# Tool Gaps Analysis - Robotics MCP
**Date**: 2025-12-07
**Status**: Gap Analysis
## Current Tool Coverage
### ✅ Implemented Tools
1. **robot_model** - Model operations (create, import, export, convert)
2. **vbot_crud** - Virtual robot CRUD (create, read, update, delete, list)
3. **robotics_system** - System management (help, status, list_robots)
4. **robot_control** - Unified bot/vbot control (move, stop, get_status, sync_vbot)
5. **virtual_robotics** - Virtual robotics operations (spawn, move, get_lidar, load_environment, test_navigation, sync_with_physical)
## Identified Gaps
### 🔴 Critical Gaps (High Priority)
#### 1. **Robot Animation & Behavior**
**Status**: ❌ Missing
**Impact**: High - Robots are static, no visual feedback
**Needed Tools**:
- `robot_animation` portmanteau:
- `animate_wheels` - Rotate wheels during movement (Scout mecanum wheels)
- `animate_movement` - Play movement animations (walk, turn, etc.)
- `set_pose` - Set robot pose (sitting, standing, etc. for Unitree)
- `play_animation` - Play custom animations
- `stop_animation` - Stop current animation
**Implementation**:
- Unity: Use Unity Animator/Animation system via `execute_unity_method`
- VRChat: Use avatar-mcp pose/animation tools
- Physical: ROS action servers for animations
#### 2. **Camera & Visual Feed**
**Status**: ❌ Missing (mentioned in PLAN but not implemented)
**Impact**: High - No visual feedback from robots
**Needed Tools**:
- `robot_camera` portmanteau:
- `get_camera_feed` - Get live camera feed (physical Scout camera)
- `get_virtual_camera` - Get Unity camera view from robot perspective
- `set_camera_angle` - Adjust camera angle
- `capture_image` - Capture still image
- `start_streaming` - Start video stream
- `stop_streaming` - Stop video stream
**Implementation**:
- Physical: ROS image topics (sensor_msgs/Image)
- Unity: Unity Camera component via `execute_unity_method`
- Streaming: WebRTC or MJPEG stream
#### 3. **Path Planning & Navigation**
**Status**: ⚠️ Stub (TODO in `test_navigation`)
**Impact**: High - No actual navigation capability
**Needed Tools**:
- `robot_navigation` portmanteau:
- `plan_path` - Plan path from A to B (A* or RRT)
- `follow_path` - Execute planned path
- `set_waypoint` - Set navigation waypoint
- `clear_waypoints` - Clear waypoint list
- `get_path_status` - Check path execution status
- `avoid_obstacle` - Dynamic obstacle avoidance
**Implementation**:
- Physical: ROS navigation stack (move_base, amcl)
- Unity: Unity NavMesh pathfinding via `execute_unity_method`
- Virtual: Unity NavMeshAgent component
#### 4. **Multi-Robot Coordination**
**Status**: ❌ Missing (mentioned in PLAN but no tools)
**Impact**: Medium - Can't coordinate multiple robots
**Needed Tools**:
- `multi_robot` portmanteau:
- `coordinate_movement` - Move multiple robots together
- `assign_roles` - Assign roles to robots (leader, follower, etc.)
- `formation_control` - Control robot formations
- `collision_avoidance` - Inter-robot collision avoidance
- `synchronize` - Synchronize robot actions
**Implementation**:
- State manager tracks all robots
- Coordinate via shared state or ROS topics
- Unity: Multiple GameObjects with shared controller
#### 5. **Route Recording & Playback**
**Status**: ❌ Missing (patrol routes mentioned but no recording)
**Impact**: Medium - Can't record and replay robot movements
**Needed Tools**:
- `robot_routes` portmanteau:
- `start_recording` - Start recording robot path
- `stop_recording` - Stop recording and save route
- `play_route` - Playback recorded route
- `save_route` - Save route to file
- `load_route` - Load route from file
- `edit_route` - Edit waypoints in route
**Implementation**:
- Record position/orientation over time
- Save as JSON/YAML
- Playback via `robot_control` move commands
### 🟡 Important Gaps (Medium Priority)
#### 6. **Configuration Management**
**Status**: ❌ Missing
**Impact**: Medium - No way to save/load robot configs
**Needed Tools**:
- `robot_config` portmanteau:
- `save_config` - Save robot configuration
- `load_config` - Load robot configuration
- `export_config` - Export config to file
- `import_config` - Import config from file
- `reset_config` - Reset to defaults
- `validate_config` - Validate configuration
**Implementation**:
- YAML/JSON config files
