How do robot vacuums use sensors and maps to navigate?

A robot vacuum uses sensors and maps to know where it is going, just like you use your eyes and a drawing to find your way around a park.

Robot vacuums have sensors, which are like tiny eyes. These sensors help the vacuum see things in its path, like toys, chairs, or walls. They can tell if something is close or far away, just like when you use your eyes to know if a ball is rolling toward you or still on the table.

When the robot vacuum moves around, it makes a map of the room, kind of like drawing a picture of where everything is. This map helps the vacuum remember where it has already cleaned and where it needs to go next. If the vacuum runs into something or gets stuck, it can look at its map and figure out how to get back on track.

It’s like when you draw a map of your bedroom before cleaning up, you know exactly where to start and where to finish!