5.1.6 Preset Motion Control

Preset motion control allows the robot to execute predefined actions such as waving, handshaking, raising an arm, etc. With a simple service call, the robot can quickly perform specific actions, making this interface ideal for common interaction scenarios.

Preset Motion Control Service

Service Name	Data Type	Description
/aimdk_5Fmsgs/srv/SetMcPresetMotion	SetMcPresetMotion	Execute a preset motion (switch to Stable Stand first)

• SetMcPresetMotion ros2-srv @ mc/motion/srv/SetMcPresetMotion.srv

  # Execute preset motion
  # Service: /aimdk_5Fmsgs/srv/SetMcPresetMotion
  
  # Request
  RequestHeader header             # Request header (stamp specifies the playback time in UTC; 0 = play immediately)
  McInputSource input_source       # Input source (reserved)
  McControlArea area               # Control area
  McPresetMotion motion            # Preset motion
  bool interrupt                   # Whether to interrupt the previous action
  string ani_path                  # Custom animation path (to be supported)
  uint64 play_timestamp            # Reserved
  
  ---
  
  # Response
  CommonTaskResponse response      # Task response
  

  Where

  • McControlArea ros2-msg @ mc/motion/msg/McControlArea.msg

    # Control area definition
    int32 value                      # Area value
    

  • McPresetMotion ros2-msg @ mc/motion/msg/McPresetMotion.msg

    # Preset motion definition
    int32 value                      # Motion value
    

  Note: Starting from v0.8.0, the original area partitioning concept has been simplified. The area field is now used together with motion to map to specific actions. The currently supported combinations are listed below:

  Action Name	motion	area	Notes
  Right-hand wave	1002	2	switch to Stable Stand first
  Left-hand wave	1002	1	same as above
  Right-hand handshake	1003	2	same as above
  Left-hand handshake	1003	1	same as above
  Right-hand raise	1001	2	same as above
  Left-hand raise	1001	1	same as above
  Right-hand blow a kiss	1004	2	same as above
  Left-hand blow a kiss	1004	1	same as above
  Clap	3017	11	same as above
  Right-hand salute	1013	2	same as above
  Left-hand salute	1013	1	same as above
  Heart gesture (both hands)	1007	3	same as above
  Right-hand heart gesture	1007	2	same as above
  Left-hand heart gesture	1007	1	same as above
  Hug	3008	11	same as above
  Cheer	3011	11	same as above
  Raise both hands	1010	3	same as above
  Raise right hand	1010	2	same as above
  Raise left hand	1010	1	same as above
  Wave goodbye	3031	11	same as above
  Dynamic light wave	3007	11	same as above
  Right-hand high-five	1008	2	same as above
  Left-hand high-five	1008	1	same as above
  Cross arms	3009	11	same as above
  Right-hand wave at chest	1011	2	same as above
  Left-hand wave at chest	1011	1	same as above
  Bow	3001	11	same as above
  Scratch head	3024	11	same as above
  Grab buttocks	3025	11	same as above

  • CommonTaskResponse ros2-msg @ common/msg/CommonTaskResponse.msg

    # Embedded response message
    
    ResponseHeader header  # Response header
    uint64 task_id        # Task ID
    CommonState state     # State
    

    • ResponseHeader ros2-msg @ common/msg/ResponseHeader.msg

      builtin_interfaces/Time stamp
      int64 code  # Response code, 0 means success, others mean failure
      

    Use response.header.code to determine whether the request succeeded.

Preset Motion State Query Service

Service Name	Data Type	Description
/aimdk_5Fmsgs/srv/GetMcPresetMotionState	GetMcPresetMotionState	Query the current preset motion state

• GetMcPresetMotionState ros2-srv @ mc/motion/srv/GetMcPresetMotionState.srv

  # Query current preset motion state
  # Service: /aimdk_5Fmsgs/srv/GetMcPresetMotionState
  
  # Request
  CommonTaskRequest request
  
  ---
  
  # Response
  CommonTaskResponse response
  

  response.state.value is RUNNING (400) while the motion is executing, and SUCCESS (1) when it has completed.

Note

State query limitations:

GetMcPresetMotionState only distinguishes between “executing” and “completed”; it cannot reflect fine-grained states (such as playing, interrupted, or failure). For more detailed motion status, subscribe to the /aima/mc/common/state topic.

Priority and Interruption Mechanism for Preset Motions

Unlike continuous control commands (such as locomotion or pose control), SetMcPresetMotion does not have a priority protection mechanism. Its behavior depends on the interrupt parameter:

interrupt	No current action	Current action exists
false	Execute new action	New request rejected (first-come, first-served)
true	Execute new action	Interrupts current action (no priority comparison)

Warning

Note: You cannot query who is controlling preset motions via GetCurrentInputSource. Check the motion status via GetMcPresetMotionState after calling.

Programming Examples

For detailed programming examples and code explanations, see:

• C++ Example: Set Robot Motion

• Python Example: Set Robot Motion

Safety Notes

Warning

Motion Execution Limitations

• Some motions may require the robot to be in a specific posture; ensure the robot is in a safe state before execution.

Caution

As standard ROS DO NOT handle cross-host service (request-response) well, please refer to SDK examples to use open interfaces in a robust way (with protection mechanisms e.g. exception safety and retransmission)

While the robot is in Stable Standing Mode or Locomotion Mode, DO NOT launch ROS nodes in rapid bulk (no more than 2 nodes per second is recommended), as a large number of nodes joining DDS discovery within a short period causes communication congestion and degrades motion control real-time performance, which may cause the robot to lose balance and fall

Note

Best Practices

• Set interrupt=true to interrupt any action currently in execution.

• Choose suitable motions and areas based on interaction scenarios.