Run the controller + web UI#

The controller is the host-side control plane: it talks to your gateway (or a simulator), exposes a REST + WebSocket API, and serves a web UI to drive your robots.

Start it#

Point the controller at a connection and open the web UI:

# serial gateway plugged into your computer (no swarm-id needed)
dotbot run controller --conn /dev/ttyACM0 -w

# a swarm over MQTT (swarm-id required - the broker carries many swarms)
dotbot run controller --conn mqtts://argus.paris.inria.fr:8883 --swarm-id 1234 -w

# no hardware at all - pure software simulator
dotbot run controller --conn simulator -w

--conn takes one string: a serial device path (/dev/ttyACM0, COM3 on Windows), an MQTT broker (mqtts://host:port), or simulator.

-w / --webbrowser opens a tab automatically. Otherwise browse to http://localhost:8000/PyDotBot yourself.

Flag

What it does

-n, --conn

Connection: serial path, mqtts://host:port, or simulator

-s, --swarm-id

Swarm id in hex (required for MQTT, ignored otherwise)

-w, --webbrowser

Open the web UI automatically

--controller-http-port

HTTP/REST port (default 8000)

--config-path

Path to a .toml config file

--dotbot / --sailbot

With --conn simulator: which robot to simulate

See dotbot run controller --help for the full list (logging, CSV export, map size, background map, simulator init state).

dotbot run simulator is shorthand for dotbot run controller --conn simulator - try the UI with no robot or gateway.

Use a config file#

Save your connection once instead of repeating flags:

# save where to connect (writes ./dotbot.toml)
dotbot config init --conn mqtts://broker:8883 --swarm-id 1234

# the controller picks it up automatically when run from here
dotbot run controller

# override the saved connection for one run (a simulator instead)
dotbot run controller --conn simulator

CLI flags override config-file values when both are given. See the configuration reference for how the file is discovered and the full schema.

The web UI#

At http://localhost:8000/PyDotBot the page lists every DotBot the controller sees. Select one to control it:

  • Joystick - a virtual joystick drives the selected bot.

  • RGB LED - pick a color and the bot’s LED follows.

  • If you flashed Lighthouse 2 localization, bots report their (x, y) position on the map (see LH2 calibration).

Firefox websockets note#

If the web UI does not connect under Firefox, the WebSocket stream is likely being blocked. Open about:config (Ctrl + L, then type it), find network.http.http2.websockets, and set it to false.

Next steps#

  • Flash robots and a gateway first - see device flashing.

  • Operate the whole fleet over the air - see swarm.

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