Boston Acoustics SPOT Instruction Manual
SPOT SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION
SPOT 2.0.1
© Boston Dynamics 2020
All rights reserved
D-0023-2.0.1
Boston Dynamics
78 4th Ave.
Waltham, MA 02451
USA
(617) 868-5600
BOSTON DYNAMICS PROPRIETARY AND CONFIDENTIAL 2
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
NETWORK SETUP
SETTING UP MULTICAST DNS
USERS AND ACCOUNTS
MANAGING LICENSES
SPECIFYING FIDUCIAL SIZE
SOFTWARE UPDATES
ROBOT MAINTENANCE
RECALIBRATION WITH SPOTCHECK
ROBOT LOGGING
DIAGNOSTIC DATA LOGGING WITH SPOTMETRICS
CONTACTING SUPPORT
INTRODUCTION
Spot system administrators carry out software updates, configure network settings, and perform
routine maintenance for Spot robots. Tools for recalibrating aspects of the robot's mobility and
perception systems are available for administrators to use to help keep the robot operating as
designed.
The primary tools available to the robot administrator include:
●The robot's web-based admin console
●SpotCheck diagnostic and calibration tools using the tablet controller
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ADMIN CONSOLE
Spot robots are equipped with a web server that provides access to an administrative console
that can be accessed by robot operators and administrators.
Robot admins use the console to perform software updates, manage users and accounts,
configure network settings, and configure payloads.
The admin console provides access to a range of configuration options, including:
●Payload configurations
●Network settings
●User & account management
●Logs
●Software updates
Operators have access to a subset of these functions.
Robot administrators have access to additional features in the the admin console:
●User management
●Software update
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ADMIN CONSOLE SECTIONS
User management*
Create and manage operator and admin accounts.
Network setup
Configure robot wifi and ethernet settings.
Software update*
Review current software version information. Upload and
install new robot software and monitor update progress.
Logs
Review and download log data. Review time stamped
operational comments.
About
Rename the robot, review software version, check
cumulative runtime data. Legal information.
Payloads
Add and configure new payloads and review payload
settings.
General settings
Enable/disable privacy mode to stop data capture by the
robot.
Configure fiducial image size and applicable ranges.
*Admin users only
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Default user and admin credentials are printed on a label in the robot's battery compartment.
Note: Boston Dynamics recommends changing the robot’s default passwords.
ACCESSING THE ADMIN CONSOLE
Use the admin console to configure Spot’s network:
●Wired: Spot can connect to a wired network through ethernet. Change default settings as
needed to allow Spot to operate on an existing wired network.
●Hosted WiFi (default): Spot broadcasts its own wireless network. Best for short distances
between the controller (or control computer) and robot.
●Shared WiFi: Spot can join an existing wireless network such as the company network.
NOTE: Operators are responsible for Spot’s network security. Place Spot behind a firewall,
preferably on a private network.
The Spot robot’s default usernames and passwords are printed on a label in the battery
compartment.
Note: These instructions only apply if the robot’s default network settings have not been
changed.
1. Power on the robot.
2. Connect the Spot robot to your network using wifi or an ethernet cable from Spot to your
computer.
3. Configure a static IP address for your computer to use an address within the range 10.0.0.*
4. By default, the Spot robot IP address is 10.0.0.3. If you have more than one Spot robot, use
the admin console to change the default IP of additional robots to avoid address conflicts.
5. Open the admin console page referencing the robot IP address. For example:
https://10.0.0.3
6. Enter a valid admin or operator username and password.
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NETWORK SETUP
The Spot Robot is designed to operate in a variety of environments and conditions. As a result,
communications requirements will differ as well. Matching communications with environmental
other requirements is essential to successful robot operations.
The Spot robot is designed to be comms agnostic. We've performed testing with the following:
●Ethernet
●Wfi
●LTE (additional hardware required)
●Mesh radio (additional hardware required)
Whatever communications technology is chosen, the following minimum networking
conditions must be met for the robot to function.
