Hello from Pi Labs,

Pi Robot took a big step toward usefulness today as he made his first successful “pick and place” operation, at least in simulation. Pi is using the relatively new ROS package called MoveIt that incorporates sophisticated motion planning for multi-jointed arms and grippers. The planner takes into account the presence of obstacles and keeps all parts of the arm from colliding with objects as the robot reaches for a target.

In this short video, virtual Pi is asked to pick up the yellow object on the table and move it to a new location on his right. The challenge is to accomplish the task without hitting the arm or gripper against the table or the two orange boxes. The fact that even a hobbyist can now program this task is a huge tribute to the programmers behind MoveIt.

Next up: Pi washes the dishes! (I wish…)