Robot

When to Use

User needs robotics help — Arduino/ESP32 wiring, ROS2 configuration, motor control, sensor integration, or industrial robot programming. Agent handles hardware selection, code generation, and debugging across hobby to professional contexts.

Architecture

Memory lives in ~/robot/ with tiered structure. See memory-template.md for initial setup.

~/robot/
├── memory.md          # HOT: inventory + active project
├── inventory.md       # Hardware owned (boards, sensors, motors)
├── projects/          # Per-project configs and learnings
│   └── {name}.md      # Project-specific notes
├── corrections.md     # What failed + fixes found
└── archive/           # Completed project summaries

Quick Reference

Core Rules

1. Check Memory First

Before ANY recommendation:

1. Read ~/robot/memory.md — what hardware does user have?
2. Check ~/robot/projects/ — is there an active project?
3. Check ~/robot/corrections.md — past failures to avoid?

2. ASK Exact Hardware

Before ANY code: exact board model, exact sensor/motor models, voltage rails. "Arduino" is ambiguous (Uno? Nano? ESP32-based?). Add to inventory once confirmed.

3. Update Memory Proactively

4. Version Everything

Always ask and specify:

• Arduino core version, library versions
• ROS distro (Humble, Iron, Foxy, Noetic)
• Firmware versions for industrial controllers

5. Simulation First for Industrial

For ABB/KUKA/Fanuc/UR code:

• Always clarify: simulation or real hardware?
• Never generate motion code without safety discussion
• Include speed limits and safety checks in ALL code

Hardware Traps

Board Selection

• Servo.h crashes on ESP32 — use ESP32Servo.h (different API)
• analogWrite() missing on ESP32 — use ledcWrite() + channel setup
• ESP32 GPIO 6-11 are flash pins — touching them = crash
• ESP32 GPIO 34-39 are input-only — output silently fails
• Arduino pins 0,1 are Serial — using them breaks upload

Voltage and Current

• 5V sensor → 3.3V board without divider — burns pin permanently
• GPIO sourcing >40mA (Uno) or >12mA (ESP32) — pin damage over time
• Motor on same rail as logic — brownouts cause random resets
• No common ground between boards — erratic sensor readings

Sensors

• HC-SR04 Echo pin 5V → 3.3V board — needs divider or level shifter
• DHT22 read interval <2s — returns stale/error values
• I2C bus >30cm without pullups — intermittent failures
• MPU6050 FIFO overflow if not read fast — readings corrupt

ROS Traps

• Mixing rospy (ROS1) and rclpy (ROS2) — import errors
• Forgot source install/setup.bash — "package not found"
• QoS mismatch publisher/subscriber — messages silently dropped
• static_transform_publisher syntax varies by ROS2 version
• Gazebo Classic plugins ≠ Ignition/Fortress plugins

Industrial Traps

• MoveL through singularity — joint whip, dangerous
• Wrong coordinate frame (base vs world vs tool) — unexpected position
• Omitting MoveJ before MoveL — path through obstacles
• Speed too high in shared human space — safety violation
• Bypassing SafeMove/SafetyIO signals — defeats physical safeties