Open Source RoboticsRobots, software & field notes

UMI

Based on published sources · Not tested by us ·

Overview

Handheld gripper-based demonstration collection and diffusion-policy workflow, with separate robot deployment hardware and explicit SLAM, timing and source-artifact gaps. [S001] [S005] [S006] [S007]

Universal Manipulation Interface uses a handheld parallel-jaw gripper with a camera to collect demonstrations, then processes those observations into policy-training data. The selected repository revision is d095ba9590df789df5189eea5ee7e431689038a6. The handheld capture device and the robot deployment system are distinct builds with different costs and dependencies. [S001] [S002] [S005] [S006]

Specifications

DetailDescription
TypeHandheld parallel-jaw data-collection gripper; robot-mounted deployment gripper and arm are separate hardware.
Reported by source [S005] [S006] · Checked 2026-10-01
Intended usersResearchers able to assemble capture hardware and validate robot-specific policy deployment
Editorial assessment [S001] · Checked 2026-10-01
AssemblyNot known
CalibrationMatch robot/gripper addresses, observation/action latency, TCP offset and geometry settings to the actual deployment; example values are not measurements of another rig.
Reported by source [S007] · Checked 2026-10-01
Operating systemUbuntu 22.04 is the only tested installation environment reported in the selected README
Reported by source [S001] · Checked 2026-10-01
Computer neededTraining/inference workstation; README reports single-GPU training tested on RTX3090 24GB, not a proven universal minimum.
Reported by source [S001] · Checked 2026-10-01

3D preview

Preview not available yet. A model has not yet been prepared and approved for display on this page. This does not mean the project lacks CAD files; see Source files and licenses for the reviewed source availability.

Assembly and use

The hardware guide describes two packages

The capture guide lists printed gripper parts, linear rails, springs, soft fingers, visual tags and a GoPro Hero9 with a Max Lens Mod. It links separate Onshape documents for the gripper and fingers. It also states that left and right grippers use different tags, so bimanual hardware cannot be treated as two unconfigured copies. The public text export was preserved; image-based assembly details and external CAD payloads were not independently inspected. [S005]

The deployment section instead lists a UR5-family arm, Weiss WSG-50, camera accessories, an HDMI capture card and workstation connections. Its per-component historical prices do not establish a current complete delivered budget, and the robot is listed by quote. A low capture-device cost therefore should not be presented as the cost of a complete autonomous robot system. [S005]

SLAM quality limits the training input

The README provides an example SLAM workflow and explicitly identifies its ORB_SLAM3 fork as a fragile stage. Its example success fraction belongs to that supplied session, not to every new recording. The fork, container and data-collection instructions are separate dependencies. No videos were processed and no SLAM result was reproduced here. [S001]

The selected installation instructions report testing only on Ubuntu 22.04 and name an RTX3090 with 24 GB for a tested single-GPU training setup. These are reported environment details, not a catalog-tested minimum specification. The workflow links processed datasets and pretrained checkpoints externally; their complete payloads and applicable licenses were not preserved in this review. [S001] [S009]

Deployment still requires rig-specific configuration

The example configuration contains robot and gripper addresses, observation and action latencies, a TCP offset, collision-geometry parameters and an inter-arm transform. Those are concrete reasons to match a deployment to the physical rig rather than treating broad calibration-free project language as eliminating all setup. They are examples, not measurements of a reader's hardware. [S006] [S007]

The UR route uses WSG50 configuration and a camera capture chain. The Franka instructions describe a separate Polymetis server on a real-time-kernel computer and different load settings. Neither route was installed or connected to hardware by this catalog. [S001] [S005] [S008]

The cup-policy download command names cup_wild_vit_l_1img.ckpt, while the shown evaluation command uses cup_wild_vit_l.ckpt. Resolve that filename/configuration mismatch before assuming the example runs unchanged. The README also reports poor performance in direct sunlight for that policy; the project page's broader lighting-robustness claims should not erase this specific limitation. [S001] [S006]

The repository is MIT-licensed. That license is not automatically assigned to external CAD, hardware-guide media, datasets, checkpoints or the SLAM fork. This profile establishes source-researched workflow coverage, with no fabrication, training, flashing or physical performance test claimed. [S001] [S003] [S005] [S009]

Cost

No current, complete configuration-specific build cost has been established for this profile.

