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DK1 Bimanual: From Setup to Two-Handed Robot Learning

The complete DK1 learning path. In ~16 hours go from hardware setup to training and deploying a bimanual ACT policy. Intermediate-level, leader/follower architecture, bimanual manipulation.

A structured, sequential path that takes you from hardware setup to running a trained bimanual imitation learning policy on both DK1 arms simultaneously. Designed for learners who have completed the OpenArm path or have equivalent single-arm robotics experience.

Total Time ~16 hours

Difficulty Intermediate

Hardware DK1 Kit (2 arms) + leader controller + 2× cameras

Prerequisites OpenArm path complete OR equivalent experience

Simulation Option Yes — MuJoCo bimanual

You Will Build A bimanual pick-and-place policy trained with ACT

Before You Start — Check These Prerequisites

  • Completed the OpenArm 1 path or have single-arm teleoperation and data collection experience
  • Comfortable with ROS 2 basics (launch files, topic inspection, joint state monitoring)
  • Python 3.10 or higher installed; familiar with virtual environments and pip
  • Access to a DK1 kit (both follower arms + leader controller) or the MuJoCo bimanual sim
  • Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 — macOS and Windows are not supported for hardware operation
  • About 16 hours of total time, ideally spread across 4–5 sessions

Not sure if you're ready? Read Unit 0 — it maps the DK1 hardware to what you already know from OpenArm and tells you exactly what's different.

Your Path at a Glance

Complete the units in order. Each unit has a clear completion check — bimanual systems have tighter coupling between units, so don't skip ahead.

Before You Begin: Bimanual OrientationRequiredWhy two arms? Hardware and software checklists. Leader/follower concept explained. Time estimates and where to get help.~30 min · No code
Mount and Wire Two ArmsRequiredPhysical mounting for a bimanual workspace, leader and follower arm setup, camera placement for full workspace coverage.~3 hours
Configure Leader/Follower ControlRequiredSDK install for bimanual, pairing config, Python connection test for both arms, sync verification.~2 hours
Teleoperate Your First Bimanual TaskRequiredUnderstand bimanual teleoperation, calibrate workspace for two arms, practice a cube handoff, and reach the 5-minute continuous milestone.~2 hours
Record Synchronized Bimanual DemonstrationsRequiredWhy bimanual data collection is harder. LeRobot bimanual dataset format. Recording workflow and quality checklist. Target: 100 clean demos.~3 hours
Train a Bimanual Policy with ACTRequiredWhy ACT excels at bimanual coordination. Training command, reading bimanual training curves, hyperparameters. Target: >60% success.~4 hours
Run and Improve Your Bimanual PolicyRequiredInference setup for two arms, bimanual evaluation protocol, failure modes unique to bimanual, and the data flywheel for improvement.~2 hours

Time Breakdown

Unit Topic Time
Unit 0 Bimanual Orientation ~30 min
Unit 1 Hardware Setup ~3 h
Unit 2 Leader/Follower Config ~2 h
Unit 3 First Bimanual Teleoperation ~2 h
Unit 4 Data Collection (100 demos) ~3 h
Unit 5 ACT Policy Training ~4 h
Unit 6 Deploy & Improve ~2 h
Total ~16 h 30 min

Start Unit 0 — Orientation →

Takes about 30 minutes. Covers the bimanual-specific concepts and checklists before any hardware work begins.