Operating Modes
AI Mode
Command Mode
Keep Watch
Owner/Memory Mode
Robie operates across four modes. AI Mode is the default conversational state. Command Mode gives direct motor control. Keep Watch is a silent monitoring state. Owner/Memory Mode gates personal data to Spiro only. The current mode determines which commands are active.
Quick Reference
The most-used commands at a glance. Best tab to keep open during testing.
| Say | Robie does | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| hello / hi | Local greeting | AI |
| goodbye / bye | Goodbye sequence / sleep | AI CMD |
| shutdown / power down | Goodbye sequence → halts Linux | ⚠ SAFETY |
| command mode / control mode | Enters movement command mode | CMD |
| exit / conversation mode | Leaves command mode | CMD |
| status report | Full system/camera/battery status | AI |
| what do you see | Captures view & describes it | ◎ CAM |
| take a photo | Saves timestamped photo locally | AI |
| take a photo and send it | Takes photo → emails → deletes | ◎ CAM |
| stop / halt / freeze | Immediate stop (broad by design) | ⚠ SAFETY |
| go forward | Drives forward (sensors active) | CMD |
| override / sensor override | Disables collision sensors | ⚠ SAFETY |
| keep watch | Starts silent room monitoring | WATCH |
| look at this | Object Inspect — still photo | ◎ CAM |
| examine this | Object Examine — 5-sec video | ◎ CAM |
| battery status | Reports X1202 battery level | AI |
Core Modes
Wake, sleep, Linux shutdown, command mode entry/exit, and time commands.
⚠ Shutdown note
The
shutdown command triggers a goodbye/spin sequence and then halts the Linux OS. Keep physical access nearby when testing this command.
hello
Local greeting
AI Mode
▶
hellohi
goodbye
Goodbye sequence / sleep
AI + CMD
▶
goodbyebyethe byethe by
shutdown
Goodbye/spin → halts Linux
⚠ Safety
▶
shutdownshut downpower downturn yourself off
Note Higher-risk command. Keep physical access nearby.
enter command mode
Enters movement command mode
CMD Mode
▶
control modecommand modeman modeenter commandocommando mode
exit
Leaves command mode
CMD Mode
▶
exitconversation modeexit control modeexit command modeexit mode
Note Command mode only.
what time is it
Speaks current time
AI Mode
▶
what time is ittell me the timewhat's the timetime
Camera & Media
Vision description, photo/video capture, email delivery, and cleanup. Attention Mode pauses during captures.
what do you seeCaptures view → describes it
◎ Camera
▶
what do you seewhat can you seedescribe what you seedescribe the roomdescribe your viewtell me what you seelook aroundtake a lookuse your cameralook with your camera
Note Saves temporary
latest_view.jpg — not permanent. No identity guessing.take a photoSaves timestamped photo locally
AI Mode
▶
take a phototake phototake a picturesnap a photoshoot a photocapture a photo
take a photo and send itPhoto → email → delete local copy
◎ Camera
▶
Any send/email phrase that also includes photo/picture/image/pic
Note Uses Gmail app password / systemd env vars. Local copy deleted only if send succeeds.
record a videoRecords short video locally
AI Mode
▶
record a videorecord videotake a videocapture a videorecord a short video
record a video and send itVideo → email → delete local copy
◎ Camera
▶
Any send/email phrase that also includes video/clip
send it to meSends newest saved camera media
AI Mode
▶
send it to meemail it to mesend that to mesend the fileemail the filesend last photosend latest video
delete camera filesDeletes saved camera photos/videos
⚠ Safety
▶
delete / clear / remove / clean / cleanup + camera media / camera files / all camera media
Note "erase media" is a practical phrase but may not trigger the strict detector. Use delete/clear/remove wording.
Command Movement
Manual motor control. These commands physically move Robie. The motor kill switch is your real-world safety layer.
