Behavior-Based Robotics: Labbook 2025

January 6, 2025

Want to the Nao-shaped USB-stick with tag 'flash NaoQi 2.8.7.4' to flash Perry.
First updating Perusall, copying last year's course and going to the five steps of Getting Started.
In the 3rd step, Robot Programming: A Practical Guide to Behavior-Based Robotics from Joseph Jones showed up, although the publisher didn't gave permission to use the book in Perusall.
A book that can be accessed on request (for two weeks), is Arkin's Governing Lethal Behavior in Autonomous Robots from 2009.
Updated the dates of the assignments to this year, seems to work.
Looked again at the cloud-management from Aldebaran, and Moos still reports NaoQi v2.8.7.4, which is also the most recent version available.
Checked the Nao6 software downloads. For Windows the latest version of Chorégraphe is 2.8.7, for Mac and Linux version 2.8.8 is available.
Yet, what I need is the SDK. There the latest version is 2.8.6 for Mac and Linux, and 2.8.7 for Windows. So, the software on Canvas is still state-of-the-art. The page also gives the universal Softbank license: 654e-4564-153c-6518-2f44-7562-206e-4c60-5f47-5f45
Flashed Perry with the Nao-shaped USB-stick with tag 'flash NaoQi 2.8.7.4'.
Started Choregraphe 2.8.6.23 and connected with ethernet cable. That didn't work with the Black Dell ring, but fine with the Grey one.
Again, back to Factory settings, but the webinterface was stuck in the network wizard.
Logged in via ssh, and registered the MAC address in iotroam.
Configured the Network with RobotSettings. Used the advanced/#/settings to permit deactivation of the safety reflexes.
Tai-Chi worked nicely on Perry.
Actually, I can install Python 3 for Nao on Perry.
Documentation seems to be wibbly wobbly.
According to Nao Classroom, there is Python3.5 running on the robot, including qi. Maybe something to ask from the BscKI students.
Another option is to use ROS for Nao.
The one installed is probably 1.2.2 Beta. Choregraphe indeed says 1.2.2.
Started the script from /home/nao/.local/share/PackageManager/apps/python3nao/bin/ on the nao.
That starts python3.9, which is also on that directory.
From there, import qi works.
Next, I try ALTextToSpeech example
Running ~/.local/share/PackageManager/apps/python3nao/bin/runpy3.sh altexttospeech_say.py from an examples directory worked.
The only reference in the environment on the nao to python is PYTHONPATH=/opt/aldebaran/lib/python2.7/site-packages. So, updating the PATH and PYTHONPATH should allow to use python3.9 and the qi-libraries. Yet, not sure if this includes OpenCV. Also matplotlib and scipy are missing.
Looking for where the PYTHONPATH is set. No /home/nao/.bashrc. Yet, in /etc/profile.d/nao.sh there is the script that should be in /home/nao/.profile. That points to /etc/conf.d/naoqi, which defines PYTHON_PATH, LD_LIBRARY_PATH and three QI_ variables. Note that the LD_LIBRARY_PATH also points to /opt/ros/indigo/lib
Without changing something on the environment, went to ~/.local/share/PackageManager/apps/python3nao/bin and did ./python3.9 -m pip install scipy. That tried to install scipy-1.13.1, but failed on numpy when trying to build the wheel with gcc.
The command ./python3.9 -m pip install --upgrade pip worked. (upgrading from 22.0.3 to 24.3.1).
In principal numpy should already be part of the package. ./runpy3.sh -m pip list indicates numpy 1.25.2.
The command ./runpy3.sh -m pip index versions scipy gives a list of versions (latest 1.13.1).
For scipy-1.12 it tries to compile numpy 1.22.4. For scipy-1.13.1 it tries numpy-2.0.2 (because of a rule numpy<2.3,>=2.0.0rc1). For scipy-1.13.0 it also tries numpy-2.0.2.
Tried also ./runpy3.sh -m pip install matplotlib, which also fails on numpy-2.0.2.
So, the only option is to try to it from the laptop side.
Next to flash is Appa. Also switched the safety reflex off. Tai-Chi was OK.
Next to flash is Ferb. According to the board, it has problems with the left leg. No problems with Tai-Chi, although it complained a lot about its sensors (after reboot it was gone). Also let him walk. On a hard surface (ASML board) it worked nicely, on the grass it had more problems with its balance.
Next to flash is Barbie. Had to add the MAC-address to iotroam. Also switched the safety reflex off. Tai-Chi was OK.

January 6, 2025

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