Chapter 6 Software Development Guide
Usage Environment
ultraArm P1 is developed and used based on PC. Since there is no built-in system in the robot arm, the robot arm and PC need to be combined during use. Please prepare the PC before use.
Important Notice: When developing with ultraArm P1, if a virtual machine or system image is required, please use only the official image files provided by Elephant Robotics' official website. Using images from unofficial sources may cause system instability, functional abnormalities, or security risks. Issues arising from such use are not covered under the product warranty.
Development Environment
In order to meet the diverse application needs of robots in different scenarios, we have adapted the robot to multiple programming languages. So far, we have adapted the following mainstream programming languages, and we think you can use any of the following languages for development. Please be sure to follow the instructions strictly. Any omitted steps may cause the corresponding language to fail to run successfully. I wish you a smooth use of the robot.
6.1 Python
Our robot supports Python, and the development of the Python API library is also becoming more and more perfect. The robot's joint angles, coordinates, grippers and other aspects can be controlled by Python.
6.2 ROS1
ROS (Robot Operating System), as an open source robot operating system, provides unlimited possibilities for robot development and control. Our robot can be controlled in a modular way through ROS's rich control functions. Whether it is joint control, path planning or sensor feedback, ROS provides corresponding tools and libraries to make the control process more flexible and efficient.
6.3 ROS2
ROS 2 (Robot Operating System 2) is a flexible software framework designed for robot software development. Our robot can make application development more efficient and modular through a series of services and functions such as hardware abstraction, device drivers, library functions, visualization tools, messaging, and package management.
6.4 Communication
If you have a certain understanding of information theory, coding and robot communication functions, then you should understand that all communication originates from data transmission. In order to facilitate users to operate the robot, we have opened a communication protocol based on serial communication. You can use the serial assistant or encapsulate it into any programming language you are familiar with to control the robot.