⚠ Physical safety
Always place Robie on the floor before issuing movement commands. Keep the physical motor kill switch within reach. Re-entering Command Mode resets sensors back ON.
stopImmediate stop
⚠ SafetyCMD
▶
stophaltfreezeenoughcancel
Note Broad by design for safety.
go forwardDrives forward
⚠ SafetyCMD
▶
go forwardforwardgo forwardsstraightstreetcome here
Note Sensors active unless override is on. "street" = Vosk mishear of "straight".
go backwardDrives backward
⚠ SafetyCMD
▶
go backwardgo backwardsbackwardgo backback up
Note Rear sensor active.
go leftTurns left
CMD
▶
go leftturn leftmove leftleft
go rightTurns right
CMD
▶
go rightturn rightmove rightright
overrideDisables collision sensors
⚠ SafetyCMD
▶
overridesensor overrideoverride sensorsignore sensorssensor offforce override
Note Sensors reset ON when re-entering Command Mode.
sensors onRe-enables collision sensors
⚠ SafetyCMD
▶
sensors onsensor onenable sensorsactivate sensorsarm sensorscancel override
AI Movement & Gestures
Short-duration movement and personality gestures in AI Mode. AI movement ignores collision sensors by design in this build. Gestures are not navigation.
danceDance / show-off gesture
⚠ SafetyAI
▶
dancedance for medo a danceshow me your dance movesdo a little dancedo a wiggleboogiebust a move
spin aroundSpin / show-off gesture
⚠ SafetyAI
▶
spin aroundturn arounddo a spinspinshow off
Note Uses tuned DANCE_SPIN_TIME settings.
look both waysLook-both-ways gesture
◎ CameraAI
▶
look both wayslook left and rightcheck both wayshave a look around
Note "look around" also maps to camera vision depending on parser context.
come hereShort timed forward motion
⚠ SafetyAI
▶
come herecome closermove closercome to memove forwardgo forwardforward
back upShort timed backward motion
⚠ SafetyAI
▶
back upmove backgo backback awayreversegive me some space
duration modifiersAdjusts AI movement duration
⚠ Safety
▶
tinysmalllittleshortquickslightlybitlongfar
Note Parsed by
_motion_duration(). Combine with movement phrase: e.g. "come a little closer".Attention & Watch
Attention Mode does tiny left/right camera centering only — no chasing, no forward/back. Keep Watch suspends Attention Mode and idle sleep while active.
attention mode onEnables camera centering
◎ Camera
▶
attention mode onturn attention mode onenable attention modestart attention mode
Note Tiny left/right corrections only. Logs LEFT/CENTER/RIGHT/NO TARGET. Does not own the motors.
attention mode offDisables attention scanning
AI
▶
attention mode offturn attention mode offdisable attention modestop attention mode
keep watchStarts silent room monitoring
◎ Camera
▶
keep watchstart watchstart watchingwatch modewatch the room
"Okay. I'll keep watch."
Suspends Attention Mode and idle sleep. LEDs off. No normal AI chat while active.
Alert On significant room change: emails 1 event photo + 10-second event video. Deletes local copies only after successful send.
stop watchingStops Watch Mode or cancels pending alert
◎ Camera
▶
stop watchingstop watchend watchend watchingcancel watchstand downfalse alarmit's me
Disarm window 8 seconds after a detected change — say these phrases to cancel pending email alert. Restores previous Attention Mode state.
Object Inspection
Two distinct object camera modes — still photo and 5-second video. Both use temporary context only; no permanent image or video storage.
look at thisObject Inspect — still photo
◎ Camera
▶
look at thiswhat am I holdingwhat is thisread thisread this labellook at this capacitorlook at this recordinspect this
"Hold it steady."
Object-focused prompt. Pauses then restores Attention Mode. No identity claims.
examine thisObject Examine — 5-second video
◎ Camera
▶
examine thisexamine this objectanalyze thistake a closer looklook at this closelyvideo inspect this
"Alright. Hold it steady and rotate it slowly."
5-sec video → extracts key frames → analyzes from multiple angles.
tell me moreFollow-up on recent object inspection
AI
▶
tell me morewhat does it sayis it damagedwhat should I checkwhat value is itcan you read it
Note Temporary context only — expires after a few minutes.
