robot_descriptions 1.9.0

Import open source robot description as Python modules.

Robot descriptions in Python

Import open source robot descriptions as Python modules.

Importing a description for the first time automatically downloads and caches files for future imports. Most Awesome Robot Descriptions are available. All of them load successfully in respectively MuJoCo (MJCF) or Pinocchio, iDynTree, PyBullet and yourdfpy (URDF).

Installation

PyPI

pip install robot_descriptions

Conda

conda install -c conda-forge robot_descriptions

Usage

The library provides load_robot_description functions that return an instance of a robot description directly usable in the corresponding software. For example:

from robot_descriptions.loaders.pinocchio import load_robot_description

robot = load_robot_description("upkie_description")

Loaders are implemented for the following robotics software:

Software	Loader
iDynTree	robot_descriptions.loaders.idyntree
MuJoCo	robot_descriptions.loaders.mujoco
Pinocchio	robot_descriptions.loaders.pinocchio
PyBullet	robot_descriptions.loaders.pybullet
RoboMeshCat	robot_descriptions.loaders.robomeshcat
yourdfpy	robot_descriptions.loaders.yourdfpy

Loading will automatically download the robot description if needed, and cache it to a local directory.

Import as submodule

You can also import a robot description directly as a submodule of robot_descriptions:

from robot_descriptions import my_robot_description

The import will automatically download the robot description if you don't have it already, and cache it to a local directory. The submodule then provides the following paths:

URDF_PATH / MJCF_PATH

Path to the main URDF/MJCF file of the robot description.

PACKAGE_PATH

Path to the root of the robot description package.

REPOSITORY_PATH

Path to the working directory of the git repository hosting the robot description.

Some robot descriptions include additional fields. For instance, the iiwa_description exports URDF_PATH_POLYTOPE_COLLISION with more detailed collision meshes.

Examples

Loading a robot description:

• iDynTree
• MuJoCo
• Pinocchio
• PyBullet
• RoboMeshCat
• yourdfpy

Visualizing a robot description:

• MeshCat
• MuJoCo
• PyBullet
• RoboMeshCat
• yourdfpy

Command line tool

The command line tool can be used to visualize any of the robot descriptions below. For example:

robot_descriptions show solo_description

Descriptions

Available robot descriptions (gallery) are listed in the following categories:

• Arms
• Bipeds
• Dual arms
• Drones
• Educational
• End effectors
• Humanoids
• Mobile manipulators
• Quadrupeds

The DOF column denotes the number of actuated degrees of freedom.

Arms

Name	Robot	Maker	DOF	Format
edo_description	e.DO	Comau	6	URDF
fanuc_m710ic_description	M-710iC	Fanuc	6	URDF
gen2_description	Gen2 (Jaco)	Kinova	6	URDF
gen3_description	Gen3 (Jaco)	Kinova	6	URDF
gen3_mj_description	Gen3 (Jaco)	Kinova	7	MJCF
iiwa_description	iiwa	KUKA	7	URDF
iiwa_mj_description	iiwa14	KUKA	7	MJCF
panda_description	Panda	Franka Emika	8	URDF
panda_mj_description	Panda	Franka Emika	8	MJCF
poppy_ergo_jr_description	Poppy Ergo Jr	Poppy Project	6	URDF
sawyer_mj_description	Sawyer	Rethink Robotics	7	MJCF
ur10_description	UR10	Universal Robots	6	URDF
ur10e_mj_description	UR10e	Universal Robots	6	MJCF
ur3_description	UR3	Universal Robots	6	URDF
ur5_description	UR5	Universal Robots	6	URDF
ur5e_mj_description	UR5e	Universal Robots	6	MJCF
viper_mj_description	Viper	Trossen Robotics	7	MJCF
z1_description	Z1	UNITREE Robotics	6	URDF

Bipeds

Name	Robot	Maker	DOF	Format
bolt_description	Bolt	ODRI	6	URDF
cassie_description	Cassie	Agility Robotics	16	URDF
cassie_mj_description	Cassie	Agility Robotics	16	MJCF
rhea_description	Rhea	Gabrael Levine	7	URDF
spryped_description	Spryped	Benjamin Bokser	8	URDF
upkie_description	Upkie	Tast's Robots	6	URDF

Dual arms

Name	Robot	Maker	DOF	Format
aloha_mj_description	Aloha 2	Trossen Robotics	14	MJCF
baxter_description	Baxter	Rethink Robotics	15	URDF
nextage_description	NEXTAGE	Kawada Robotics	15	URDF
poppy_torso_description	Poppy Torso	Poppy Project	13	URDF
yumi_description	YuMi	ABB	16	URDF

Drones

Name	Robot	Maker	DOF	Format
cf2_description	Crazyflie 2.0	Bitcraze	0	URDF
cf2_mj_description	Crazyflie 2.0	Bitcraze	6	MJCF
skydio_x2_description	Skydio X2	Skydio	6	URDF
skydio_x2_mj_description	Skydio X2	Skydio	6	MJCF

