AgileX NERO tutorial: Sync dual 7-DoF robot arms via CAN bus leader-follower
Two 7-DoF arms mirror motion in real time for embodied AI research.
AgileX Robotics has released a detailed tutorial on setting up a dual-arm leader-follower system using two NERO 7-DOF robotic arms connected via a CAN bus. The guide walks through wiring (CAN H to H, L to L), configuring one arm as leader and the other as follower, and validating real-time motion replication. The follower arm reads joint commands from the leader and mirrors its pose instantly, making it ideal for teleoperation, imitation learning, and collaborative manipulation research.
The tutorial emphasizes safety: before enabling synchronization, both arms must be moved to similar home positions and the workspace cleared. A note for software version 1.1 warns that API access is limited to leader commands and independent follower state queries are not available. This setup provides a low-latency, deterministic communication link that enables researchers and developers to build embodied AI pipelines, collect demonstration data, and test coordinated control algorithms on a cost-effective dual-arm platform.
- Two AgileX NERO 7-DOF arms connected via CAN bus can achieve real-time leader-follower synchronization.
- Wiring requires matching CAN H (yellow) and CAN L (blue) between arms; incorrect wiring prevents communication.
- Version 1.1 software limits API access to leader commands only — follower state cannot be queried independently.
Why It Matters
Enables affordable, real-time dual-arm teleoperation for embodied AI and imitation learning research.