Source files and licenses

Available project sources support research coverage; complete build and commercial qualification remain separate.

LayerAvailability / license
mechanical designavailable · License not fully assessed
Official hardware guide links gripper CAD, separate soft-finger CAD and deployment mounts. External CAD payloads, exact revisions and hardware reuse licenses were not independently preserved or established. [S005]
electronicsnot found · License not fully assessed
Off-the-shelf camera and robot electronics are described; no complete custom electronics fabrication package established in the selected sources. [S005] [S009]
firmwarenot found · License not fully assessed
GoPro Labs, robot and gripper firmware are external dependencies; complete matched firmware sources and licenses were not collected. [S001] [S005]
softwareavailable · MIT
Selected repository code; external SLAM fork, robot packages and dependencies retain separate terms. [S001] [S003]
model weightsnot found · License not fully assessed
Official README links external pretrained checkpoints and datasets, but their payloads and licenses were not independently preserved in this review. This is not a claim that the artifacts are unavailable upstream. [S001] [S009]
datasetsnot found · License not fully assessed
Official README links external pretrained checkpoints and datasets, but their payloads and licenses were not independently preserved in this review. This is not a claim that the artifacts are unavailable upstream. [S001] [S009]
documentationavailable · MIT
Repository documentation only; external hardware guide, CAD, media and data are not assigned the software license. [S001] [S003]

References

Links identify the documentation and revisions used in this profile. Access dates record when each source was retrieved.

  1. S001 · real-stanford / project contributors
    Upstream project overview
    Accessed 2026-10-01 · README.md
    Source notes

    Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.

  2. S002 · real-stanford / project contributors
    Repository revision and release metadata
    Accessed 2026-10-01 · d095ba9590df789df5189eea5ee7e431689038a6
    Source notes

    Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.

  3. S003 · real-stanford / project contributors
    Repository license
    Accessed 2026-10-01 · LICENSE
    Source notes

    Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.

  4. S004 · real-stanford / project contributors
    Pinned repository artifact inventory
    Accessed 2026-10-01 · d095ba9590df789df5189eea5ee7e431689038a6 archive file inventory
    Source notes

    Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.

  5. S005 · real-stanford / project contributors
    UMI hardware building guide
    Accessed 2026-10-01 · Public text export retrieved October 1 2026; images not included
    Source notes

    Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.

  6. S006 · real-stanford / project contributors
    UMI project page
    Accessed 2026-10-01 · Retrieved October 1 2026
    Source notes

    Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.

  7. S007 · real-stanford / project contributors
    UMI example/eval_robots_config.yaml
    Accessed 2026-10-01 · d095ba9590df789df5189eea5ee7e431689038a6 / example/eval_robots_config.yaml
    Source notes

    Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.

  8. S008 · real-stanford / project contributors
    UMI franka_instruction.md
    Accessed 2026-10-01 · d095ba9590df789df5189eea5ee7e431689038a6 / franka_instruction.md
    Source notes

    Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.

  9. S009 · real-stanford / project contributors
    Complete UMI archive file inventory
    Accessed 2026-10-01 · d095ba9590df789df5189eea5ee7e431689038a6 archive inventory
    Source notes

    Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.

Research and review details

Source research only; no installation, physical build or performance test performed. No affiliate links added.

Profile edited 2026-10-01 · Sources checked 2026-10-01 · Next review target 2026-10-31

Revision: d095ba9590df789df5189eea5ee7e431689038a6 (commit snapshot; no published stable release found). Combined hardware and software repository activity recorded 2026-05-26 [S002]

Correction guidance · Discussion is not enabled · Profile format 0.6.0-draft.1

Change history