StarArm 102 - Robotic Arm Teleoperation System

📖 Project Overview

StarArm 102 is a 6+1 DOF robotic arm teleoperation project that lets a Leader Arm remotely control a Follower Arm in real time. The project provides three control methods for robotics research, teleoperation training, AI dataset collection, and similar scenarios.

✨ Key Features

🔓 Open source, low cost, and easy to access

A fully open-source design that lowers the barrier to learning and deployment.

Available in two purchase options: a pre-assembled system for out-of-the-box use, or a DIY kit for teaching and hands-on practice.

⚙️ High control frequency

6 active joints + 1 end effector.

The joint configuration strictly follows the Pieper criterion and supports analytical inverse kinematics, making the algorithms transparent and easy to teach or extend.

🕹️ Cross-platform compatibility and plug-and-play operation

Supports direct bare-metal teleoperation without extra software.

Deeply compatible with both LeRobot and ROS2 ecosystems.

Covers the full real-robot workflow: data collection -> simulation -> model training -> physical deployment.

📚 Complete learning resources

Includes tutorials, API documentation, and example code from beginner to advanced levels.

Suitable for university teaching, research experiments, and self-learning by individual developers.

🔗 LD model: a highly compatible teleoperation leader arm

Star Arm 102-LD can perfectly teleoperate the FL model in the same series.

It is also directly compatible with reBot and other robotic arms that share the same or a similar kinematic structure.

One leader arm can drive multiple arms, greatly reducing the cost of building a teleoperation system.

🔧 Arm Specifications

	Star Arm 102-LD	Star Arm 102-FL
DOF	6+1	6+1
Accuracy	-	5-8mm
Suggested Maximum Payload	-	300g
Joint Range	Joint 0: ±120° Joint 1: ±163° Joint 2: 0°~270° Joint 3: ±88° Joint 4: ±66° Joint 5: ±168° Gripper: 0~336°	Joint 0: ±120° Joint 1: ±163° Joint 2: 0°~270° Joint 3: ±88° Joint 4: ±66° Joint 5: ±168° Gripper: 0~200°
Servos	RA8-U01H-M for joints #0, #1, #2, and #3; RA8-U02H-M for joint #4; RA8-U03H-M for joints #5 and #6;	RA8-U25H-M for joints #0, #3, #5, and #6; RX8-U45H-M for joints #1 and #2; RA8-U25H-M for joint #4;
Communication Hub	UC-01	UC-01
Communication Method	UART	UART
Power Supply (optional)	12V2A / XT30	12V10A / XT30
Tools and Bolts	Screws, threadlocker, woodworking clamp, spare PCB (UC01), DC power pigtail (5.5×2.5mm jack), 200mm servo lead wire	Screws, threadlocker, woodworking clamp, spare PCB (UC01), DC power pigtail (5.5×2.5mm jack), 200mm servo lead wire
Angle Sensor	12-bit magnetic encoder	12-bit magnetic encoder
Weight	663g	791g
Recommended Operating Temperature Range	0-40°C	0-40°C
Works with LeRobot	✓	✓
Works with ROS 2	✓	✓
Works with MoveIt	-	✓
Works with Gazebo	-	✓

🚀 Quick Start

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
Operating System	Ubuntu 22.04
ROS Version	ROS2 Humble
Hardware	StarArm 102 robotic arm (Leader + Follower)
Driver	CH340 USB Driver

Installation Methods

Method 1: Python bare-metal teleoperation (recommended for beginners)

