RaspberryPi Setup Guide for XLeRobot#

This guide provides comprehensive instructions for setting up a RaspberryPi for use with XLeRobot mobile base version.

Prerequisites#

  • RaspberryPi (recommended: Pi 4 or newer)

  • MicroSD card (32GB or larger recommended)

  • Computer with SD card reader

  • Network connection (WiFi or Ethernet)

1. Installing the Operating System#

Download Raspberry Pi OS#

  1. Visit the official Raspberry Pi website

  2. Download Raspberry Pi Imager

  3. Download Raspberry Pi OS (recommended: Raspberry Pi OS with desktop)

Flash the OS to SD Card#

  1. Insert your microSD card into your computer

  2. Open Raspberry Pi Imager

  3. Select the downloaded OS image

  4. Select your SD card

  5. Click “Write” to flash the OS

Initial Setup#

  1. Insert the SD card into your RaspberryPi

  2. Connect keyboard, mouse, and monitor

  3. Power on the RaspberryPi

  4. Follow the initial setup wizard:

    • Set country, language, and timezone

    • Create user account and password

    • Connect to WiFi network

    • Update system packages

Note

The hostname option defines the hostname your Raspberry Pi broadcasts to the network using mDNS. When you connect your Raspberry Pi to your network, other devices on the network can communicate with your computer using <hostname>.local or <hostname>.lan.

The username and password option defines the username and password of the admin user account on your Raspberry Pi.

The wireless LAN option allows you to enter an SSID (name) and password for your wireless network. If your network does not broadcast an SSID publicly, you should enable the “Hidden SSID” setting. By default, Imager uses the country you’re currently in as the “Wireless LAN country”. This setting controls the Wi-Fi broadcast frequencies used by your Raspberry Pi. Enter credentials for the wireless LAN option if you plan to run a headless Raspberry Pi.

Raspberry Pi OS Customisation

2. Setting Up VNC for Remote Desktop#

Enable VNC Server#

  1. Open Terminal on RaspberryPi

  2. Run the configuration tool:

sudo raspi-config

  1. Navigate to “Interface Options” → “VNC” → “Enable”

  2. Reboot the system

Alternative: Enable VNC via Command Line#

sudo systemctl enable vncserver-x11-serviced
sudo systemctl start vncserver-x11-serviced

Install VNC Viewer on Your PC#

  1. Download RealVNC Viewer

  2. Install and launch VNC Viewer

  3. Connect using <hostname>.local or <hostname>.lan, for me is XLerobot.local (Make sure these devices are in the same network)

  4. Use your Pi’s username and password to authenticate

image

For detailed VNC setup instructions, refer to this comprehensive guide.

3. System Updates and Dependencies#

Update System Packages#

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

Install Essential Packages#

sudo apt install -y python3-pip git curl wget

4. Enable SSH Access (Optional)#

Enable SSH#

sudo systemctl enable ssh
sudo systemctl start ssh

Find Your Pi’s IP Address#

hostname -I

Connect from Your PC#

ssh pi@<your-pi-ip-address>

5. Installing XLeRobot Software#

Follow the official software installation instructions for detailed steps.

And copy the config files.

Next Steps#

After completing this setup, you can run the code in the same way as the laptop:

image

Additional Resources#

Lekiwi#

Note

To test the single-arm version of XLeRobot with Lekiwi codes, you should detach the SO101 arm that doesn’t share the same motor control board with the base, clamp it on your table and connect it to your PC to act as the leader arm.

Note

To run mobile base version of Lekiwi, you need a RaspberryPi in advance.

Follow all of their software instructions so you can:

After these steps you should be able to teleoperate a basic single-arm version of XLeRobot the same way Lekiwi does, to replicate this demo video: