Poppy Software

Poppy uses pypot for control. It is a python library : http://poppy-project.github.io/pypot/index.html On the top of pypot are libraries for Poppy creatures : https://github.com/poppy-project

The quick install consists in:

• install pypot :

   sudo pip install pypot 

• install your popppy creature. For instance for poppy humanoid :

   sudo pip install poppy_humanoid 

• to check that the libraries are installed correctly, execute with python the code:

  from poppy_humanoid import PoppyHumanoid
  poppy = PoppyHumanoid()

A good guide can be found here: https://github.com/HumaRobotics/poppy-examples/blob/master/doc/softwareGuide/softwareGuide.pdf. More technical details about pypot, you can look at installation of pypot.

In detail, this is how I installed the software

If you have trouble detecting your motors, you can follow the step 2 of https://forum.poppy-project.org/t/first-start-of-poppy and run in python

import pypot.dynamixel
dxl_io_upper = pypot.dynamixel.DxlIO('PORT_UPPER_BODY')
dxl_io_lower =  pypot.dynamixel.DxlIO('PORT_LOWER_BODY')
print dxl_io_upper.scan(range(60))
print dxl_io_lower.scan(range(60))

The poppy humanoid has an embedded odroid xu 4, where these libraries have been installed (pypot and poppy-humanoid). You can log to the computer by ssh using the network labo-sid: odroid@poppy1 (mdp: odroid)

The new Poppy from february 2017 has a Rasberry Pi 3 instead of odroid xu 4. As the ethernet port is not available, the connexion to the Rasberry Pi is done using Wifi. If your wifi network is not known by the robot, you need to plug a keyboard to the Rasberry Pi and use the touchscreen to configure the new connexion. Once the computer and the robot are in the same network, you can log to the robot using ssh: poppy@poppy.local (mdp: poppy). Note that if you want to manage the wifi networks configurations of the robot in ssh, you need to modify the file: /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf.

• Simple motor command :

  from poppy_humanoid import PoppyHumanoid
  import time
  import pypot.robot
   
  poppy = PoppyHumanoid() # or poppy = pypot.robot.from_config(poppy_config)
  poppy.head_z.compliant =False
  poppy.head_z.max_torque=20
  poppy.head_z.goal_position=20
  poppy.head_z.goto_position(-20,3)
  time.sleep(5)
  print "before moving"
  poppy.head_z.goto_position(40,3, wait=True)
  print "after moving"

• Make it reset to its standing position :

  from poppy_humanoid import PoppyHumanoid
  import time
  import pypot.robot
   
  poppy = PoppyHumanoid() # or poppy = pypot.robot.from_config(poppy_config)
   
  for m in poppy.motors:
      m.compliant = False
   
  for m in poppy.motors:
      m.goto_position(0, 5)
   
  time.sleep(5)

• to record and replay a movement https://poppy-project.github.io/pypot/move.html.

code

#importer des fonctions
import time
import math
import json
import pypot.robot
from pypot.primitive.move import MoveRecorder, Move, MovePlayer
 
#se connecter au robot
ergo = pypot.robot.from_json('poppy_torso/configuration/poppy_torso_broken.json')
 
#on met le robot debout: tous les moteurs a 0
for m in ergo.motors:
    m.compliant=False
    m.goal_position=0.0
 
#imprimer tous les noms des moteurs
for x in range(0,14):
   print "motor ",x," is ", ergo.motors[x].name
 
#indiquer quels moteurs on relache
indices=[10,11,12,13]
for m in [ergo.motors[x] for x in indices]:
   m.compliant=True
 
 
#commencer l'enregistrement
move_recorder = MoveRecorder(ergo, 50, ergo.motors)
move_recorder.start()
print "start"
 
#duree de l'enregistrement
time.sleep(6)
 
#arreter l'enregistrement
print "stop"
move_recorder.stop()
 
for m in range(0,14):
  ergo.motors[m].compliant=False
 
 
#sauvegrader le fichier sous le nom 'my_nice_move.txt'
with open('my_nice_move.txt', 'w') as f:
     move_recorder.move.save(f)
 
 
#rejouer le mouvement sauvegarde sans le fichier
with open('my_nice_move.txt') as f:
     m = Move.load(f)
 
ergo.compliant = False
 
move_player = MovePlayer(ergo, m)
move_player.start()

Other examples can be tested from https://github.com/HumaRobotics/poppy-examples

You have several ways to control the Poppy robot, using pre-built Pypot methods/class:

• Setting the goal_position attribute: the joint will immediately try to go as close to the goal as possible (given the angle limits) w.r.t the maximum speed allowed on this joint (which is set via the moving_speed attribute). This will not take the present_speed attribute of the joint into account;
• Setting the goal_speed attribute: the joint will immediately set the speed of the joint to the given value, replacing the current goal_position with the angle limit corresponding to the speed direction;
• Using the goto_position(goal,time) method: this will actually set the goal_position to the given goal value, and also set the moving_speed of the joint to (goal - present_position)/t;
• Using the higher level MovePlayer class: this class implements a LoopPrimitive in order to update frequently the goal_position attribute of the joint (N.B: the moving_speed attribute is not modified by the class when playing the motion and the robot will keep in mind the last moving_speed sent).

If the moving_speed attribute is set to 0, then the joint will move at full speed (N.B: If you're unsure of the moving_speed you sent last to the robot and want to play a movement using MovePlayer, it is recommended to initially set the moving_speed of all the involved joints to 0.0).