Kaia.ai Arduino/ROS2 home robots

Kaia.ai is an open-source software platform to run apps on (consumer/home) robots. For now, it uses ROS2 for mapping/navigation/SLAM and Arduino-compabile firwmare.

Here is a current 3/2025 brief demo (I have not released the apps setup yet).

Here are current 3/2025 build, setup, bring-up and operation instructions.

Here are troubleshooting instructions.

Here is the technical support forum.

Components

Kaia.ai robotics software platform is actively evolving and currently consists of these parts:

• Cloud software infrastructure (TODO)
• robot skills store (TODO)
• Micro-ROS Arduino library for Kaia.ai-compatible robots repo
  • Micro-ROS LiDAR telemetry receiver package
• End-user and development ROS2 Docker images repo
• Robot Gazebo simulation ROS2 package
• Kaia.ai Python ROS2 software wrapper package
• Robot operation ROS2 repo, including SLAM mapping, navigation, frontier exploration, etc.
• Robot keyboard teleoperation package
• WebRTC-based image/video/data streaming
  • Python-based image/audio sensing, processing (ML), decision making (ML/AI), robot face animation (TODO)

Kaia.ai compatible robots

• Maker’s Pet Loki 200mm 3D-printed pet robot
• Maker’s Pet Fido 250mm 3D-printed pet robot
• Maker’s Pet Snoopy 300mm 3D-printed pet robot
• Maker’s Pet Mini 125mm 3D-printed educational robot
• Add your own version to the list

Supported LiDAR sensors

• YDLIDAR X4 (default), X2/X2L, X3, X3PRO, SCL
• Neato XV11
• Xiaomi Roborock 1st gen LDS02RR (~$16 off AliExpress including shipping)
• SLAMTEC RPLIDAR A1
• 3irobotix Delta-2A, Delta-2B, Delta-2G
• LDROBOT LD14P
• Camsense X1

The entire up-to-date list of supported LiDAR is here.

Installation and Command Reference

There are two ways to install ROS2 and Kaia.ai on your PC - using Docker (Windows, Linux) or Ubuntu 24.04 (physical PC of virtual machine). Follow the installation instructions here.

Watch build, setup and bringup videos

• Note: these videos are outdated; updated videos will be published shortly for Maker’s Pet Mini

Launch ROS2/Kaia.ai (Docker only)

The Kaia.ai Docker image contains ROS2 and micro-ROS pre-configured with additional Kaia.ai ROS2 packages.

Open a Windows command shell or Windows PowerShell window and type the command below. This should give you a bash prompt. Note that your c:\maps will be mapped to /root/maps to store navigation maps. Feel free to change c:\maps path to a more suitable location, e.g. c:\Users\MyUserName\maps.

# Windows WSL2
docker pull kaiaai/kaiaai:iron
docker run --name makerspet -it --rm -v c:\maps:/root/maps -p 8888:8888/udp -p 4430:4430/tcp -e DISPLAY=host.docker.internal:0.0 -e LIBGL_ALWAYS_INDIRECT=0 kaiaai/kaiaai:iron

# Ubuntu
sudo docker pull kaiaai/kaiaai:iron
sudo docker run --name makerspet -it --rm -v ~/maps:/root/maps -p 8888:8888/udp -p 4430:4430/tcp -e DISPLAY -e QT_X11_NO_MITSHM=1 --volume="/tmp/.X11-unix:/tmp/.X11-unix:rw" --volume="${XAUTHORITY}:/root/.Xauthority" kaiaai/kaiaai:iron

Get an aditional bash prompt by opening another Windows command shell or Windows PowerShell window and typing:

# Windows WSL2
docker exec -it makerspet bash

# Ubuntu
sudo docker exec -it makerspet bash

If you installed ROS2/Kaia.ai without Docker directly on a Ubuntu PC/VM, just boot your Ubuntu PC to a bash prompt.

