Build and run LeKiwi

Source the parts

LeKiwi is a three-wheel omnidirectional mobile base that works with the SO-101 ecosystem. It needs the printed chassis pieces, drive hardware, motors, electronics, a Raspberry Pi, power components, and an SO-101 setup appropriate to your chosen configuration.

Raspberry Pi

Install software on the Pi

hostname -I
ssh <your_pi_user_name>@<your_pi_ip_address>

pip install -e ".[lekiwi]"

Install LeRobot on your computer

Set up a matching LeRobot environment on the computer you will use to configure, teleoperate, record datasets, train models, or evaluate policies. The host and Pi should run compatible LeRobot versions.

pip install -e ".[lekiwi]"

Mechanical and electrical setup

Assemble and connect the base

Complete the official mechanical build before software configuration. Route motor wiring without pinch points, verify the wheels move freely, and keep the robot supported so it cannot drive away during first power-on.

Motor board

Find the correct serial port

Connect the motor board over USB and run the port finder. The device path it returns is used by the motor setup and calibration commands.

lerobot-find-port

On macOS, the path normally starts with /dev/tty.usbmodem. On Linux it is commonly /dev/ttyACM0 or similar; grant serial-port access if your system requires it.

Configure the motors

Each bus motor needs the expected ID and a shared baud rate. Follow the interactive setup tool exactly: connect only the motor it asks for, configure it, then move to the next motor. Do not configure a daisy-chained group at once.

lerobot-setup-motors \
+  --robot.type=lekiwi \
+  --robot.port=/dev/tty.usbmodem…

If communication fails, check the power supply, USB data cable, controller connection, individual motor cable, and that only the intended motor is attached during setup.

Calibration

Calibrate the base and arm

Calibrate the LeKiwi base after motor setup, then calibrate the SO-101 leader arm used for teleoperation. Use a unique ID for each physical robot so calibration data is not mixed between devices.

lerobot-calibrate \
+  --robot.type=lekiwi \
+  --robot.id=my_kiwi

lerobot-calibrate \
+  --teleop.type=so100_leader \
+  --teleop.port=/dev/tty.usbmodem… \
+  --teleop.id=my_leader_arm

Operation

Start teleoperation

Start the robot-side host process on the Pi, then launch teleoperation from your computer. Begin with low-risk movements and confirm base directions before working around people or objects.

python -m lerobot.robots.lekiwi.lekiwi_host --robot.id=my_kiwi

python examples/lekiwi/teleoperate.py

Learning workflow

Record a dataset

Sign in to Hugging Face before recording if you want the dataset uploaded to your account. Start with a consistent task, fixed cameras, visible objects, and repeatable motions. Build variation gradually only after you can record clean, usable episodes.

hf auth login --token ${HUGGINGFACE_TOKEN} --add-to-git-credential
python examples/lekiwi/record.py

Replay and evaluate

Use replay to confirm a recorded episode behaves as expected. Once you have trained a policy, use the evaluation example with the correct Pi address, port, and model reference.

python examples/lekiwi/replay.py

python examples/lekiwi/evaluate.py