OpenNeato: Full Clean, Auto-Dock, Scheduling, and Firmware Updates — Part X5

New here? This is the final part of the OpenNeato series. Parts X1–X4 covered the problem (Neato cloud shutdown), the fix (ESP32 + OpenNeato firmware), the hardware wiring, and the dashboard features. This part covers putting the robot to actual work: running a full cleaning cycle, sending it back to dock, setting a schedule, and keeping the firmware updated.

Exploring the OpenNeato Dashboard — Part X4: First Boot, Manual Drive, and Live LIDAR Map

New here? This is Part X4 of the OpenNeato series. Parts X1–X3 covered why Neato robots lost their smart features, how to flash the ESP32 firmware, and how to wire the ESP32 into the D3’s debug port. This part is the payoff: exploring what the dashboard actually does.

Reviving a Dead Neato Vacuum with OpenNeato — Part X3: Opening the D3 and Wiring the ESP32

New here? This is Part X3 of the OpenNeato series. Part X1 explained why Neato D3–D7 robots lost their smart features when Vorwerk shut down the cloud. Part X2 covered flashing the ESP32 firmware and connecting to WiFi. This part covers the physical surgery: opening the D3, finding the debug port, and wiring the ESP32 in. By the end, the dashboard at http://neato.local shows live robot data.

Reviving a Dead Neato Vacuum with OpenNeato — Part X2: Buying the Board and Flashing the Firmware

New here? This is Part X2 of a five-part series documenting the process of following the OpenNeato project by renjfk on GitHub — an open-source replacement for Neato's discontinued cloud service. This is not our project; we're simply building it and writing it up. The full project lives at github.com/renjfk/OpenNeato. Part X1 explains the problem this solves and which robot models are supported.

Reviving a Dead Neato Vacuum with OpenNeato — Part X1: The Problem

New here? This is the start of Phase 3. If anything here feels unfamiliar, earlier parts of the blog have the full context — but you don't need them to follow along here.

Phase 2 Recap: From Two Motors to an Autonomous Robot — Part 21

New here? This is the recap of Phase 2 — the journey from a Raspberry Pi with no purpose to a fully autonomous, voice-controlled, web-dashboard-equipped robot that maps its surroundings. If you want the play-by-play, Parts 12 through 20 have it all. This is the "what we actually built and why it matters" version.

The Autonomous Obstacle-Avoiding Robot — Part 20: Phase 2 Boss Fight

New here? This part combines everything built in Parts 13–19 into one robot: autonomous driving, obstacle avoidance, camera-based steering, voice control, room mapping, and a web dashboard — all running together. If any individual piece feels unfamiliar, the part that introduced it is linked throughout. Otherwise, let’s go.