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User manual
Getting started with ST Robotics smartphone app for Android and iOS platforms
for STEVAL-ROBKIT1 Robotics evaluation kit
Introduction
The STRobotics Application for Android and iOS platforms enables users to configure and operate various robotic kits and
boards from STMicroelectronics, such as the STEVAL-ROBKIT1 Robotics Evaluation Kit. This application facilitates the
discovery, connection, and control of these robotic kits. It integrates the BlueSTSDK to ensure interoperability with various
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) offerings from STMicroelectronics. The app is available for download on the Google Play Store and
Apple App Store, providing easy access to STMicroelectronics' robotics solutions.
Upon establishing a connection, the app identifies the available features on the connected robotics kits and displays the status
of various subsystems. Users can select different operation modes (e.g., Remote Control, Follow Me, and Free Navigation) and
configure parameters for each mode. The app includes a user-friendly joystick interface for intuitive control of the robot's
movement. Additionally, it offers features for plotting charts and logging real-time data from sensors. A debug console is
available for sending direct commands, viewing log messages, and troubleshooting. The STRobotics App currently supports the
following platforms:
•
STEVAL-ROBKIT1 Robotics Evaluation Kit
Figure 1. STEVAL-ROBKIT1 Robotic Application Evaluation kit
Notice:
For dedicated assistance, submit a request through our online support portal at www.st.com/support.
UM3459 - Rev 1 - January 2025
For further information, contact your local STMicroelectronics sales office.
www.st.com
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Acronyms and abbreviations
1
Acronyms and abbreviations
Table 1. List of acronyms
Acronym
STEVAL-ROBKIT1-1
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Description
Main Board
BLE
Bluetooth low energy
API
Application programming interface
SDK
Software development kit
JSON
JavaScript object notation
UI
User interface
ToF
Time-of-flight
ML
Machine learning
AI
Artificial Intelligence
IDE
Integrated development environment
RSSI
Received signal strength indicator
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Getting started
2
Getting started
2.1
Overview
The STRobotics app allows you to perform the following tasks:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Scan nearby nodes along with their RSSI (Received signal strength indicator) values
Establish connection with the robotics kit
Observe sensor data through real-time charts
Control the movement (both motion and direction) using a controller with a user-friendly interface
A debug console for real-time monitoring and troubleshooting capabilities.
Access features like Follow Me, Remote control, Free Navigation, etc
Figure 2. Flow chart of robotics application
2.2
Architecture
The Robot Control Application is designed with two primary software components: the UI Layer and the SDK
Layer. These layers ensure a smooth and intuitive user experience while managing complex underlying
functionalities.
UI Layer
The UI Layer is the interface through which users interact with the robot. It is developed using SwiftUI and
Combine for iOS, and Kotlin for Android, ensuring modern and reactive designs tailored to each platform. The UI
provides screens for key features such as Remote Control, Follow Me, Free Navigation, Edge/Cliff Detection,
Sensor Data Plotting, and Debug Console. Each screen corresponds to a specific robot functionality, allowing
users to control the robot, monitor sensor data, and debug operations effortlessly. The UI dynamically interacts
with the SDK APIs to trigger commands based on user inputs
SDK Layer
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Getting started
The SDK Layer implements the core functionality of the application, providing an abstraction over Bluetooth
communication and robot functionalities. It integrates BlueSTSDK and native Bluetooth APIs to handle tasks such
as scanning, connection management, and feature execution. The SDK offers modular APIs that simplify
interactions with features like navigation, inertial sensing, and debugging.
All commands initiated from the UI are processed through the BlueSTSDK and sent over Bluetooth Low Energy
(BLE) to the STEVAL-ROBKIT1-1 hardware, enabling real-time control and feedback.
Figure 3. Application Architecture
2.3
Hardware requirements
To use the STSW-ROBKIT1 package you need following:
•
•
•
2.4
STEVAL-ROBKIT1 (robotics evaluation kit) – (1 Qty)
Mobile (Android/iOS)
AA Batteries - 1.5 V (4 Qty)
Software requirements
•
iOS
•
–
iPhone X or above, with latest iOS
Android
–
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Android 14 or above, with android SDK version 34 or above
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Download and install the application
3
Download and install the application
3.1
Download and Install
Follow the link to the App Store or Play store to download the app directly to your device
Step 1.
