundary strips or relocating the rug.

When to call a technician: If the robot misreads normal flooring as a drop throughout the home, the cliff sensors may be out of calibration or defective and require service.