Educational

Name	Robot	DOF	Format
double_pendulum_description	Double Pendulum	2	URDF
finger_edu_description	FingerEdu	3	URDF
simple_humanoid_description	Simple Humanoid	29	URDF
trifinger_edu_description	TriFingerEdu	9	URDF

End effectors

Name	Robot	Maker	DOF	Format
allegro_hand_description	Allegro Hand	Wonik Robotics	16	URDF
allegro_hand_mj_description	Allegro Hand	Wonik Robotics	16	MJCF
barrett_hand_description	BarrettHand	Barrett Technology	8	URDF
robotiq_2f85_description	Robotiq 2F-85	Robotiq	1	URDF
robotiq_2f85_mj_description	Robotiq 2F-85	Robotiq	1	MJCF
shadow_hand_mj_description	Shadow Hand	The Shadow Robot Company	24	MJCF

Humanoids

Name	Robot	Maker	DOF	Format
atlas_drc_description	Atlas DRC (v3)	Boston Dynamics	30	URDF
atlas_v4_description	Atlas v4	Boston Dynamics	30	URDF
draco3_description	Draco3	Apptronik	25	URDF
ergocub_description	ergoCub	IIT	57	URDF
h1_description	H1	UNITREE Robotics	25	URDF
h1_mj_description	H1	UNITREE Robotics	25	MJCF
icub_description	iCub	IIT	32	URDF
jaxon_description	JAXON	JSK	38	URDF
jvrc_description	JVRC-1	AIST	34	URDF
jvrc_mj_description	JVRC-1	AIST	34	MJCF
op3_mj_description	OP3	ROBOTIS	20	MJCF
r2_description	Robonaut 2	NASA JSC Robotics	56	URDF
romeo_description	Romeo	Aldebaran Robotics	37	URDF
sigmaban_description	SigmaBan	Rhoban	20	URDF
talos_description	TALOS	PAL Robotics	32	URDF
valkyrie_description	Valkyrie	NASA JSC Robotics	59	URDF

Mobile manipulators

Name	Robot	Maker	DOF	Format
eve_r3_description	Eve R3	Halodi	23	URDF
fetch_description	Fetch	Fetch Robotics	14	URDF
ginger_description	Ginger	Paaila Technology	49	URDF
pepper_description	Pepper	SoftBank Robotics	17	URDF
pr2_description	PR2	Willow Garage	32	URDF
reachy_description	Reachy	Pollen Robotics	21	URDF
stretch_description	Stretch RE1	Hello Robot	14	URDF
sretch_mj_description	Stretch 2	Hello Robot	14	MJCF
tiago_description	TIAGo	PAL Robotics	48	URDF

Quadrupeds

Name	Robot	Maker	DOF	Format
a1_mj_description	A1	UNITREE Robotics	12	MJCF
a1_description	A1	UNITREE Robotics	12	URDF
b1_description	B1	UNITREE Robotics	12	URDF
aliengo_description	Aliengo	UNITREE Robotics	12	MJCF, URDF
anymal_b_mj_description	ANYmal B	ANYbotics	12	MJCF
anymal_b_description	ANYmal B	ANYbotics	12	URDF
anymal_c_description	ANYmal C	ANYbotics	12	URDF
anymal_c_mj_description	ANYmal C	ANYbotics	12	MJCF
go1_description	Go1	UNITREE Robotics	12	URDF
go1_mj_description	Go1	UNITREE Robotics	12	MJCF
go2_description	Go2	UNITREE Robotics	12	URDF
go2_mj_description	Go2	UNITREE Robotics	12	MJCF
hyq_description	HyQ	IIT	12	URDF
laikago_description	Laikago	UNITREE Robotics	12	MJCF, URDF
mini_cheetah_description	Mini Cheetah	MIT	12	URDF
minitaur_description	Minitaur	Ghost Robotics	16	URDF
solo_description	Solo	ODRI	12	URDF

Contributing

New robot descriptions are welcome! Check out the guidelines then open a PR.

Thanks

Thanks to the maintainers of all the git repositories that made these robot descriptions available.

Citation

If you use robot_descriptions.py in your scientific works, please cite it e.g. as follows:

@software{robot_descriptions_py2024,
  author = {Caron, Stéphane and Romualdi, Giulio and Kozlov, Lev and Ordonez, Daniel and Tadashi Kussaba, Hugo and Bang, Seung Hyeon and Zakka, Kevin},
  license = {Apache-2.0},
  month = mar,
  title = {{robot_descriptions.py: Robot descriptions in Python}},
  url = {https://github.com/robot-descriptions/robot_descriptions.py},
  version = {1.9.0},
  year = {2024}
}

See also

Robot descriptions in other languages:

	robot_descriptions.cpp