Follow the link to the App Store or Play store to download the app directly to your device
Step 2.
After downloading and installing, click on the icon as shown below
Figure 4. Launch app icon
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Step 3.
After the launch screen, home screen will appear as shown below
Step 4.
You will then be prompted to grant the required permissions and enable Bluetooth and location
services on your device for the smooth functioning of the application
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Download and install the application
Step 5.
Click on the “Pair Your Robot” button and start the connection process
Figure 5. Landing Screen
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How to use the app
4
How to use the app
4.1
Connecting to a node
Step 1.
After app launches, click on “Pair your robot” button. A screen will show you all the supported devices
nearby along with RSSI data. You can pull the scanning area downwards to restart the scan or click the
refresh button
Figure 6. After Successful Connection
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How to use the app
Step 2.
Once you find your target device, click on the pair button to establish a connection
Figure 7. Scanning Screen
Step 3.
After successfully connecting to the node. There will be a pop-up screen confirming the connection
Step 4.
From pop up screen user can visit to either remote control screen or home page. From the home page
you can see the following menu options:
–
–
–
–
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Home: home page showing the status of connected device
Controller: this screen is used to control the movement of the robot
Monitor: View robots’ data graphically
Debug: Debug console to send debug commands and view debug data
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How to use the app
4.2
Description of the features
1. Home: the dashboard
This screen shows the status of the robot, also used to disconnect from the currently connnected device, in
which case the scan screen is shown
Figure 8. Dashboard screen
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How to use the app
2. Remote: Movement control
It is designed to operate the connected robot kit. Before any operation, the mode selection button should be
moved to any of the modes
Throttle joystick: The joystick on the left side of the screen is used to move the robot forward or backward
with speed adjustments based on user inputs
Direction joystick:The joystick on the right hand side of the screen, is used to control the direction based on
the angle provided by rotating the wheel
Mode selectionAllows the user to switch to various drive modes. By default, the mode set at lock position, to
operate the remote control. User needs to switch to another drive mode. Following modes are supported
–
–
–
Remote:use the joysticks to control the motion of the robot
Follow me:In this mode, no user inputs are provided, instead robot follows a person or objects
Auto pilot:In this mode, the robots would follow a pre-determined pattern
Figure 9. Remote control feature
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How to use the app
3. Monitor
Based on the real-time data coming from the sensor on the connected node, the user can visualize charts.
The drop-down list will show available sensors, and the user can select any one sensor from it. To play or
pause the chart plotting, the user can tap the button as shown below.
a. Sensor data
Figure 10. Plot data screen
b. TOF data: Using 8X8 grid representing the TOF Data
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How to use the app
Figure 11. TOF data representation
4. Debug console
Users can enter text in the input field and click the send button to send debug commands to the firmware for
troubleshooting or debugging. Simlarly, the received text is displayed in the debug area
Figure 12. Debug console feature
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Revision history
Table 2. Document revision history
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Date
Revision
21-Jan-2025
1
Changes
Initial release.
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Contents
Contents
1
Acronyms and abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2
Getting started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
3
2.1
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.2
Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.3
Hardware requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.4
Software requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Download and install the application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3.1
4
Download and Install . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
How to use the app . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
4.1
Connecting to a node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
4.2
Description of the features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Revision history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
List of tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
List of figures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
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List of tables
List of tables
Table 1.
Table 2.
List of acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Document revision history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
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List of figures
List of figures
Figure 1.
Figure 2.
Figure 3.
Figure 4.
Figure 5.
Figure 6.
Figure 7.
Figure 8.
Figure 9.
Figure 10.
Figure 11.
Figure 12.
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STEVAL-ROBKIT1 Robotic Application Evaluation kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Flow chart of robotics application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Application Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Launch app icon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Landing Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
After Successful Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Scanning Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Dashboard screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Remote control feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Plot data screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
TOF data representation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Debug console feature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
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Information in this document supersedes and replaces information previously supplied in any prior versions of this document.
© 2025 STMicroelectronics – All rights reserved
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