Add safety limits on relative action target (#373)

lerobot/common/robot_devices/robots/koch.py

@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
+import logging
 import pickle
 import time
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field, replace
 from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Sequence
 
 import numpy as np
 import torch
@@ -164,11 +166,30 @@ class KochRobotConfig:
     follower_arms: dict[str, MotorsBus] = field(default_factory=lambda: {})
     cameras: dict[str, Camera] = field(default_factory=lambda: {})
 
+    # Optionally limit the magnitude of the relative positional target vector for safety purposes.
+    # Set this to a positive scalar to have the same value for all motors, or a list that is the same length
+    # as the number of motors in your follower arms (assumes all follower arms have the same number of
+    # motors).
+    max_relative_target: list[float] | float | None = None
+
     # Optionally set the leader arm in torque mode with the gripper motor set to this angle. This makes it
     # possible to squeeze the gripper and have it spring back to an open position on its own. If None, the
     # gripper is not put in torque mode.
     gripper_open_degree: float | None = None
 
+    def __setattr__(self, prop: str, val):
+        if prop == "max_relative_target" and val is not None and isinstance(val, Sequence):
+            for name in self.follower_arms:
+                if len(self.follower_arms[name].motors) != len(val):
+                    raise ValueError(
+                        f"len(max_relative_target)={len(val)} but the follower arm with name {name} has "
+                        f"{len(self.follower_arms[name].motors)} motors. Please make sure that the "
+                        f"`max_relative_target` list has as many parameters as there are motors per arm. "
+                        "Note: This feature does not yet work with robots where different follower arms have "
+                        "different numbers of motors."
+                    )
+        super().__setattr__(prop, val)
+
 
 class KochRobot:
     # TODO(rcadene): Implement force feedback
@@ -210,7 +231,10 @@ class KochRobot:
             },
         ),
     }
-    robot = KochRobot(leader_arms, follower_arms)
+    robot = KochRobot(
+        leader_arms=leader_arms,
+        follower_arms=follower_arms,
+    )
 
     # Connect motors buses and cameras if any (Required)
     robot.connect()
@@ -222,7 +246,10 @@ class KochRobot:
     Example of highest frequency data collection without camera:
     ```python
     # Assumes leader and follower arms have been instantiated already (see first example)
-    robot = KochRobot(leader_arms, follower_arms)
+    robot = KochRobot(
+        leader_arms=leader_arms,
+        follower_arms=follower_arms,
+    )
     robot.connect()
     while True:
         observation, action = robot.teleop_step(record_data=True)
@@ -240,7 +267,11 @@ class KochRobot:
     }
 
     # Assumes leader and follower arms have been instantiated already (see first example)
-    robot = KochRobot(leader_arms, follower_arms, cameras)
+    robot = KochRobot(
+        leader_arms=leader_arms,
+        follower_arms=follower_arms,
+        cameras=cameras,
+    )
     robot.connect()
     while True:
         observation, action = robot.teleop_step(record_data=True)
@@ -249,7 +280,11 @@ class KochRobot:
     Example of controlling the robot with a policy (without running multiple policies in parallel to ensure highest frequency):
     ```python
     # Assumes leader and follower arms + cameras have been instantiated already (see previous example)
-    robot = KochRobot(leader_arms, follower_arms, cameras)
+    robot = KochRobot(
+        leader_arms=leader_arms,
+        follower_arms=follower_arms,
+        cameras=cameras,
+    )
     robot.connect()
     while True:
         # Uses the follower arms and cameras to capture an observation
@@ -397,7 +432,7 @@ class KochRobot:
         # Send action
         for name in self.follower_arms:
             before_fwrite_t = time.perf_counter()
-            self.follower_arms[name].write("Goal_Position", follower_goal_pos[name])
+            self.send_action(torch.tensor(follower_goal_pos[name]), [name])
             self.logs[f"write_follower_{name}_goal_pos_dt_s"] = time.perf_counter() - before_fwrite_t
 
         # Early exit when recording data is not requested
@@ -479,21 +514,55 @@ class KochRobot:
             obs_dict[f"observation.images.{name}"] = torch.from_numpy(images[name])
         return obs_dict
 
-    def send_action(self, action: torch.Tensor):
-        """The provided action is expected to be a vector."""
+    def send_action(self, action: torch.Tensor, follower_names: list[str] | None = None):
+        """Command the follower arms to move to a target joint configuration.
+
+        The relative action magnitude may be clipped depending on the configuration parameter
+        `max_relative_target`.
+
+        Args:
+            action: tensor containing the concatenated joint positions for the follower arms.
+            follower_names: Pass follower arm names to only control a subset of all the follower arms.
+        """
         if not self.is_connected:
             raise RobotDeviceNotConnectedError(
                 "KochRobot is not connected. You need to run `robot.connect()`."
             )
 
+        if follower_names is None:
+            follower_names = list(self.follower_arms)
+        elif not set(follower_names).issubset(self.follower_arms):
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"You provided {follower_names=} but only the following arms are registered: "
+                f"{list(self.follower_arms)}"
+            )
+
         from_idx = 0
         to_idx = 0
         follower_goal_pos = {}
-        for name in self.follower_arms:
-            if name in self.follower_arms:
-                to_idx += len(self.follower_arms[name].motor_names)
-                follower_goal_pos[name] = action[from_idx:to_idx].numpy()
-                from_idx = to_idx
+        for name in follower_names:
+            to_idx += len(self.follower_arms[name].motor_names)
+            this_action = action[from_idx:to_idx]
+
+            if self.config.max_relative_target is not None:
+                if not isinstance(self.config.max_relative_target, list):
+                    max_relative_target = [self.config.max_relative_target for _ in range(from_idx, to_idx)]
+                max_relative_target = torch.tensor(self.config.max_relative_target)
+                # Cap relative action target magnitude for safety.
+                current_pos = torch.tensor(self.follower_arms[name].read("Present_Position"))
+                diff = this_action - current_pos
+                safe_diff = torch.minimum(diff, max_relative_target)
+                safe_diff = torch.maximum(safe_diff, -max_relative_target)
+                safe_action = current_pos + safe_diff
+                if not torch.allclose(safe_action, action):
+                    logging.warning(
+                        "Relative action magnitude had to be clamped to be safe.\n"
+                        f"  requested relative action target: {diff}\n"
+                        f"    clamped relative action target: {safe_diff}"
+                    )
+
+            follower_goal_pos[name] = safe_action.numpy()
+            from_idx = to_idx
 
         for name in self.follower_arms:
             self.follower_arms[name].write("Goal_Position", follower_goal_pos[name].astype(np.int32))

lerobot/configs/robot/koch.yaml

@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@ cameras:
     fps: 30
     width: 640
     height: 480
+# `max_relative_target` limits the magnitude of the relative positional target vector for safety purposes.
+# Set this to a positive scalar to have the same value for all motors, or a list that is the same length as
+# the number of motors in your follower arms.
+max_relative_target: null
 # Sets the leader arm in torque mode with the gripper motor set to this angle. This makes it possible
 # to squeeze the gripper and have it spring back to an open position on its own.
 gripper_open_degree: 35.156