Flexiv TDK

Flexiv TDK (Teleoperation Development Kit) is an SDK for building custom robot-to-robot or device-to-robot teleoperation applications with Flexiv's adaptive robots. It enables synchronized, force-guided motion using high-fidelity perceptual feedback and supports both LAN (Local Area Network) and WAN (Internet) connections.

Contact-Rich Manipulation Benchmarks

Flexiv TDK has been recognized on the Manipulation Net Peg-in-Hole Leaderboard. The Manipulation Net is a public benchmark for robotic manipulation in the real world at scale with any robot at any time and anywhere. This provides external evidence for the contact-rich manipulation capability relevant to TDK use cases, including compliant insertion, alignment, and force-sensitive teleoperation workflows.

🎬 Flexiv's TDK | Teleoperation Made Simple
(Click image below to play)

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References

Flexiv TDK Page is the main reference. It contains important information including user manual and API documentation. The instructions below serve as a quick reference, and you can find the full documentation at Flexiv TDK Manual.

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✅ Compatibility

OS	Processor	Languages	Compiler Requirements	Python Versions
Ubuntu 22.04+	x86_64, aarch64	C++, Python	GCC ≥ 9.4, CMake ≥ 3.16.3	3.8, 3.10, 3.12

💡 Need support for other platforms? Contact Flexiv.

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🚀 Quick Start - Python

1. Install the Python package

On all supported platforms, the Python package of TDK and its dependencies for a specific Python version can be installed using the pip module:

python3.x -m pip install spdlog flexivtdk

NOTE: replace 3.x with a specific Python version.

2. Use the installed Python package

After the flexivtdk Python package is installed, it can be imported from any Python script. Test with the following commands in a new Terminal, which should start Flexiv TDK:

python3.x
import flexivtdk
flexivtdk.__version__ 

3.🕒 System Clock Sync

Accurate time sync is critical for teleop over the internet. For WAN teleop, there are two edge computers, one acting as a server and the other as a client, and the system time of these two computers needs to be calibrated.

Note: This is only required for WAN Teleoperation, users can skip this section if only using LAN teleoperation.

1. Install & Start chrony

sudo apt install chrony -y
systemctl status chrony  # Should show "active (running)"

2. Check Sync Accuracy

chronyc tracking | grep 'System time\|RMS offset'

System time: the instantaneous offset between local system clock and NTP reference

RMS offset: the long-term average offset (root mean square) over time

Network Condition	Good (ms)	Acceptable (ms)	Poor (ms)
System time	< 1	1 - 10	> 10
RMS offset	< 5	5 - 20	> 20

3. Force Immediate Sync (if needed)

sudo chronyc burst 4/4
sudo chronyc makestep

🔄 After network changes (e.g., Wi-Fi → Ethernet), restart:

sudo systemctl restart chronyd
sleep 5
sudo chronyc makestep

4. Learn more: Chrony Documentation

4. Enable Real-Time Privileges for Non-root Users

To allow a regular user to create high-priority (real-time) threads without sudo, configure system to apply real-time and nice priority limits:

echo "${USER}    -   rtprio    99" | sudo tee -a /etc/security/limits.conf
echo "${USER}    -   nice     -20" | sudo tee -a /etc/security/limits.conf

Log out and log back in (or reboot) for the settings to take effect.

5. Run example Python scripts

To run an example Python script in this repo:

cd flexiv_tdk/example_py
python3.x <example_name>.py [arguments]

Check each example’s source code for usage details.

🚀 Quick Start - C++

The TDK is distributed as a modern CMake project named flexiv_tdk.

1. Install Build Dependencies

sudo apt install build-essential cmake cmake-qt-gui -y

2. Choose an Installation Directory

Example: ~/tdk_install

3. Build & Install Third-Party Dependencies

cd flexiv_tdk/thirdparty
bash build_and_install_dependencies.sh ~/tdk_install

4. Configure & Install TDK

cd flexiv_tdk
mkdir build && cd build
cmake .. -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=~/tdk_install
cmake --build . --target install --config Release

🌐 Internet connection to GitHub is required for 3. Build & Install Third-Party Dependencies and 4. Configure & Install TDK.

5. Link TDK in Your Project

After the TDK library is installed, it can be found as a CMake target and linked to from other CMake projects. Using the provided examples project for instance:

cd flexiv_tdk/example
mkdir build && cd build
cmake .. -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=~/tdk_install
cmake --build . --config Release -j 4

NOTE: -D followed by CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX tells the user project's CMake where to find the installed TDK library.

6. Run Examples

cd flexiv_tdk/example/build
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=~/tdk_install/lib ./<program_name> [arguments]

LD_LIBRARY_PATH is used to specify where the shared libraries of the dependencies are installed.

Check each example’s source code for usage details.

📚 Generate API Documentation

The complete and detailed API documentation of the latest release can be found at API Reference. The API documentation of a previous release can be generated manually using Doxygen. For example, on Linux:

sudo apt install doxygen-latex graphviz
cd flexiv_tdk
git checkout <tag_name>
doxygen docs/doxygen/Doxyfile.in

Open flexiv_tdk/docs/api/doxygen/index.html in your browser.