Command cheat sheets

makerspet_mini is the default robot model. When using another robot model, change the default model using Kaia.ai CLI. For example, the command below sets the default robot model to makerspet_loki.

kaia config robot.model makerspet_loki

Operate a physical robot

Manual operation

# Launch the physical robot
ros2 launch kaiaai_bringup physical.launch.py

# Drive robot manually
ros2 run kaiaai_teleop teleop_keyboard

# Monitor robot sensors
ros2 launch kaiaai_bringup monitor_robot.launch.py

# Create a map while driving manually
ros2 launch kaiaai_bringup cartographer.launch.py

# Save the newly-created map
ros2 run nav2_map_server map_saver_cli -f ~/maps/map --ros-args -p save_map_timeout:=60.0

Physical robot self-drives automatically

# Launch the physical robot
ros2 launch kaiaai_bringup physical.launch.py

# Specify target location;; robot self-drives using an existing map
ros2 launch kaiaai_bringup navigation.launch.py map:=$HOME/maps/map.yaml

# Launch SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) - navigate and map simultaneously
ros2 launch kaiaai_bringup navigation.launch.py slam:=True

# Robot automatically seeks out, self-drives to unknown locations
ros2 launch explore_lite explore.launch.py

# Save the newly-created map
ros2 run nav2_map_server map_saver_cli -f ~/maps/map --ros-args -p save_map_timeout:=60.0

Use Command Line with Physical Robot

Get, Set Robot’s Parameters

# View parameters
ros2 node list
ros2 node info /pet
ros2 param list /pet
ros2 param dump /pet

# Get the current laser scan frequency
ros2 param get /pet lidar.scan.freq.now

# Set the desired laser scan frequency to 7 Hz
ros2 param set /pet lidar.scan.freq.target 7.0

# Get the current desired laser scan frequency
ros2 param get /pet lidar.scan.freq.target

# Reset the desired laser scan frequency to default
ros2 param set /pet lidar.scan.freq.target 0.0

Monitor Robot’s Telemetry

# List available topics
ros2 topic list

# Get WiFi strength
ros2 topic echo /wifi_state --once

# View raw telemetry
ros2 topic echo /telemetry --once

# Get LiDAR scan data
ros2 topic echo /scan --once

# View current odometer value
ros2 topic echo /odom --once

# View current wheel rotation angles
ros2 topic echo /joint_states --once

# View current battery voltage, charge percentage
ros2 topic echo /battery_state --once

# View target velocity sent by kaiaai_telem or navigation
ros2 topic echo /cmd_vel --once

Operate robot in simulated environment

Operate a simulated robot manually

# Launch the robot in a simulation - drive manually
ros2 launch kaiaai_gazebo world.launch.py
ros2 run kaiaai_teleop teleop_keyboard
ros2 launch kaiaai_bringup monitor_robot.launch.py

# Launch the robot in a simulation - robot self-drives around
ros2 launch kaiaai_gazebo world.launch.py
ros2 launch kaiaai_gazebo self_drive_gazebo.launch.py
ros2 launch kaiaai_bringup monitor_robot.launch.py

# Launch the robot in a simulation - let it navigate automatically using an existing map
ros2 launch kaiaai_gazebo world.launch.py
ros2 launch kaiaai_bringup navigation.launch.py use_sim_time:=true \
  map:=/ros_ws/src/kaiaai_gazebo/map/living_room.yaml

# Launch the robot in a simulation - navigate and create a map simultaneously; save the map
ros2 launch kaiaai_gazebo world.launch.py robot_model:=makerspet_loki
ros2 launch kaiaai_bringup navigation.launch.py use_sim_time:=true slam:=True
ros2 run nav2_map_server map_saver_cli -f ~/maps/map --ros-args -p save_map_timeout:=60.0

Let robot self-drive autonomously

# Launch the robot in a simulation - create, save a map; robot self-drives around trivially
ros2 launch kaiaai_gazebo world.launch.py
ros2 launch kaiaai_bringup cartographer.launch.py use_sim_time:=true
ros2 launch kaiaai_gazebo self_drive_gazebo.launch.py
ros2 run nav2_map_server map_saver_cli -f ~/maps/living_room_map --ros-args -p save_map_timeout:=60.0

# Launch the robot in a simulation - navigate and create a map simultaneously
# Robot seeks out, self-drives to unknown locations to complete the mapping
ros2 launch kaiaai_gazebo world.launch.py
ros2 launch kaiaai_bringup navigation.launch.py use_sim_time:=true slam:=True
ros2 launch explore_lite explore.launch.py
ros2 run nav2_map_server map_saver_cli -f ~/maps/map --ros-args -p save_map_timeout:=60.0

# Launch the robot in a simulation - navigate and create a map simultaneously
# Robot seeks out, self-drives to unknown locations to complete the mapping, saves map
ros2 run auto_mapper auto_mapper map_path:=/ros_ws/map.yaml
ros2 launch kaiaai_gazebo world.launch.py
ros2 launch kaiaai_bringup navigation.launch.py use_sim_time:=true slam:=True