< 300ms latency -
teleoperation only
The robot is designed to accept and execute control commands within
a 300ms time span.
If there are multiple nodes covering an operating environment (any
wireless network where the robot roams between more than one
access point) and the radio takes more than 300ms to swap from one
node to the next, the robot performance will be noticeably affected.
Capable of at least
5Mbps bandwidth
The robot automatically throttles data transmission when bandwidth
drops below 5Mbps.
It is possible to lose connection with the robot’s emergency stop
function under these conditions, which will cause the robot to
immediately stop, sit, and shut down its motors.
ETHERNET
A wired connection should be used for updating robot software, accessing logs, and modifying
network settings.
When uploading audio files to a Spot robot equipped with a Spot CAM payload, a wired
connection is also recommended.
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NOTE: These instructions only apply if the robot’s default wired network settings have not been
changed
1. Connect an ethernet cable from Spot to a computer.
2. Manually set the computer IP address. Spot’s default requirements for a computer’s IP
address is in the range of 10.0.0.* (For example, 10.0.0.100).
3. Apply settings.
4. Use a web browser to navigate to Spot’s static IP address. The factory default address is:
https://10.0.0.3
5. The login page for the console should appear. If it does not, check the laptop’s network
settings before contacting support.
6. Log in with default username and password.
CONNECTING SPOT TO A SHARED WIFI NETWORK
NOTE: Settings in advanced sections should be modified by users with experience in networking
and system administration.
Spot wifi operates only at 2.4GHz.
This is useful for joining company or site-specific WiFi networks, for example, when operating
Spot around a large office building. If using a controller to operate a robot on a shared WiFi
network, be sure to also configure the controller to join that network.
On a computer:
1. Connect to the admin console over ethernet.
2. Go to the Network page.
3. Switch robot to “client” mode.
4. Enter network name and password for the desired network.
5. Enter desired static IP address for robot. IP address must be valid on the network.
6. Apply settings.
7. A green confirmation box at the top of the page should appear indicating that settings
have applied.
8. Spot’s WiFi access point will no longer be available.
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On the controller:
1. On the Select Network page, join the desired WiFi network.
2. Click Add robot by IP address and enter robot’s static IP address.
SWITCHING TO HOSTED WIFI
This is necessary if you have modified the robot’s settings to join a shared WiFi network and now
want to change it back to broadcasting an access point. This is useful if operating a robot away
from the company network.
On a computer:
1. Connect to the admin console.
2. Go to the Network page.
3. Switch the robot to Access Point mode.
4. Apply settings.
On the controller Select network page, join Spot’s hosted WiFi network.
CONNECTING TO SPOT DIRECTLY
A computer can be connected directly to the robot’s WiFi access point. To connect to a robot
that has default factory settings:
1. Join Spot’s hosted WiFi network.
2. The robot WiFi network will automatically assign the computer an IP address. Make sure
the computer is configured to use DHCP for this WiFi network.
3. Use a web browser to navigate to Spot’s IP address: https://192.168.80.3
4. The login page for the console should appear. If it does not, check the computer’s
network settings before contacting support.
5. Log in with the default username and password.
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SETTING UP
MULTICAST DNS
Spot v2.0 includes support for multicast DNS (mDNS). This enables users to access a robot’s
admin console using the robot’s name in the browser URL instead of the robot’s IP number.
For example, to open the URL for a robot named “spot_1:"
https://spot_1.local
mDNS is supported natively on Windows 10 and macOS.
CONFIGURE THE ROBOT
Update the robot's network settings to use mDNS.
1. Access the robot's admin console.
2. Open the Network section in the admin console.
3. Configure a static IP address for the robot.
4. Click save and exit.
INSTALL MDNS ON LINUX
To install mDNS on Linux:
1. Get the packages.
sudo apt-get install avahi-daemon libnss-mdns
2. Edit the hosts line in: /etc/nsswitch.conf as follows:
hosts: files mdns4_minimal [NOTFOUND=return] dns
This tells the laptop to look first at the hosts file, then at mDNS.
