Robot Actions — Remote Device Control

ios_record_start

Start a screen recording on an iOS device. Captures the per-device MJPEG broadcast and remuxes server-side into an H.264 mp4 written under /recordings/. An iOS session must already be running (call ios_start_session first). The recording auto-stops after maxDurationSec (default 300, max 600) so a forgotten stop call cannot fill the disk. Returns a recordingId to pass to ios_record_stop. Only one recording per device at a time.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`fps`	No	Input MJPEG framerate hint (default 24). Higher = smoother but larger files.
`udid`	Yes	iOS device UDID
`maxDurationSec`	No	Hard cap on recording duration in seconds (default 300, max 600). Recording auto-stops if exceeded.

TDQS

A4.9/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

No annotations provided, so description carries full burden. It discloses the MJPEG-to-H.264 remuxing mechanism, auto-stop after maxDurationSec (default 300, max 600) to avoid disk fill, single-recording-per-device restriction, and that it returns a recordingId. Rich and honest behavioral detail.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Four tightly written sentences, all earning their place. Covers purpose, mechanism, prerequisite, safety cap, return value, and constraint. No filler or redundancy.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a side-effecting start-operation with no output schema, the description is complete: mechanism, output location, prerequisite, duration cap, return contract (recordingId), and concurrency constraint. All three params are documented and the workflow loop with ios_record_stop is spelled out.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so baseline is 3. The description adds value by explaining fps is an 'input MJPEG framerate hint' with a smoothness/size tradeoff, and reinforces maxDurationSec as a hard cap for disk protection. Adds semantic context beyond raw schema text.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

Specific verb 'Start' + resource 'screen recording on an iOS device'. Clearly distinguishes from siblings: ios_record_stop exists, and device_record_start is the generic Android counterpart. Mentions output format (H.264 mp4) and location (/recordings/).

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Explicitly states the prerequisite ('An iOS session must already be running (call ios_start_session first)'), explains the auto-stop behavior to protect disk, and clarifies the one-recording-per-device constraint. Tells user to pass recordingId to ios_record_stop, guiding the workflow.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

All Robot Actions — Remote Device Control tools Inspect

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TDQS

B3.1/5.0

Disambiguation2/5

The set contains near-identical duplicate families: web_* and playwright_* expose ~15 pairs of the same desktop-grid-browser operations (web_get_text/playwright_get_text, web_reload/playwright_reload), and screenshot/log/network/mock capabilities each have 5-8 entry points (device_screenshot vs android_mjpeg_screenshot vs ios_screenshot vs ios_fast_screenshot vs web_screenshot vs webpage_screenshot vs session_screenshot). Many individual descriptions carefully draw boundaries (devtools vs traffic, HID vs session), but an agent cannot reliably distinguish web_* from playwright_*, and ios_screenshot/ios_fast_screenshot/ios_mjpeg_screenshot blur together.

Naming Consistency2/5

The prefix scheme is broken: Android functionality is split arbitrarily between android_* and device_* (device_screenshot vs android_mjpeg_screenshot), the desktop browser gets two parallel prefixes (web_* and playwright_*), and verbs vary across equivalents (device_navigate_url vs web_navigate vs ios_safari_navigate). session_* uses bare verbs (session_url, session_back), and the same concept gets different names (ios_clipboard_get_hid vs ios_get_pasteboard; device_screen vs ios_orientation).

Tool Count1/5

333 tools is an extreme count by any measure — far beyond the 50+ threshold — and much of the bulk is duplicative (the web_*/playwright_* pairs alone double ~15 slots) or out-of-scope for a device-control server (TestRail, Jira, AzDO, agent memory, secret variables, feedback). Even granting that remote device control + test automation is a broad domain, this surface will devastate agent context budgets and is impossible to navigate coherently.

Completeness4/5

The core device-control and test-automation domain is remarkably thorough: Android and iOS each have full interaction, app-lifecycle, file, network/proxy, performance, crash, accessibility, recording, and replay coverage, with CRUD lifecycles for flows, suites, app uploads, TestRail cases, and visual-review baselines. Minor gaps exist at the margins — Jira/AzDO lack update/transition/comment operations, and iOS cannot open/close tabs — but the central workflows have no dead ends.

Resources

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