- Store in state manager or file system
#### 7. **Sensor Simulation (Beyond LiDAR)**
**Status**: ⚠️ Partial (LiDAR exists, others missing)
**Impact**: Medium - Limited sensor simulation
**Needed Tools**:
- Extend `robot_sensors` portmanteau:
- `get_imu` - Get IMU data (acceleration, gyro, magnetometer)
- `get_odometry` - Get wheel odometry
- `get_battery` - Get battery level
- `get_temperature` - Get temperature sensors
- `get_proximity` - Get proximity sensors
- `simulate_sensor` - Simulate sensor failure/noise
**Implementation**:
- Physical: ROS sensor topics
- Unity: Simulate via Unity physics/components
#### 8. **Testing & Validation Tools**
**Status**: ❌ Missing
**Impact**: Medium - No automated testing tools
**Needed Tools**:
- `robot_testing` portmanteau:
- `test_size_fit` - Test if robot fits in space (Marble apartment)
- `test_doorway` - Test doorway clearance
- `test_patrol_route` - Validate patrol route
- `test_collision` - Test collision detection
- `benchmark_performance` - Performance benchmarks
- `generate_test_report` - Generate test results
**Implementation**:
- Unity: Physics queries, NavMesh checks
- Physical: ROS test nodes
#### 9. **State Persistence**
**Status**: ⚠️ Partial (in-memory only)
**Impact**: Medium - Robot states lost on restart
**Needed Tools**:
- Extend state manager:
- `save_state` - Save all robot states to file
- `load_state` - Load robot states from file
- `export_state` - Export state snapshot
- `import_state` - Import state snapshot
**Implementation**:
- JSON/YAML persistence
- SQLite for complex state
#### 10. **Robot-Specific Behaviors**
**Status**: ⚠️ Partial (generic control only)
**Impact**: Low - Missing robot-specific features
**Needed Tools**:
- `scout_control` portmanteau (Scout-specific):
- `mecanum_move` - Mecanum wheel omnidirectional movement
- `set_wheel_speeds` - Individual wheel speed control
- `calibrate_wheels` - Wheel calibration
- `unitree_control` portmanteau (Unitree-specific):
- `set_gait` - Set walking gait
- `balance_mode` - Enable/disable balance
- `manipulate` - Arm manipulation (G1)
**Implementation**:
- Physical: Robot-specific ROS nodes
- Virtual: Unity scripts for robot-specific behaviors
### 🟢 Nice-to-Have Gaps (Low Priority)
#### 11. **Visualization & Debugging**
**Status**: ❌ Missing
**Impact**: Low - Limited debugging capabilities
**Needed Tools**:
- `robot_visualization` portmanteau:
- `show_path` - Visualize planned path
- `show_sensors` - Visualize sensor ranges
- `show_collision` - Visualize collision bounds
- `debug_overlay` - Debug information overlay
**Implementation**:
- Unity: Gizmos, Debug.DrawLine
- ROS: RViz markers
#### 12. **Export/Import Workflows**
**Status**: ⚠️ Partial (models only)
**Impact**: Low - Limited workflow portability
**Needed Tools**:
- `robot_export` portmanteau:
- `export_workflow` - Export complete workflow
- `import_workflow` - Import workflow
- `export_scene` - Export Unity scene with robots
- `import_scene` - Import scene
## Recommended Implementation Order
### Phase 1: Critical Gaps (Next Sprint)
1. **robot_animation** - Animation & behavior
2. **robot_camera** - Camera & visual feeds
3. **robot_navigation** - Path planning (complete stub)
### Phase 2: Important Gaps (Following Sprint)
4. **multi_robot** - Multi-robot coordination
5. **robot_routes** - Route recording/playback
6. **robot_config** - Configuration management
### Phase 3: Nice-to-Have (Future)
7. **robot_testing** - Testing & validation
8. **robot_visualization** - Debugging tools
9. **robot_export** - Workflow export/import
## Integration Points
### Existing MCP Servers
- **unity3d-mcp**: Use `execute_unity_method` for Unity integration
- **avatar-mcp**: Use for animations and poses
- **blender-mcp**: Already integrated for models
- **gimp-mcp**: Already integrated for textures
### Missing Integrations
- **vrchat-mcp**: Not mounted (could add for VRChat-specific features)
- **avatar-mcp**: Mounted but underutilized (animation features)
## Notes
- Most gaps can be filled by extending existing portmanteau tools
- Unity integration via `execute_unity_method` is key for virtual robots
- Physical robot gaps require ROS integration (Phase 4 in PLAN)
- Consider creating Unity C# scripts for complex behaviors (like VbotSpawner.cs)