Teleop Control State Machine

This page describes the default teleop control state machine used by DefaultTeleopStateManager and how to connect button inputs.

Overview

TeleopSession expects the optional teleop_control_pipeline to expose this output contract:

• teleop_state: one-hot execution state channels in this order: stopped, paused, running

• reset_event: bool pulse

When provided, TeleopSession decodes these outputs into ComputeContext.execution_events so downstream retargeters and high-level app logic can read:

• context.execution_events.execution_state

• context.execution_events.reset

Isaac Teleop provides DefaultTeleopStateManager as a ready-to-use default state machine. It should work for most setups, but you can also implement your own control state machine as long as it preserves the same output contract.

Default State Machine Behavior

Inputs (all optional bool signals):

• kill_button

• run_toggle_button

• reset_button

Transitions:

1. kill_button level-held:

   • while asserted, state is forced to STOPPED

   • emits reset_event = True

2. run_toggle_button rising edge:

   • STOPPED -> PAUSED

   • PAUSED -> RUNNING

   • RUNNING -> PAUSED

3. reset_button rising edge:

   • state unchanged

   • emits reset_event = True

Safety behavior:

• If a required control input (kill/run-toggle) is absent for the frame, manager fail-safes to STOPPED.

• Loss-driven reset_event is edge-triggered on availability loss (emitted once on the first frame required inputs drop out, not unconditionally every frame).

• This fail-safe is immediate (same frame). If teleop control inputs are lost (for example controller disconnect, tracking loss, or selector output becomes unavailable), execution state is forced to STOPPED right away.

Connecting Inputs

Use one debounced selector per signal (simple wiring, no multi-input lambdas): see teleop_controls_simple_example.py for the full runnable setup.

from isaacteleop.retargeting_engine.deviceio_source_nodes import ControllersSource
from isaacteleop.retargeting_engine.tensor_types import ControllerInputIndex
from isaacteleop.teleop_session_manager import (
    DefaultTeleopStateManager,
    create_bool_selector,
)

controllers = ControllersSource(name="controllers")
left = controllers.output(ControllersSource.LEFT)

kill_signal = create_bool_selector(
    left,
    name="kill_signal_selector",
    selector_fn=lambda selected: selected[ControllerInputIndex.SECONDARY_CLICK],
)
run_toggle_signal = create_bool_selector(
    left,
    name="run_toggle_signal_selector",
    selector_fn=lambda selected: selected[ControllerInputIndex.PRIMARY_CLICK],
)
reset_signal = create_bool_selector(
    left,
    name="reset_signal_selector",
    selector_fn=lambda selected: selected[ControllerInputIndex.THUMBSTICK_CLICK],
)

manager = DefaultTeleopStateManager(name="teleop_manager")
control_pipeline = manager.connect(
    {
        manager.INPUT_KILL: kill_signal.output("value"),
        manager.INPUT_RUN_TOGGLE: run_toggle_signal.output("value"),
        manager.INPUT_RESET: reset_signal.output("value"),
    }
)

Debounce behavior is configurable in create_bool_selector:

• threshold / release_threshold for float hysteresis

• activate_frames / deactivate_frames for rising/falling debounce length

• automatic None propagation when upstream input is absent

Important availability note:

• create_bool_selector propagates unavailable upstream input as None.

• DefaultTeleopStateManager treats None on any required control input as a safety fault and immediately transitions to STOPPED; when required inputs first become unavailable it emits a single loss-driven reset_event = True pulse.

Using Context in High-Level App Logic

After session.step(), use session.last_context to gate robot enablement or other high-level behavior:

from isaacteleop.retargeting_engine.interface.execution_events import ExecutionState

outputs = session.step()
context = session.last_context
if context is not None:
    robot_enabled = context.execution_events.execution_state != ExecutionState.STOPPED
    if context.execution_events.reset:
        handle_reset()