AgileX Robotics and Pika Sense enable low-latency teleoperation for NERO robotic arm

AgileX Robotics has teamed up with Pika Sense to deliver a comprehensive teleoperation guide for the NERO robotic arm, enabling developers to achieve low-latency end-effector control for both single- and dual-arm configurations. The system leverages Pika Sense hardware—including the Pika Positioner and Pika Gripper—to provide an intuitive interface for real-time robotic manipulation and data collection. The guide walks through hardware preparation, where users connect the NERO arm via CAN bus and align connectors with red markings, then attach Pika Sense. Software setup requires installing system dependencies (ethtool, can-utils), creating a Conda environment with Python 3.10 and libraries like pinocchio and casadi, and activating the CAN interface. For single-arm teleoperation, users calibrate Pika Sense and launch two terminals: one for the ROS 2 bridge and one for the teleoperation application. The setup also works with the AgileX PiPER, PiPER-X, and xArm Lite 6 arms.

The tutorial emphasizes modularity and community involvement. Developers using third-party robotic arms can adapt the same procedure by verifying power, communication, and control protocol compatibility. The Pika Sense software stack includes calibration routines and teleoperation nodes that handle inverse kinematics and sensor fusion. By open-sourcing the teleoperation interface via GitHub, AgileX and Pika Sense invite contributions to expand support to other robotic arms. The guide is part of a larger trend toward democratizing robotic manipulation, allowing researchers and engineers to quickly deploy teleoperation for tasks like remote inspection, assembly, and data gathering. With sub-100ms latency and support for dual-arm coordination, this system could accelerate progress in areas such as surgical robotics, warehouse automation, and human-robot interaction studies.