# 1. 安装依赖
pip install pyserial fashionstar-uart-sdk

# 2. 运行程序
sudo chmod 777 /dev/ttyUSB*
python3 ./Python_SDK/stararm102_ro.py

Method 2: ROS2 HUMBLE

# 参考 ROS2_HUMBLE/README.md 配置说明

Method 3: LeRobot framework

# 参考 Lerobot/README.md 配置说明

📂 Project Structure

Star-Arm-102/
├── Python_SDK/                              # Python SDK 控制方式
│   ├── stararm102_ro.py                     # 主从控制程序
│   └── README.md                            # 详细使用文档
├── ROS2_HUMBLE/                             # ROS2 控制方式
│   └── src/
│       ├── robo_driver/                     # 机械臂硬件驱动节点
│       ├── stararm102_description/          # 机械臂URDF模型描述
│       ├── stararm102_gazebo/               # Gazebo仿真环境配置
│       ├── stararm102_moveit_config/        # MoveIt2运动规划配置
│       ├── stararm102_controller/           # 机械臂控制器
│       ├── arm_moveit_read/                 # 位姿读取节点
│       ├── arm_moveit_write/                # 位姿写入节点
│       ├── arm_read_pose/                   # 实时位姿读取
│       ├── ros2_bag_recorder/               # 示教轨迹录制
│       └── robo_interfaces/                 # 自定义ROS2接口
├── Lerobot/                                 # Lerobot 框架控制方式
│   ├── lerobot-robot-stararm102/            # Follower 机器人配置
│   ├── lerobot-teleoperator-stararm102/     # Leader 遥操作器
│   ├── stararm102_en.md                     # Lerobot 使用文档（英文）
│   ├── stararm102.md                        # Lerobot 使用文档
│   └── README.md                            # 使用步骤
└── README.md                                # 本文档

🎯 Control Method Comparison

Feature	Python SDK	ROS2 HUMBLE	Lerobot
Difficulty	⭐ Easy	⭐⭐⭐ Medium	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Advanced
Real-time Performance	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
Extensibility	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Typical Use Cases	Quick testing, education	Robotic system integration	AI training, research

🔧 Hardware Connection

Connection Topology

                    ┌─────────────────┐
                    │                 │
                    │      计算机      │
                    │ (Ubuntu 22.04)  │
                    └────────┬────────┘
                             │
              ┌──────────────┼──────────────┐
             USB                           USB
              │                             │
       ┌──────┴──────┐               ┌──────┴────────┐
       │             │               │               │
       │ Leader Arm  │               │ Follower Arm  │
       │(StarArm 102)│               │ (StarArm 102) │
       └─────────────┘               └───────────────┘

Device Detection

# 查看所有 USB 设备
lsusb

# 查看串口设备
ls -l /dev/ttyUSB*

# 赋予权限
sudo chmod 777 /dev/ttyUSB*

📊 Joint Mapping

The StarArm102 robotic arm has 7 joints in total (6 DOF + 1 rotating gripper):

Joint	Angle Range	Description
Joint1	-130° ~ 130°	Base rotation
Joint2	-90° ~ 90°	Shoulder pitch
Joint3	-90° ~ 90°	Elbow pitch
Joint4	-90° ~ 90°	Wrist rotation
Joint5	-90° ~ 90°	Wrist pitch
Joint6	-130° ~ 130°	Wrist yaw
Gripper (joint7_left)	-90° ~ 90°	Rotating gripper

📝 Note: The rotating gripper is controlled through joint7_left, while joint7_right is the linked joint that automatically mirrors the motion in reverse.

⚠️ Safety Notes

Check before operation: Make sure there are no obstacles around the robotic arm and that the workspace is safe.
Emergency stop: Press Ctrl+C at any time while the program is running to stop immediately.
Joint limits: Safe angle limits are configured automatically to prevent out-of-range motion.
Power management: Ensure stable power delivery to the robotic arm and avoid voltage fluctuations.

🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Q1: Cannot find the /dev/ttyUSB0 device?

# 检查 USB 设备
ls -l /dev/ttyUSB*

# 检查 USB 设备信息
lsusb

# 查看串口日志
sudo dmesg | grep ttyUSB

# 如果被 brltty 占用，卸载它
sudo apt remove brltty

# 赋予权限
sudo chmod 777 /dev/ttyUSB*

Q2: serial port connection failed?

Check whether the USB cable is loose.
Confirm that the robotic arm is powered on.
Try a different USB port.
Verify that the driver is installed correctly.

Q3: Control frequency is too low?

Check whether serial port communication is working properly.
Reduce the load from other running programs.
Use a USB 3.0 port for better performance.

Q4: Robotic arm connection failed?

Check whether the USB cable is properly connected.
Confirm that the robotic arm is powered on.
Check the servo communication status.
Try a different USB port.

📖 Detailed Documentation

Choose the control method you need:

📘 Python SDK Guide - Recommended. The simplest option to get started with.
📗 ROS2 HUMBLE Guide - Suitable for robotic system integration.
📙 Lerobot Guide - Suitable for AI training and research.

📄 License

This project is open sourced under the MIT License.

👥 Acknowledgments

Thanks to FashionStar for the hardware support and SDK.