Background Missions

The auto_start feature allows you to define background behaviors that run automatically when the robot or your custom skill manager starts. This enables you to:

  • Control the default autonomous behaviors on the robot.

  • Define your own custom background routines tailored to your needs.

start_background_missions Skill

By default, the robot runs an auto-start skill called start_background_missions. This skill:

  • Defines custom priority levels in the mission system.

  • Enqueues built-in background behaviors grouped by priority.

  • Ensures the robot starts up with essential functionality and expressiveness.

Example

Here’s a simplified version of the skill:

import asyncio
from pymirokai.decorators.skill import skill
from pymirokai.enums import PreemptionStrategy
from pymirokai.robot import Robot

@skill(auto_start=True)
async def start_background_missions(robot: Robot):
    await robot.make_priority_level("SYSTEM", below="MEDIUM", mission_conflict_strategy=PreemptionStrategy.RUN_OLDEST)
    await robot.make_priority_level("VERY_LOW", below="LOW", mission_conflict_strategy=PreemptionStrategy.RUN_OLDEST)

    await robot.enqueue_mission("battery_monitor", priority="SYSTEM")
    await robot.enqueue_mission(
        "set_default_neck_mode_and_wait_infinitely",
        priority="VERY_LOW",
        restart_after_cancellation=True,
        log_level=logging.ERROR,
    )

    await asyncio.Future()

How It Works

  • Mission Priorities: Skills are assigned a priority level (e.g. SYSTEM, LOW, VERY_LOW). A skill can only take a resource if it is free or used by a lower-priority skill.

  • Persistence: The skill ends with await asyncio.Future() to run indefinitely. If this line is removed, any enqueued missions would be cancelled when the skill finishes.

  • Priority Listing: You can call robot.get_available_priorities() to inspect available priority levels.

Default Background Skills

The following background skills are automatically launched by the start_background_missions.py script:

Interaction and Reactivity

  • obey – Enables voice-triggered skill execution.

  • react_to_words – Responds expressively to spoken phrases.

  • react_if_ear_touched – Reacts when the robot’s ears are touched.

System Monitoring

  • battery_monitor – Monitors the battery and gives voice alerts when low.

  • react_when_collisions – Responds to detected collisions.

  • enable_asr_only_when_voice_resource_is_free – Enables speech recognition only when audio resources are free.

Autonomy and Intelligence

  • autonomous_planning – Manages high-level decision-making and mission planning.

  • react_when_grasping – Provides contextual feedback during grasping attempts.

  • react_when_navigating – Expresses reactions during navigation.

Expressive and Social Behaviors

  • human_bond – Enables bonding behaviors like idle animations and head tracking.

  • look_towards_destination – Directs the head toward the navigation goal.

  • wander_off – Triggers random expressive behaviors to simulate lifelike presence.

Passive Fallback

  • set_default_neck_mode_and_wait_infinitely – Sets the neck to a neutral position and waits indefinitely. Acts as a fallback behavior when no other task is running.

Customization

You can personalize the robot’s background behavior in several ways:

  • Disable a behavior: Simply comment out the corresponding enqueue_mission() line in the start_background_missions.py file, or disable the whole custom skill file if you don’t want the robot to run any background behavior.

  • Add your own logic: Define and enqueue new background skills—either on the robot or via a remote skill manager.

This setup gives you full control over the robot’s background activity, enabling intelligent, responsive, and expressive default behavior.