Personal Memory
Storing and recalling personal facts about you. All commands are owner-only.
remember that [fact]Stores a personal fact
🔒 PrivacyOwner
▶
remember that [fact]remember this [fact]can you remember that [fact]my name is…I like…I love…I live in…
what do you remember about meRecalls saved personal facts
🔒 PrivacyOwner
▶
what do you remember about mewhat do you know about merecall memoryrecall factswhat do you remember about [topic]
forget that [fact]Removes a specific stored fact
🔒 PrivacyOwner
▶
forget that [fact]forget my namedelete my nameforget my favourite colour
forget everything about me nowClears ALL personal facts
🔒 Privacy⚠ Safety
▶
Intentionally explicit to prevent accidents.
forget everything you remember about me nowclear all remembered facts about me nowerase all remembered facts about me now
what are we still working onLists unfinished tasks / open loops
🔒 PrivacyOwner
▶
what are we still working onwhat do we still need to dowhat are the open tasksrecall open loops
Project Memory
General learned facts, preferences, and open-loop task tracking.
learn that [fact]Stores general durable knowledge
🔒 PrivacyOwner
▶
learn that [fact]learn this [fact]remember as knowledge that [fact]
remember my preference: [pref]Saves a social or response preference
🔒 PrivacyOwner
▶
remember my preference: [pref]remember that I prefer [pref]remember that I like you to [pref]
remember we still need to [task]Adds an open loop / task
🔒 PrivacyOwner
▶
remember we still need to [task]remember that we still need to [task]
mark [task] as doneResolves an open loop
🔒 PrivacyOwner
▶
mark [task] as donemark [task] completewe finished [task]we completed [task]we resolved [task]
Speaker Identity
Spiro recovery and non-owner speaker switching. Owner recovery is intentionally forgiving. Non-owner switching is intentionally strict to prevent accidental identity changes.
I am Spiro / SparrowSets speaker to Spiro (owner recovery)
🔒 Privacy
▶
I am SpiroI'm Spiroit's Spirothis is Spiromy name is SparrowSpiro speakingswitch to Spiroback to Spiro
Note "Sparrow" is the Vosk alias for "Spiro" — both work.
you are talking to [name]Switches to a non-owner speaker
🔒 Privacy
▶
you are talking to [name]you are speaking to [name]this is [name] speakingswitch speaker to [name]
Status & Battery
System health, camera check, memory status, audio, and X1202 battery level. Useful before long test sessions.
status reportFull system / camera / memory / audio / battery
AI Mode
▶
status reportsystem statushow are you doinghow are youcheck yourselfare you okayrobot statusdiagnostic report
battery statusReports X1202 battery level
AI Mode
▶
battery statusbattery levelbattery percentagehow much batteryhow much powerpower remainingare you chargeddo you need charging
Environment Sensors ✦ New
Environmental quick-check and deep air analysis commands — temperature, humidity, pressure, air quality, and VOC trend detection.
environment checkQuick snapshot — temp, humidity, pressure, air quality
New
▶
environment checkenvironmental checkhow are you feelingare you feelingyou feeling
air analysisDeep air-quality analysis with VOC trend detection
New
▶
air analysisrun air analysisanalyze airanalyse airdeep air analysis
Math & Feedback
Simple spoken arithmetic and dance feedback handling (inside short response window only).
what is X plus YAnswers simple spoken arithmetic
AI Mode
▶
X plus YX minus YX times YX multiplied by YX divided by YX over Y
Note Supports number words and digits.
dance feedbackPositive / negative / neutral feedback after dance
⚠ Safety
▶
Only active inside the short feedback window after Robie asks for dance feedback. Classified as positive, negative, or neutral.
Aliases & Safety Notes
Vosk mishear mappings, overlapping phrases, and physical safety caveats. Read before testing attention, watch, or object camera modes.
| Alias / Phrase | Maps to / Means | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| street | forward / straight | Vosk mishear of "straight" |
| enter commando / commando mode | command mode | Helpful accidental recognition mapping |
| sparrow | Spiro (owner recovery) | Owner recovery alias for Vosk |
| look around | Camera vision OR look-both-ways | ◎ Test carefully — ambiguous phrase |
| erase media | Intended: delete camera files | Strict detector expects delete/clear/remove wording |
| Motor kill switch | Cuts motor power (hardware) | ⚠ Use when Robie is on a table/desk |
| Attention Mode motor rule | Tiny left/right pulses only | No forward/back, no chasing, no hard turns. Tracking should never own the motors. |
| Scene View vs Object Inspect vs Object Examine vs Keep Watch | Four distinct camera behaviours | Scene = wide room; Object Inspect = still; Object Examine = 5s video; Keep Watch = silent monitoring |
| Pause/restore Attention | Object Inspect, Examine, and Keep Watch auto-pause Attention Mode | Prevents camera contention. Prior state restored when done. |
| Keep Watch: no AI chat | Normal conversation suppressed while Watch is active | Listens only for stop/disarm phrases. Eye/mouth LEDs stay off. |