A floor cleaning apparatus for cleaning a floor comprising: a) a housing; b) a chassis; c) a plurality of wheels (20, 22, 24, 26) by which the floor cleaning apparatus is adapted to move across the floor in a direction of travel, the direction of travel at least partially defining a front end, a back end, and first and second lateral sides of the floor cleaning apparatus; d) a motive device for moving the apparatus across the floor; e) a steering mechanism; f) a cleaning assembly for cleaning the floor; and g) a side sweeping system comprising i) a turntable having a central axis, ii) a drive wheel, the drive wheel disposed in coaxial relationship with the turntable, iii) a sweeper motive device for rotating the drive wheel, characterized in that the side sweeping system further comprises; iv) a plurality of brushes each having a central axis, the brushes distributed radially around the drive wheel and driven by rotation of the drive wheel, and v) a pivoting connector configured to enable the side sweeping system to pivot laterally away from a neutral position in response to contact with a vertical surface while at least one of the plurality of brushes maintains contact with the floor adjacent the vertical surface while the floor cleaning apparatus is in operation, and the brushes move debris that is disposed on the floor adjacent the vertical surface toward the front of the floor cleaning apparatus. a) a housing; b) a chassis; c) a plurality of wheels (20, 22, 24, 26) by which the floor cleaning apparatus is adapted to move across the floor in a direction of travel, the direction of travel at least partially defining a front end, a back end, and first and second lateral sides of the floor cleaning apparatus; d) a motive device for moving the apparatus across the floor; e) a steering mechanism; f) a cleaning assembly for cleaning the floor; and g) a side sweeping system comprising i) a turntable having a central axis, ii) a drive wheel, the drive wheel disposed in coaxial relationship with the turntable, iii) a sweeper motive device for rotating the drive wheel, characterized in that the side sweeping system further comprises; iv) a plurality of brushes each having a central axis, the brushes distributed radially around the drive wheel and driven by rotation of the drive wheel, and v) a pivoting connector configured to enable the side sweeping system to pivot laterally away from a neutral position in response to contact with a vertical surface while at least one of the plurality of brushes maintains contact with the floor adjacent the vertical surface while the floor cleaning apparatus is in operation, and the brushes move debris that is disposed on the floor adjacent the vertical surface toward the front of the floor cleaning apparatus. i) a turntable having a central axis, ii) a drive wheel, the drive wheel disposed in coaxial relationship with the turntable, iii) a sweeper motive device for rotating the drive wheel, characterized in that the side sweeping system further comprises; iv) a plurality of brushes each having a central axis, the brushes distributed radially around the drive wheel and driven by rotation of the drive wheel, and v) a pivoting connector configured to enable the side sweeping system to pivot laterally away from a neutral position in response to contact with a vertical surface while at least one of the plurality of brushes maintains contact with the floor adjacent the vertical surface while the floor cleaning apparatus is in operation, and the brushes move debris that is disposed on the floor adjacent the vertical surface toward the front of the floor cleaning apparatus.