Hardware Extensions#

RCS supports integration with various hardware platforms via dedicated hardware extensions.
These allow you to run the same RCS APIs on real robots and sensors without modifying your main codebase.

For example, the Franka Emika Research 3 (FR3) robot is supported via the rcs_fr3 extension.

All natively supported extensions are located in the extensions directory.

1. Installing Hardware Extensions#

To enable hardware usage in RCS, install the desired hardware extension via pip:

pip install -ve extensions/<extension_name>

For example, to install the FR3 extension:

pip install -ve extensions/rcs_fr3

Tip: Each extension may have its own setup requirements. See the specific extension’s section below for additional configuration steps.

2. Switching Between Simulation and Hardware#

After installing the required extension, you can switch your RCS instance from simulation to hardware by setting:

from rcs.common import RobotPlatform

ROBOT_INSTANCE = RobotPlatform.SIMULATION   # Default: Simulation
# ROBOT_INSTANCE = RobotPlatform.HARDWARE   # Uncomment to use real hardware

3. Command-Line Interfaces (CLI)#

Some extensions provide CLI commands to interact with hardware without writing Python code.

For example:

python -m rcs_fr3 --help
python -m rcs_realsense --help

These commands allow you to perform basic operations directly from your terminal.

4. FR3 Hardware Extension#

The RCS FR3 extension enables control of the Franka Emika Research 3 robot via RCS.

4.1 Additional Configuration#

Create a .env file in your working directory with your FR3 Desk credentials:
```
DESK_USERNAME=your_username
DESK_PASSWORD=your_password
```

Set your FR3’s IP address in your script:

ROBOT_IP = "192.168.0.1"  # Replace with your robot's IP

4.2 Usage Example#

import numpy as np
import rcs
import rcs_fr3
from rcs_fr3._core import hw
from rcs_fr3.desk import FCI, Desk, load_creds_fr3_desk
from rcs_fr3.config import FR3Config, IKSolver
from rcs.common import Pose, FrankaHandTCPOffset, RobotPlatform

ROBOT_IP = "192.168.0.1"
ROBOT_INSTANCE = RobotPlatform.HARDWARE

# Load credentials
user, pw = load_creds_fr3_desk()

# Connect to the robot
with FCI(Desk(ROBOT_IP, user, pw), unlock=False, lock_when_done=False):
    urdf_path = rcs.scenes["fr3_empty_world"]["urdf"]
    ik = rcs.common.RL(str(urdf_path))

    # Initialize robot
    robot = hw.FR3(ROBOT_IP, ik)
    robot_cfg = FR3Config()
    robot_cfg.tcp_offset = Pose(FrankaHandTCPOffset())
    robot_cfg.ik_solver = IKSolver.rcs_ik
    robot.set_parameters(robot_cfg)

    # Configure gripper
    gripper_cfg = hw.FHConfig()
    gripper_cfg.epsilon_inner = gripper_cfg.epsilon_outer = 0.1
    gripper_cfg.speed = 0.1
    gripper_cfg.force = 30
    gripper = hw.FrankaHand(ROBOT_IP, gripper_cfg)

    # Move and grasp
    robot.set_cartesian_position(
        robot.get_cartesian_position() * Pose(translation=np.array([0.05, 0, 0]))
    )
    gripper.grasp()

4.3 CLI for FR3#

The FR3 extension also defines useful CLI commands for controlling the robot without the Desk website:

python -m rcs_fr3 --help

5. Additional Resources#

Examples: See the examples folder for more usage samples.
Franka Desk Documentation: Refer to the FR3 manufacturer’s manual for setup and safety.