Charging Vector: How to Charge and Troubleshooting

Sections:

• Vector is unable to find his charger
• Check Vector's battery
• Using the Customer Care Info Screen (CCIS)
• How to charge Vector

Vector is unable to find his charger

If you have come home to find Vector’s battery died before he found his charger, or you observe him struggle to find his charger, he may be not be able to see where it is, get to it or he may also have gotten stuck, half off a table edge. Please check the following:

1. Make sure the charger is on a hard, flat surface that does not vibrate and is non-reflective and opaque (i.e. not a glass table)
2. The Charger should be near to Vector and there should be a clear path for him to dock
3. If Vector is in his Space, make sure his cube is not in there with him since it will obstruct his way to the charger
4. Make sure the charger is visible to Vector. His eyesight is not as good as ours and he can be “blinded” by direct light (natural from sun through windows or artificial). Likewise, poor lighting makes it hard for Vector recognize his charger
5. If he still has issues, check his camera is working and he can recognize the “home” icon on his charger. You can test his camera by having him recognize his cube or a face he has already met

Check Vector’s battery

To check Vector’s battery is working as expected, follow these steps:

1. Turn Vector on by pressing his Back Button
2. Leave him off the charger until the battery dies
3. Turn Vector on again
4. You should see the charging icon on his screen
5. Vector should then shut down shortly afterwards
6. If he does not do this, check his battery in the Customer Care Info Screen. See steps below

Use the Customer Care Info Screen (CCIS):

1. Place Vector on his charger and plug the charger in
2. [If Vector is booting up, wait for the “V” to finish]
3. Double click Vector’s Back Button
4. Raise and lower Vector’s lift
5. Lower and raise Vector’s head
6. Press his Back Button 3 times
7. BATT: On the charger, you should see levels at around 3.6V (3.4V-4.21V). Note that initially, you may see 0.2V
8. CHGR: On the charger, you should see levels around 4.9V with slight fluctuations. If the charger level does not change:
   1. Look under the robot, between the robot and the charger, to ensure that the contacts on the charger are touching the contacts on the bottom of Vector.
      1. If they are not touching:
         1. Disconnect the charger from the wall and use a Q-Tip or a toothpick to very gently bend the tabs back upward (they were likely compressed over time by the robot getting on and off the charger). If you encounter resistance, where the tabs become harder to pull upward at any point, please do not move them further. Place Vector back on the charger carefully and observe if he begins to charge.
      2. If they are touching:
         1. Disconnect the charger from the wall outlet from the wall and replace it with another charger that gives Vector 5 volts and at least 1 Amp (5v1A).
9. If you continue to encounter issues, it is possible that the battery inside the Vector is exhausted and needs to be replaced. Please contact ANKI to open a support ticket: support@anki.bot

How to charge Vector

If you are looking for information about Vector’s Cube battery, please see this FAQ.

What do I need to Charge Vector?

• A USB Power Source (adapter, USB port, power bank) with a minimum DC output of 5V/1A
• Vector’s charger (included in the box)

Where should I place his charger?

The placement tips are in the Vector is unable to find his charger section above. One more tip:

• Just like people need shade or sun cream to protect them from the sun, Vector also needs sun protection. Do not place his charger in direct sunlight so Vector does not get too hot

How do I know Vector is charging?

• Vector’s 3 Back Lights will glow green and climb up his Back Button unless you turn him off manually by pressing and holding his Back Button 5 seconds
• When Vector is fully charged, these lights will stop glowing and only the round green light will remain
• Vector will be fully charged after approximately 30 minutes
• If you see the below icon on his screen when Vector is on his charger, his battery is too low to operate. In this case, you will need to leave him slightly longer on his charger

How long does Vector’s battery last?

Vector has 3 Power Modes.

1. If he is active, he will operate approx. 25 minutes before going back to his charger
2. If he is calm / sleeping, he will operate significantly longer before going back to his charger
   1. In a calm state, Vector will have slowed reactions and only make quiet sounds and slow motions since sensors, WiFi, Cube and CPU are running at reduced power
3. Vector is designed to be on all the time but if you prefer turning him off, press and hold his Back Button for 5 seconds

If you have a question about Vector's battery or about a repair, please see this article.

How do I know when Vector needs charging?

• When Vector has a low battery, his bottom Back Light will pulse red
• Vector is fully autonomous and will return to his charger when his battery is low
• When the battery is low, WiFi and Voice Commands are disabled so he can focus on finding his charger
• You can also give him a Voice Command to go charge, “Hey Vector [wait] Go home!” This voice command needs a Vector membership.
• If you see this icon on his screen when Vector is off his charger, his battery is too low to operate. In this case, you will need to place him on his charger
• If Vector is unable to find his charger, he will show a critical battery warning. See above tips on where to place his charger.