STEMbot Code Release

STEMbot paper accepted to IROS 2026. Contains the code and documentation needed to understand and run the main paper workflows: perception, semantic mapping, motion planning, ROS integration, robot execution, Arduino firmware, and analysis for the four mapping experiments.

Project links:

• Official website: https://um-arm-lab.github.io/stembot-site/
• Video: https://youtu.be/ShSJOYKnAx0
• arXiv: TODO: add arXiv link

Repository Layout

docker/       Docker and device setup files.
ros_ws/       ROS workspace source used by the STEMbot pipeline.
scripts/      Runtime scripts for perception, PIN-SLAM, planning, and execution.
arduino/      STEMbot microcontroller firmware.
experiments/  Analysis scripts and experiment data manifest.
docs/         Module-level documentation.
manifests/    Dependency and asset manifests for omitted large files.

Main Entry Points

Build and enter the Docker environment:

docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.yml up -d ssmi_demo
docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.yml exec ssmi_demo bash

Run the live robot loop:

bash /root/ssmi_ws/scripts/launch_live_realsense.sh live
bash /root/ssmi_ws/scripts/launch_live_realsense.sh bag <bag_path>

Run the simulation/MPC loop:

bash /root/ssmi_ws/scripts/launch_mpc.sh

Run the standalone planner:

cd /root/ssmi_ws/scripts/planning
python scripts/plan.py --config configs/config_real_plant_docker.yaml \
  --initial-pos 0.002 -0.005 0.1 \
  --goal-pos 0.03 0.03 0.14 \
  --initial-branch 0.0 0.0 1.0 \
  --goal-mode fov_occlusion

Run the analysis scripts:

python experiments/map_chamfer_summary.py
python experiments/map_analysis_1.py

Upload the STEMbot firmware:

arduino/arduino_control_keyboard/arduino_control_keyboard.ino

The serial command format used by the firmware is:

LX,LY,RT,LT,DPX,DPY,B

Documentation

• System overview: docs/system_overview.md
• Perception: docs/perception.md
• Mapping: docs/mapping.md
• Motion planning: docs/motion_planning.md
• ROS integration: docs/ros_integration.md
• STEMbot execution and Arduino control: docs/stembot_execution.md
• Four experiment analysis workflows: docs/experiments.md
• Excluded bulky artifacts: docs/exclusions.md

Large Assets

This release intentionally omits raw datasets, model checkpoints, generated build products, historical run folders, and other heavy artifacts. See:

• manifests/assets_manifest.md
• experiments/data_manifest.md
• manifests/dependencies.md

License

No final open-source license is selected because the project is pending final license review after a provisional patent filing. See LICENSE-TODO.md. Third-party code retains its original license; see THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md.