linecode / pypot

Python library for controlling dynamixel motors. Documentation available here:

Pypot ⚙️ A Python library for Dynamixel motor control

Pypot is a cross-platform Python library making it easy and fast to control custom robots based on multiple models of Dynamixel motors. Use Pypot to:

• control Robotis motors through USB2Dynamixel, USB2AX or Pixl 4 Raspberry Pi devices,
• define kinematic chains of a custom robot and control it through high-level commands (Forward & Inverse Kinematics),
• define primitives (motions applying to motor groups) and easily combine them to create custom complex behaviors (Robot dance, arm shaking, writing with a pen...).
• define sensor access and processing (QRCode detection, force sensors, RGB-D, ...)

Pypot is also compatible with the CoppeliaSim simulator (formerly V-REP), embeds a REST API for Web-based control, and supports visual programming via Scratch and Snap.

🔌 Compatible hardware

Compatible motors: MX-106, MX-64, MX-28, MX-12, AX-12, AX-18, RX-24, RX-28, RX-64, XL-320, SR-RH4D, EX-106. Derivated versions are also supported (e.g. MX-28AT, MX-28R, MX-28T, ...). Both protocols v1 and v2 are supported

Compatible sensors: Kinect 1, QRCode from RGB camera, sonar, micro-switch from Raspberry Pi GPIO, digital or analog sensor connected to Arduino

Compatible interpreters: Python 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9

Other models of motors and sensors can be integrated with little effort and time. Other programming languages may be connected through the REST API.

Read 📖 Documentation and get ⁉️ Assistance

Pypot is part of the opensource Poppy project

Pypot is part of the Poppy project aiming at developing robotic creations that are easy to build, customize, deploy, and share. It promotes open-source by sharing 3D-printed hardware, software, and web tools.

The Poppy creatures are:

• Poppy Humanoid: a kid-size humanoid robot designed for biped locomotion and physical human-robot interaction (25 DoF) for biped research and university workshops,
• Poppy Torso: just the torso of the humanoid robot, with a suction pad to stick it attach it firmly to a desk (13 DoF) for HRI research, university and high school workshops
• Poppy Ergo Jr: a low-cost robotic arm for primary to middle school (6 Dof) for primary or middle school workshops

All those creatures are based on a combination of standard dynamixel actuators, 3D printed parts and open-source electronics such as Arduino boards. Both the hardware (3D models, electronics...) and software can be freely used, modified and duplicated.

💻 Installation

If you are using a Poppy robot embedding a Raspberry Pi, Pypot is already shipped with it. For custom robots, just type ⌨️ pip install pypot in your system terminal!

If you intend to modify or add features to Pypot, create a virtual environment and install it from sources instead:

git clone https://github.com/poppy-project/pypot
cd pypot/pypot
pip install .

Additional drivers may be needed for USB2serial, depending of your OS. Check here:

• USB2AX - this device is designed to manage TTL communication only
• USB2Dynamixel - this device can manage both TTL and RS485 communication.
• Pixl board for RaspberryPi

👨‍💻 Contributing

If this is the first time you contribute to Pypot, it is a good idea to share your work on the forum first, we will be happy to give you a hand so that you can contribute to the opensource project.