CONNECTING TO THE SPOT API WITH MDNS
Developers creating client software for the Spot robot must set the GRPC_DNS_RESOLVER
environment variable to "native" to access robot services. For example:
GRPC_DNS_RESOLVER=native python3 -m bosdyn.client --verbose <nickname>.local id
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USERS AND
ACCOUNTS
The robot administrator is responsible for changing the robot’s passwords, updating software,
and managing the user accounts associated with the robot.
PERMISSIONS
●User: A user can drive the robot.
●Admin: An admin has all user rights and can also update software and modify the users
associated with the robot.
CHANGING DEFAULT PASSWORDS
Spot ships with default passwords for admin and user accounts. Change these passwords
during robot setup.
ADDING USERS
Each operator should have an individual user account defined on the Spot robot. Accounts can
be managed through the admin console by a user with admin privileges.
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MANAGING LICENSES
The Spot robot requires a software license to operate. By default, licenses are valid for one year.
To obtain a new license file, contact Boston Dynamics Support to get a download link.
The robot's admin console provides information about the robot's license status and a means for
uploading a new license.
ABOUT SPOT LICENSES
The Spot license is a binary file that you upload to the robot using the web admin console. You
update your license separately from the robot's software.
Some capabilities for the Spot robot are available only with specific licenses. These capabilities
may be premium features or special Beta features provided for initial evaluation. The
capabilities available in a given license are displayed on the Spot License webpage.
Spot License section of the admin console
The Spot license section of the admin console provides the following details and options:
●Current license status, robot serial number, and license ID
●Valid license period
●Robot time
●License-enabled robot features
●Option to install a new license
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Any user can view license information. Only admin users can update a license.
Expiring license message on the tablet controller
When your robot license nears its expiration date, the controller tablet displays a warning when
you log in. The warning appears two weeks before the license expires.
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Once the license has expired, the robot will no longer power on. You can still access the web
console, run software against the API, view the payload, and connect the tablet. However, the
robot itself cannot be operated until the license is refreshed.
All robots shipping from the factory have a one year license period by default.
New with Spot version 2.0.1
When you update your robot to version 2.0.1, your initial license is automatically created. It is
valid for one year as an Explorer Model Spot robot. This license gives your robot all the
capabilities you had before upgrading to version 2.0.1.
Note that reverting from a later release back to 2.0.1 will not extend the period of the initial
license.
LICENSE TYPES
Type
Description
Explorer
Autowalk map creation and replay limited to 1km total map size
Default metrics collection enabled
Enterprise
Autowalk map creation and replay of maps larger than 1km
Opt out of metrics collection
Total map size refers to the sum of all edge lengths within the map.
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LICENSE DETAILS ON THE ADMIN CONSOLE
The Spot License section of the admin console shows the following information about your
robot's license:
Item
Description
License ID
A unique ID corresponding to the installed license. Used by
Boston Dynamics Support to identify the installed license.
Robot Serial Number
Each license will authorize a single robot, identified by the robot’s
unique serial number.
Status
STATUS_VALID if the license is up to date. The robot can be
operated normally. STATUS_INVALID if the license has expired or
invalidated for other reasons.
License expires on
Date and time of license expiration. All times are relative to the
robot's time, which is shown in the Robot time section.
Note that the built-in clock may not match wall time. These times
display in UTC.
License not valid before
Licenses cannot be used prior to their initial creation. If the Robot
time is before this date, the license will be considered invalid. If
this happens, please contact Boston Dynamics Support.
Robot time
The robot's date and time setting.
License features
Robot features associated with the robot's license.