# Launch the robot in a simulation - navigate and create a map simultaneously
# Robot seeks out, self-drives to unknown locations to complete the mapping
ros2 launch kaiaai_gazebo world.launch.py
ros2 launch kaiaai_bringup navigation.launch.py use_sim_time:=true slam:=True
ros2 run nav2_wfd explore

Advanced Configuration

List of Supported LiDARs

You can set lidar_model to any of these supported models: XIAOMI-LDS02RR, YDLIDAR-X4, YDLIDAR-X3, YDLIDAR-X3-PRO, YDLIDAR-X2-X2L, YDLIDAR-SCL, NEATO-XV11, 3IROBOTIX-DELTA-2A, 3IROBOTIX-DELTA-2B, 3IROBOTIX-DELTA-2G, LDROBOT-LD14P, CAMSENSE-X1, SLAMTEC-RPLIDAR-A1.

Add your own modifications to an existing robot

# Inspect, edit robot's URDF model
ros2 launch kaiaai_bringup inspect_urdf.launch.py
ros2 launch kaiaai_bringup edit_urdf.launch.py

# Convert URDF robot model file into SDF Gazebo simulation model file
ros2 run kaiaai_gazebo urdf2sdf.sh /ros_ws/src/makerspet_loki
cd /ros_ws && colcon build --symlink-install --packages-select makerspet_loki

Overriding default robot and LiDAR models per launch

Commands physical.launch.py, teleop_keyboard, monitor_robot.launch.py, cartographer.launch.py, navigation.launch.py, inspect_urdf.launch.py, edit_urdf.launch.py and world.launch.py accept an optional robot_model argument to override the default robot package setting, per launch.

The physical.launch.py also accepts an optional lidar_model argument to override the default LiDAR model choice.

For example, the command below will use the makerspet_loki robot model and YDLIDAR-X3 LiDAR instead of the defaults.

ros2 launch kaiaai_bringup physical.launch.py robot_model:=makerspet_loki lidar_model:=YDLIDAR-X3

Acknowledgements

Initial versions of packages in this repo are based on ROBOTIS Turtlebot3 code

Release notes

v0.10.0 in debug

• converted kaiaa from metapackage to Pyhon package
• kaia CLI sets default robot model
• added YDLIDAR SCL
  • added intensity telemetry publication
• added Maker’s Pet Mini
  • added LiDAR orientation_deg

v0.9.0

• added WebRTC, web server, OpenCV launch
• added Camsense X1 LiDAR

v0.8.0

• added kaiaai_python ROS2 package
• added 3irobotix Delta-2A 230400 baud (vs 115200)
• added 3irobotix Delta-2B
• bugfix missing first scan point

v0.7.0

• kaiaai_telemetry
  • switched to KaiaTelemetry2 message
  • publish /battery_state
  • publish /wifi_state RSSI
  • discard_broken_scans, needs more debug
• added LDROBOT LD14P

v0.6.0 2/11/2024

• added 3irobotix Delta-2A, Delta-2G

2/5/2024

• added LiDAR laser distance scan sensors support
  • YDLIDAR X3, X3-PRO
  • Neato XV11
  • RPLIDAR A1
• split kaiaai_telemetry config into default and custom
  • kaiaai/kaiaai_telemetry/config/telem.yaml is the default config
  • makerspet_loki/config/telem.yaml is the custom config for the Loki robot model
  • makerspet_fido/config/telem.yaml is the custom config for the Fido robot model
  • makerspet_snoopy/config/telem.yaml is the custom config for the Snoopy robot model

1/28/2024

• added YDLIDAR X2 support to kaiaai_telemetry

1/21/2024

• kaiaai_telemetry now supports multiple LiDAR laser distance scan sensors
  • added Xiaomi Mi LDS02RR; default is YDLIDAR X4

12/11/2024

• added fully automatic self-driving to map exploration (frontier exploration m-explore)
  • I think this code needs debug

12/7/2024

• added Nav2 SLAM (as an alternative to Google Cartographer)
  • Nav2 SLAM enables driving autonomously to a set goal while mapping (and while the map is still incomplete)
• increase the map saver default timeout
  • fixed the map saving command timing out on my “slow” laptop