Record Teleop Demonstrations

SkillDatabases & data

Lets your agent record teleoperation episodes (keyboard, robot arm, or VR) as human demos saved to HDF5 files.

Available today. Use it from your connected AI after setup.

Connect ahel once, and every AI you use reads what you have installed.

Then ask your AI: use the Record Teleop Demonstrations skill

About this capability

Record episodes for an agentic env via teleoperation (keyboard, SO-ARM leader, or VR) into HDF5. Use when the user wants to teleop or record human demos.

What this skill tells your AI

The instructions your AI receives, as published by nvidia/skills in skills/i4h-workflow-dataset-teleop/SKILL.md and read by ahel’s review.

Purpose

Run the workflow's declared teleop graph through the shared SimulationRunner so actions, state, cameras, segments, attempts, and outcomes use the normal HDF5 contract.

Instructions

  1. Resolve the base checkout and live teleop device contract.
  2. Choose a supported human-input device.
  3. Record in the foreground through run.sh.
  4. Inspect visible motion and HDF5 content.

Resolve support

export I4H_WORKFLOWS_REPO_URL="${I4H_WORKFLOWS_REPO_URL:-https://github.com/isaac-for-healthcare/i4h-workflows}"
I4H_REPO_DIR_NAME="${I4H_WORKFLOWS_REPO_URL%/}"
I4H_REPO_DIR_NAME="${I4H_REPO_DIR_NAME##*/}"
I4H_REPO_DIR_NAME="${I4H_REPO_DIR_NAME##*:}"
I4H_REPO_DIR_NAME="${I4H_REPO_DIR_NAME%.git}"
[ -n "$I4H_REPO_DIR_NAME" ] || { echo "Cannot derive a checkout name from I4H_WORKFLOWS_REPO_URL" >&2; exit 2; }
ROOT="${I4H_WORKFLOWS:-$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null)}"
if [ ! -d "$ROOT/workflows/i4h_workflows" ]; then
  ROOT="${I4H_WORKFLOWS:-$HOME/$I4H_REPO_DIR_NAME}"
  [ -d "$ROOT/workflows/i4h_workflows" ] || git clone "$I4H_WORKFLOWS_REPO_URL" "$ROOT"
fi
export I4H_WORKFLOWS="$ROOT"
cd "$ROOT"
./run.sh list
./run.sh show <workflow> --mode teleop

Treat the resolver above as part of the skill contract: a hosted copy may run outside the base repository, so never assume the current checkout contains workflows/i4h_workflows. I4H_WORKFLOWS_REPO_URL selects the clone source. When I4H_WORKFLOWS is unset, derive the fallback directory from that URL; set I4H_WORKFLOWS only to reuse or choose a specific destination. Never replace an existing checkout.

Require teleop in the live mode list. Read the workflow builder, its scene manifest teleop override, and the embodiment manifest's teleop_devices. Do not maintain a static support table in the skill.

Choose input

  • Use the named device when supported.
  • Otherwise use the workflow builder's default device.
  • Keep interactive keyboard/leader/VR/bus sessions visible and in the foreground. Surface the device controls and require the human operator to complete the task.
  • Never pretend to provide human input in an unattended shell.

Record

./run.sh <workflow> --teleop <device> \
  --episodes <N> --attempts 3 \
  --record

Omit <device> to use the workflow default. Bare --record writes demos.hdf5 inside the launcher's automatic run directory. Read the absolute directory from the ==> run dir ... line or run.json; do not recreate its timestamp in the shell. When a larger pipeline requires a caller-selected shared directory, pass --run-dir "$RUN_DIR" --record demos.hdf5; the launcher creates the directory and anchors the relative recording name inside it. An absolute --record path remains supported.

Verify

Require the final N/N episodes succeeded summary. Then inspect content:

RUN_DIR="<absolute run_dir from run.json or launcher output>"
uv run --project tools/dataset i4h-dataset inspect "$RUN_DIR/demos.hdf5" --segments
uv run --project tools/dataset i4h-dataset actions "$RUN_DIR/demos.hdf5"

Visually confirm that the operator completes the requested task, robot motion matches the input device, and all expected cameras record the same behavior. Treat zero saved episodes, missing observations, absent action motion, or an unsuccessful task outcome as failure. Stop leftovers with ./stop.sh all.

Troubleshooting

On device or width errors, compare the workflow teleop builder, Scene mode override, and embodiment devices.

Prerequisites

Require a workflow with teleop, a supported device, a working simulator, and a present operator for interactive input.

Limitations

Teleop records human input and requires an operator for interactive devices. Record autonomous rule-based Tasks with i4h-workflow-validate instead.

Examples

  • Record 5 keyboard teleop demonstrations for locomanip tray pick and place. → use G1's supported keyboard device, require a human operator, and verify the recorded action motion.

Completion gate

Report workflow, mode/device, controls, requested/saved episodes, attempts, visual result, HDF5 path, dimensions/segments, and whether a human operator completed the task.

Signals

GitHub stars
3k
Forks
387
Last commit
Sep 2026
Advanced
Catalog kind
skill
Gateway key
i4h-workflow-dataset-teleop
Source
github.com/nvidia/skills