Installation

System Requirements

Linux operating system (Ubuntu 20.04+ recommended)
Real-time kernel (for best 1kHz control loop performance)
Network connection to Franka robot
Python 3.8+

Installing aiofranka

From PyPI (Recommended)

Install the latest stable release:

pip install aiofranka

From Source

For development or to get the latest features:

git clone https://github.com/Improbable-AI/aiofranka.git
cd aiofranka
pip install -e .

Optional Dependencies

For Robotiq gripper support:

pip install "aiofranka[robotiq]"

Verifying Installation

Test your installation:

import aiofranka
print(aiofranka.__version__)

# Test simulation mode (no robot required)
from aiofranka import RobotInterface
robot = RobotInterface(None)  # None = simulation
state = robot.state
print(f"Joint positions: {state['qpos']}")

If this runs without errors, you’re ready to go!

First-Time Robot Setup

Make sure you can access the Franka Desk GUI from your browser by navigating to the robot’s IP (e.g. https://172.16.0.2).
Unlock the robot and activate FCI:
```
aiofranka unlock --ip 172.16.0.2
```
You’ll be prompted for Franka Desk credentials on first use. They are saved to ~/.aiofranka/config.json for subsequent use.
Verify the robot is ready:
```
aiofranka status
```