Skip to main content

Quickstart

This guide will help you get your K-Bot up and running quickly if you were given a Raspberry Pi 5 with a MicroSD card from us.

⚠️ Make sure to read everything we have written below as all the information is critical to proper operation of the KBot and just copying and pasting will not work.

Prerequisites​

  • K-Bot robot hardware
  • Network access to the robot's WiFi

Please first unpack the robot and connect all the wires according to the video below.

Step 1: Connect to the Robot​

  1. Connect to WiFi: Join the WiFi network that should be kd-X where X ranges from 1 to 10.

    • Password: stayhuman

  2. SSH into the robot:

    ssh dpsh@192.168.1.1
    • Password: stayhuman

Step 2: Set Up CAN Interfaces​

  1. If you have robot kd-4 or kd-1, you will need to activate the robstride environment and then run the set can script:

    conda activate robstride
    ./kscale/robstride/set_can.sh

  2. If you have robot kd-9, you will just need to setup the CAN interfaces.:

    ./robstride/set_can.sh

  3. Scan for motors on all CAN interfaces:

    robstride -i can0,can1,can2,can3,can4,can5,can6 scan

    💡 Tip: Use Ctrl+R to search through command history

Step 3: Identify Motor Layout​

Look for which motors are on which CAN interfaces. You should see the robstride scan output something like:

Scanning can0 (IDs 10-50)...
   Found 5 actuators: [11, 12, 13, 14, 15]
Scanning can1 (IDs 10-50)...
   Found 5 actuators: [31, 32, 33, 34, 35]
Scanning can2 (IDs 10-50)...
   Found 5 actuators: [21, 22, 23, 24, 25]
Scanning can3 (IDs 10-50)...
   Found 5 actuators: [41, 42, 43, 44, 45]
Scanning can4 (IDs 10-50)...
   No actuators found
Scanning can5 (IDs 10-50)...
   No actuators found
Scanning can6 (IDs 10-50)...
   No actuators found

Scan complete: Found 20 total actuators across 4 interfaces

If 20 total actuators are not found, make sure you have run the set_can.sh above. If that does not resolve the issue, look at which actuators are missing using the Motor ID Mapping page and then you will need to take off the front large plate and verify that the red JST CAN connections on that limb are secure. We have seen cases where the connector in the elbow was pulled out and only 3 actuators were visible on that limb. In other cases, a connector that had frayed could cause the entire limb to be not visible. If that occurs, you will need to follow the troubleshooting or maintenance steps to identify which actuators are functioning.

⚠️ WARNING: Do not pull on the JST CAN connectors too hard from the actuators or they may rip off of the shoulder actuators and result in a very time-consuming replacement process.

Step 4: Configure CAN Interface Order​

Set the CAN interfaces in the correct order. You should list the can interfaces in the order of which has actuators in the 10s, 20s, 30s, and 40s. For example using the output from above, you should use the command:

export CAN_INTERFACES=can0,can2,can1,can3

If you are only using the upper body for teleoperation, then you can just list the CAN interfaces that the 10s and 20s are located on:

export CAN_INTERFACES=can0,can2

However, each robot is different so you will have to modify this command to make the robot properly work.

Step 5: Run the Standing Policy​

  1. If you have robot kd-4 or kd-1, you will need to activate the klog environment:

    conda activate klog

  2. Navigate to the deployment directory:

    cd ~/kbot_deployment

  3. Run the standing policy:

    ./scripts/run ./policies/stand_frozen.kinfer

Step 6: Initialize the Robot​

  1. Press Enter twice - The robot should move to the home position
  2. Verify home position - Make sure the robot is properly positioned and that each motor is using torque to keep position
  3. Remove from stand - Lift the robot off its stand or set it down on the floor using a gantry and hold it so that the torso is vertical and not tilting
  4. Press Enter once more - This will start the policy and the robot should begin standing

Troubleshooting​

  • If you can't find the WiFi network, check that the robot is powered on
  • If SSH connection fails, verify the IP address and network connection
  • If motors aren't detected, check CAN interface connections
  • If the robot doesn't move to home position, verify all motors are properly connected
  • If the ./scripts/run command exits instantly, check to make sure that the imu underneath the Raspberry Pi has been plugged in.

Next Steps​

Once your K-Bot is standing successfully, you can explore training your own policies and changing your configuration in the other documentation sections.