Developer Setup Guide

Goal: Clone the RBQ repository, set up the development environment, and launch the simulator so you can test robot behavior before running on hardware.

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REQUIRED READING

Familiarize yourself with the safety guidelines before testing on the real robot: General Safety Guidelines.

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
OS	Ubuntu 22.04 (x86-64)
CPU	Intel Core i7 12th Gen or equivalent
RAM	16 GB or more
Storage	25 GB free space
Control	Keyboard (W/A/S/D, Q/E, arrow keys) or Logitech F710 gamepad

Step 1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/RainbowRobotics/RBQ.git
cd RBQ

All SDK source code, examples, scripts, and simulator environments live inside RBQ/.
Run all commands from this directory unless stated otherwise.

Note: Pre-built binaries ship in bin-x86_64/ (and bin-aarch64/ for arm64). No compilation step is required to run the simulator or deploy to the robot.

Step 2. Launch the Simulator

The simulator runs in Docker — Docker is the only thing to install, and the script offers to install it when it is missing. The first run takes a few minutes to build its image. See MuJoCo.

Start the RBQ control stack and the MuJoCo physics simulator together:

bash scripts/sim.bash --no-gui          # motion only
bash scripts/sim.bash --no-gui --vision # motion + vision sensors

It runs in the foreground of this terminal; Ctrl-C stops it. If Docker needs sudo on this PC, enter your password when asked.

i

NOTE

Pass --no-gui. This repository carries no on-PC control GUI — you drive the simulator from the RBQ app, exactly as you drive the real robot.

Step 3. Connect and stand the robot up in the RBQ app

Install the RBQ desktop app from the Downloads page, then:

1. Start the app on the same PC as the simulator. With no robot network around, the desktop app finds the MuJoCo simulator on this PC by itself and connects — see Connection.
2. Press Control on the hub to open the control home.
3. Tap the green Auto Start pill, press Auto Start in the dialog, and wait for the sequence to report Done. Press Close.
4. Press STAND on the motion card to stand the robot up.

The robot is now ready to receive commands. Refer to Motion commands for joystick and gait control.

Step 4. Run on the Real Robot

When you are ready to test on hardware:

1. Place the robot in the correct initial pose.
2. Connect your device to the robot Wi-Fi (RBQ_xxxx).
3. Open the RBQ app and pick the robot in the robot list — see Connection.
4. Press Control, run Auto Start, then press STAND.

The steps are the same ones you just used against the simulator, which is the point of rehearsing there first.

It is strongly recommended to verify all behaviors in simulation before testing on the real robot.

Step 5. Update the Robot

Robot software is updated from the app with Send robot software on the Software update screen. The robot deploys it as soon as the transfer completes, and the app then offers a reboot.

→ Robot Software Update

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CAUTION

Put the robot in the sitting state before restarting, and do not move it until the restart finishes. Running a mismatched binary and script combination can cause unexpected behavior.

Detailed Reference

Topic	Link
Full walkthrough	Developers Guide (Software)
The RBQ app, screen by screen	RBQ App
Simulation environment	MuJoCo Simulation
Concepts & architecture	Concept