Glossary / Operations
What is Docking Station?
A docking station is the fixed point where a robot returns automatically to recharge, and often to refill or empty water and waste tanks.
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Docking stations are the base a robot returns to between shifts or when its battery runs low. Most commercial robots dock and undock without any human involvement, aligning themselves precisely using sensors before connecting to charging contacts.
For cleaning robots, docks often do more than charge the battery — many automatically refill clean-water tanks and drain dirty-water tanks, so the robot arrives back at its route ready to go rather than needing a person to service it between runs. Dock placement matters: it needs mains power, ideally a water supply and drain for scrubbers, and enough clearance for the robot to approach reliably.
A site survey before installation typically identifies the best dock location, balancing proximity to the cleaning route with access to services. Moving a dock after installation is possible but usually requires updating the map.
Common questions
- Does the docking station need special installation?
- It needs mains power and, for scrubbers, ideally a water supply and drain; a site survey identifies the best location before installation.
- What happens if the robot can't find its dock?
- Well-designed robots retry and can alert support remotely if docking repeatedly fails, rather than being left stranded.
- Can a robot use more than one dock?
- Some larger sites use multiple docks to reduce travel distance and increase the coverage a single robot can achieve per shift.
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