The easiest way to record datasets is to use the phospho Meta Quest app to control your robot arm. Recorded datasets are saved in the lerobot_v2 format from LeRobot and uploaded to your HuggingFace account. Alternatively, you can implement your own dataset recording logic on top of the phospshobot API. Use the Start Recording Episode and Stop Recording Episode endpoints to start and stop recording episodes. You can also read the joints positions.

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Prerequisites

  1. You need a robot arm such as the SO-100, the SO-101, or other compatible hardware. Get the phosphot starter pack here.
  2. Install the phosphobot software
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/phospho-app/phosphobot/main/install.sh | bash
  1. Connect your cameras to the computer. Start the phosphobot server.
phosphobot run
  1. Complete the quickstart and check that you can control your robot.
  2. You have the phosphobot teleoperation app is installed on your Meta Quest 2, Pro, 3 or 3s

Subscribe to phospho pro to unlock VR control

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Get the phospho teleoperation app on the Meta Store

Get the phospho teleoperation app on the Meta Store for Meta Quest 2, Pro, 3, and 3s.
If you bought our phospho starter pack, you should have received a link to get the phospho teleoperation Meta Quest app. Please reach out if not.

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1. Set up your Hugging Face token

To sync datasets, you need a Hugging Face token with write access. Follow these steps to generate one:
  1. Log in to your Hugging Face account. You can create one here for free
  2. Go to Profile and click Access Tokens in the sidebar.
  3. Select the Write option to grant write access to your account. This is necessary for creating new datasets and uploading files. Name your token and click Create token.
  4. Copy the token and save it in a secure place. You will need it later.
  5. Make sure the phosphobot server is running. Open a browser and access localhost or phosphobot.local if you’re using the control module. Then go to the Admin Configuration.
  6. Paste the Hugging Face token, and save it.
Paste your huggingface token here

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2. Set your dataset name and parameters

Go to the Admin Configuration page of your phospshobot dashboard. You can adjust settings. The most important are:
  • Dataset Name: The name of the dataset you want to record.
  • Task: A text description of the task you’re about to record. For example: “Pick up the lego brick and put it in the box”. This helps you remember what you recorded and is used by some AI models to understand the task.
  • Camera: The cameras you want to record. By default, all cameras are recorded. You can select the cameras to record in the Admin Configuration.
  • Video Codec: The video codec used to record the videos. The default is AVC1, which is the most efficient codec. If you’re having compatibility issues due to unavailable codecs (eg on Linux), switch to mp4v which is more compatible.

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3. How to record a dataset using the phosphobot teleoperation Meta Quest app?

The phospho teleoperation app works with a Meta Quest. Compatible models: Pro, 2, 3, 3s.
  1. In the Meta Quest, open the phospho teleop application. Wait a moment, then you should see a row displaying phosphobot or your computer name. Click the Connect button using the Trigger Button.
Make sure you’re connected to the same WiFi as the phosphobot server or the control module
If you don’t see the server, check the IP address and port of the server in the phosphobot dashboard and enter it manually.
Select Phosphobot server
  1. After connecting, you’ll see the list of connected cameras and recording options.
  • Move the windows with the Grip button to organize your space.
  • Enable preview to see the camera feed. Check the camera angles and adjust their positions if needed.
We recommend disabling the camera preview to save bandwidth.
Meta Quest controller button names
  1. Press A once to start teleoperation and begin moving your controller.
    • The robot will naturally follow the movement of your controller. Press the Trigger button to close the gripper.
    • Press A again to stop the teleoperation. The robot will stop.
  2. Press B to start recording. You can leave the default settings for your first attempt.
    • Press B again to stop the recording.
    • Press Y (left controller) to discard the recording.
  3. Continue teleoperating and stop the recording by pressing B when you’re done.
  4. The recording is automatically saved in LeRobot v2 format and uploaded to your HuggingFace account.

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4. Check your dataset

Datasets are saved on the computer running the phosphobot server at ~/phosphobot/recordings/DATASET_NAME folder in the phosphobot directory. Explore the recordings in the phosphobot dashboard using the Dataset Browser. If you added your Hugging Face token in the dashboard, the recorded datasets are automatically uploaded to your HuggingFace account. Go to your Hugging Face profile to see the uploaded datasets.

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5. Visualize your dataset

Once your dataset is uploaded to HuggingFace, you can view it using the LeRobot Dataset Visualizer. LeRobot dataset visualizer
The dataset visualizer only works with the AVC1 video codec. If you used another codec, you may see black screens in the video preview. Preview directly the videos files in a video player by opening your recording locally: ~/phosphobot/recordings/lerobot_v2/DATASET_NAME/video.
Looking good? You’re ready to train your AI model!

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What’s next

Train an AI model

How to train an AI model from a dataset you recorded