Unitree G1 Integration

This repository provides drivers, simulation bridges, and demos to control the Unitree G1 robot (arms, hands, legs/waist) with multiple running modalities: real robot, PyBullet simulation, and MuJoCo simulation.

Install

pip install -r requirements.txt

Prerequirements (external)

• https://github.com/unitreerobotics/unitree_sdk2_python.git
• conda install conda-forge::pinocchio

Repository Structure (high-level)

• unitree_g1/
  • unitree_g1.py: Node wrapper integrating robot driver with Ark comms and joint groups.
  • unitree_g1_driver.py: Real robot driver that talks to Unitree SDK (arms, hands, legs/waist).
  • robot_arm.py: Low-level dual-arm controller using Unitree SDK channels (G1_29 arm indices).
  • robot_hand_unitree.py: Low-level hand controller (Dex3-1) using Unitree SDK channels.
  • unitree_g1.yaml: Configuration for real robot.
  • unitree_g1_sim.yaml: Configuration for simulation.
  • urdf/urdf/g1_description.urdf: Robot description used by IK and simulation tooling.
• tests/
  • g1_pybullet_sim/: PyBullet-based simulation utilities and example nodes.
    • sim_node.py: Example simulation node wiring Ark topics in PyBullet.
    • g1_controller_interface.py: Minimal example command publisher for all joints.
    • simple_hand_test.py: Quick hand open/close test script.
  • g1_mujoco_sim/: MuJoCo simulation bridge and configuration.
    • unitree_mujoco.py: MuJoCo scene launcher.
    • unitree_sdk2py_bridge.py: Bridge that publishes/consumes Unitree SDK-like topics from MuJoCo.
  • sim_real/: Real-to-sim bridge utilities.
    • real_to_sim.py: Subscribes real joint_states and republishes to sim as joint_group_command.
  • test_demo/: Higher-level demos and IK utilities.
    • demo_pick_place.py: Right-arm pick-and-place demo using IK and streaming commands.
    • robot_arm_ik.py: Pinocchio-based IK solvers for G1/H1 variants.

Running Modalities

1) Real Robot (arms, hands, legs/waist)

• Ensure Unitree SDK2 Python is installed and reachable (topics, DDS domains, NIC).
• Configure unitree_g1/unitree_g1.yaml as needed (network interface, domain id, enabled sensors).
• In unitree_g1/unitree_g1.py, SIM determines topic names; for real robot set SIM = False.

Run:

cd unitree_g1
python unitree_g1.py

This launches the Ark node, creates publishers/subscribers, and manages joint groups. The driver (unitree_g1_driver.py) internally spins threads to track state and send commands to arms and hands.

2) PyBullet Simulation

Example minimal controller that drives all joints with tiny position targets (useful for plumbing checks):

python tests/g1_pybullet_sim/g1_controller_interface.py

Simple hand test sequence (open/close):

python tests/g1_pybullet_sim/simple_hand_test.py

Simulation configuration is under tests/g1_pybullet_sim/config/.

3) MuJoCo Simulation

The MuJoCo bridge emulates Unitree SDK topics for body and hands and consumes low-level commands.

Key entry points in tests/g1_mujoco_sim/:

• unitree_mujoco.py: Loads the scene and model.
• unitree_sdk2py_bridge.py: Publishes simulated LowState, HandState and consumes LowCmd, HandCmd.

Typical flow is to start the MuJoCo scene, then the bridge, then send commands from client scripts.

4) Real-to-Sim Topic Bridge

Bridge the real robot state into a simulation instance:

python tests/sim_real/real_to_sim.py

This subscribes to unitree_g1/joint_states and republishes the values to unitree_g1_sim/joint_group_command with group all.

5) Demos (IK-driven)

Pick-and-Place using IK for the right arm:

python tests/test_demo/demo_pick_place.py

Pinocchio-based IK utilities and manual demos are in tests/test_demo/robot_arm_ik.py.

Can be used both for controlling the robot in Mujoco or the real one.

Joint Groups and Control

• Joint order: the system uses a 43-DoF ordering (legs/waist, arms, hands). See unitree_g1/unitree_g1.py for the full list and indices.
• Available groups include:
  • all (position control)
  • left_hand (position control; 7 joints)
  • right_hand (position control; 7 joints)
  • special: arms_q_tau expects 28 numbers [q14, tau14] (7 left + 7 right for q and tau). Useful for smooth motion with feed forward feedback.

Publish commands via Ark joint_group_command_t with the appropriate name and cmd payload.

Troubleshooting

• Ensure the correct network interface and DDS domain are set in your config for real robot.
• For MuJoCo or PyBullet, verify the system dependencies (graphics, drivers) and the versions from requirements.txt.
• Ensure your real G1 is in Debug Mode before starting.

Acknowledgments

Large parts of this repository are adapted from unitreerobotics/xr_teleoperate:

• https://github.com/unitreerobotics/xr_teleoperate