Learning Path · Intermediate · Hardware Required

DK1 Bimanual: From Setup to Two-Handed Robot Learning

A structured, sequential path that takes you from hardware setup to running a trained bimanual imitation learning policy on both DK1 arms simultaneously. Designed for learners who have completed the OpenArm path or have equivalent single-arm robotics experience.

Total Time ~16 hours
Difficulty Intermediate
Hardware DK1 Kit (2 arms) + leader controller + 2× cameras
Prerequisites OpenArm path complete OR equivalent experience
Simulation Option Yes — MuJoCo bimanual
You Will Build A bimanual pick-and-place policy trained with ACT

Before You Start — Check These Prerequisites

  • Completed the OpenArm 101 path or have single-arm teleoperation and data collection experience
  • Comfortable with ROS 2 basics (launch files, topic inspection, joint state monitoring)
  • Python 3.10 or higher installed; familiar with virtual environments and pip
  • Access to a DK1 kit (both follower arms + leader controller) or the MuJoCo bimanual sim
  • Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 — macOS and Windows are not supported for hardware operation
  • About 16 hours of total time, ideally spread across 4–5 sessions

Not sure if you're ready? Read Unit 0 — it maps the DK1 hardware to what you already know from OpenArm and tells you exactly what's different.

Your Path at a Glance

Complete the units in order. Each unit has a clear completion check — bimanual systems have tighter coupling between units, so don't skip ahead.

0

Before You Begin: Bimanual Orientation Required

Why two arms? Hardware and software checklists. Leader/follower concept explained. Time estimates and where to get help.

~30 min · No code
1

Mount and Wire Two Arms Required

Physical mounting for a bimanual workspace, leader and follower arm setup, camera placement for full workspace coverage.

~3 hours
2

Configure Leader/Follower Control Required

SDK install for bimanual, pairing config, Python connection test for both arms, sync verification.

~2 hours
3

Teleoperate Your First Bimanual Task Required

Understand bimanual teleoperation, calibrate workspace for two arms, practice a cube handoff, and reach the 5-minute continuous milestone.

~2 hours
4

Record Synchronized Bimanual Demonstrations Required

Why bimanual data collection is harder. LeRobot bimanual dataset format. Recording workflow and quality checklist. Target: 100 clean demos.

~3 hours
5

Train a Bimanual Policy with ACT Required

Why ACT excels at bimanual coordination. Training command, reading bimanual training curves, hyperparameters. Target: >60% success.

~4 hours
6

Run and Improve Your Bimanual Policy Required

Inference setup for two arms, bimanual evaluation protocol, failure modes unique to bimanual, and the data flywheel for improvement.

~2 hours

Time Breakdown

Unit Topic Time
Unit 0Bimanual Orientation~30 min
Unit 1Hardware Setup~3 h
Unit 2Leader/Follower Config~2 h
Unit 3First Bimanual Teleoperation~2 h
Unit 4Data Collection (100 demos)~3 h
Unit 5ACT Policy Training~4 h
Unit 6Deploy & Improve~2 h
Total ~16 h 30 min
Start Unit 0 — Orientation →

Takes about 30 minutes. Covers the bimanual-specific concepts and checklists before any hardware work begins.