Expiring license message in the admin console
If the robot's license has expired, a warning message appears in the Spot License section of the
admin console page:
BOSTON DYNAMICS PROPRIETARY AND CONFIDENTIAL 15
Robot metrics collection
Spot 2.0.1 collects basic metrics about how the robot operates. The Enterprise Spot licenses
allow users to opt out of this metrics collection. Please refer to Spot documentation about
metrics collection and for more information the data that is collected, and for details about
opting out.
OBTAINING AND INSTALLING A LICENSE
Only admin users can upload and install a license.
To install a new license, first contact Boston Dynamics Support to download a new license file.
Once you have the license file, follow these steps:
1. Log in to the admin console with administrator credentials.
2. Open the admin console > Spot License page.
3. At the bottom of the page in the section to install a new license, select CHOOSE FILE.
4. Select and upload the license file you downloaded.
5. When the upload completes, a message indicates a successful operation and the robot's
new license information is shown.
6. Reboot the robot to activate the new license.
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If the license uploaded is not from Boston Dynamics, does not correspond to your robot, or is
invalid or out of date, an error message is displayed. The license will not be installed and any
previous valid license will be retained.
Note: If you have multiple license files, you can freely switch between them. Nothing prevents
the installation of an older license file so long as that file is still valid.
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SPECIFYING FIDUCIAL SIZE
With Spot v2.0.1, you have the option to specify the dimensions of the fiducials for Spot to use to
record and play back Autowalk missions.
You can define a custom dimension for a range of AprilTag fiducials. For example, you may want
the robot to use fiducials 200-250 at 146mm square and fiducials 251-276 at 200mm square.
By default, Spot uses fiducial images of 146 mm x 146 mm square.
Note that the dimension of a fiducial image refers to the dimension of the fiducial image itself
and not the sheet it may be printed on.
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CONFIGURING FIDUCIAL SIZES AND RANGES
1. Open the robot's admin console and navigate to the Specify Fiducial Size section of the
General Settings page:
2. Edit the start and end range fiducial IDs, if needed.
3. Specify the default fiducial size in meters.
4. Click Save and then reboot the robot to apply these changes.
To add another fiducial range and size configuration, click the plus sign.
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SOFTWARE UPDATES
The robot's key software systems must be running the same version of software. When updating
the robot's software the following components must also be updated:
●The robot's software
●The tablet controller app
●The Spot SDK
●Spot CAM (if present)
●Spot CORE (if present)
UPDATING ROBOT SOFTWARE
Updated software for the Spot robot is downloaded from Boston Dynamics to a computer and
then uploaded from the computer to the Spot robot. A link to the robot software update is
emailed by Boston Dynamics.
1. Download the .BDE file for the latest release by following the link provided by Boston
Dynamics.
2. Power on Spot and plug it into shore power.
3. Connect your computer to Spot via Ethernet and log into the admin console as an
administrator. The default URL for the robot interface is https://10.0.0.3/.
4. Navigate to the Software Update page.
5. Upload and install the .BDE file using the buttons on the page.
UPDATING CONTROLLER SOFTWARE
Updates to the robot controller software are managed by App Center. If you have not received
an App Center invitation from Boston Dynamics, please email [email protected] to
request one.
Create an account (first time setup):
1. Open the email from Boston Dynamics (via App Center) and click Show Invitation.
2. Register for a new account or sign in to an existing account.
3. When prompted to register the device, tap Skip step in the popup window that appears.
BOSTON DYNAMICS PROPRIETARY AND CONFIDENTIAL 20
Other manuals for SPOT
6
Table of contents
Other Boston Acoustics Robotics manuals
Boston Acoustics
Boston Acoustics SPOT User manual
Boston Acoustics
Boston Acoustics SPOT User manual
Boston Acoustics
Boston Acoustics SPOT User manual
Boston Acoustics
Boston Acoustics SPOT 2.0.1 User manual
Boston Acoustics
Boston Acoustics SPOT Specification sheet
Boston Acoustics
Boston Acoustics SPOT Specification sheet
Boston Acoustics
Boston Acoustics SPOT Specification sheet
