sphero-mini
Control Sphero Mini robot ball via Bluetooth Low Energy. Roll, change colors, read sensors, draw shapes, and play with cats. Uses bleak for cross-platform BLE support (macOS/Windows/Linux).
Why use this skill?
Learn how to control your Sphero Mini robot via Bluetooth using OpenClaw. Features include custom movement, LED patterns, and automated play routines for your pets.
Install via CLI (Recommended)
clawhub install openclaw/skills/skills/joneschi/sphero-miniWhat This Skill Does
The sphero-mini skill provides a comprehensive interface for controlling the Sphero Mini robot ball directly from your computer using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). By utilizing the 'bleak' library, this skill offers cross-platform support across macOS, Windows, and Linux. Users can program precise movements, execute complex pathfinding logic, adjust LED colors, and manage power states. Whether you are creating automated obstacle courses or simply using the ball to interact with pets via the 'Cat Play' mode, this skill abstracts the complex low-level Bluetooth protocols into simple, high-level Python commands that can be invoked via an AI agent.
Installation
To get started with the sphero-mini skill, you first need to ensure your environment is prepared for BLE communication. Execute the following command in your terminal: 'clawhub install openclaw/skills/skills/joneschi/sphero-mini'. After installation, ensure you have the 'bleak' Python library installed via 'pip3 install bleak'. Once the dependencies are set, run the provided scanner script: 'python3 scripts/scan_sphero.py' to identify your robot's unique hardware address. Finally, update the configuration or the specific script files with your Sphero's MAC address so the agent knows exactly which device to command.
Use Cases
- Education & STEM: An excellent tool for teaching robotics, coordinate systems, and basic programming logic in a tangible, physical environment.
- Interactive Entertainment: Use the built-in random movement algorithms to keep pets engaged and active while you work.
- Automated Physical Projects: Program the Sphero to perform specific geometric patterns or patrol a floor area autonomously.
- Prototyping: Rapidly test movement logic before applying it to more complex or custom robotics platforms.
Example Prompts
- "OpenClaw, find my Sphero Mini and set the LED color to a soft, pulsing purple for five minutes."
- "Execute the cat play routine for 10 minutes to entertain the kitten, then return the ball to sleep mode."
- "Program the Sphero to drive in a perfect square pattern with a speed of 120 and then blink the main LED red three times."
Tips & Limitations
- Bluetooth Range: Keep the host device within 10-15 feet of the Sphero Mini for a stable connection; signal interference can cause the robot to pause or disconnect.
- Battery Management: Always ensure the device is fully charged, as low battery levels result in sluggish movement and intermittent Bluetooth drops.
- Compatibility: This skill is designed for BLE-capable hardware. If your desktop computer lacks a built-in Bluetooth adapter, an external USB Bluetooth 4.0+ dongle is required.
- Persistence: Since the connection is transient, ensure your script handles disconnects gracefully to prevent the robot from freezing mid-movement.
Metadata
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Find the right skillPaste this into your clawhub.json to enable this plugin.
{
"plugins": {
"official-joneschi-sphero-mini": {
"enabled": true,
"auto_update": true
}
}
}Tags(AI)
Flags: network-access, code-execution