physicalai-runtime-running-policy-on-robot
Runs exported policies on hardware with PolicyRuntime, execution modes, and physicalai run. Use when wiring PolicyRuntime, SyncExecution or RTC execution, runtime YAML configs, action queues, runtime callbacks, or docs/how-to/runtime run-policy-on-robot and execution modes.
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- openvinotoolkit/physicalai
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- July 6, 2026 at 17:11
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- physicalai-runtime-running-policy-on-robot
- description
- Runs exported policies on hardware with PolicyRuntime, execution modes, and physicalai run. Use when wiring PolicyRuntime, SyncExecution or RTC execution, runtime YAML configs, action queues, runtime callbacks, or docs/how-to/runtime run-policy-on-robot and execution modes.
- license
- Apache-2.0
# Running a Policy on a Robot
`PolicyRuntime` (`src/physicalai/runtime/runtime.py`) owns the control loop; `InferenceModel` owns policy math. Execution strategy lives under `src/physicalai/runtime/execution.py` and `src/physicalai/runtime/rtc_execution.py`. CLI: `physicalai run` in `src/physicalai/cli/run.py` instantiates from YAML via jsonargparse.
## Workflow
1. **Choose API vs config**: Python for notebooks/tests; YAML + `physicalai run` for reproducible deployment.
- Done when: entry point matches the user's task.
2. **Python minimal loop** (see `docs/how-to/runtime/run-policy-on-robot.md`):
```python
from physicalai.runtime import PolicyRuntime, SyncExecution
from physicalai.inference import InferenceModel
from physicalai.robot import SO101
from physicalai.capture import UVCCamera
runtime = PolicyRuntime(
fps=30,
robot=SO101(port="/dev/ttyACM0"),
model=InferenceModel("./exports/act_policy"),
cameras={"wrist": UVCCamera(device="/dev/video0", width=640, height=480)},
execution=SyncExecution(),
)
with runtime:
runtime.run(duration_s=60)
```
- Done when: components connect and the loop runs in a test or dry-run with fakes.
3. **YAML config** — nest `class_path` / `init_args` for robot, model, cameras, execution; run:
```bash
physicalai run --config runtime.yaml --run.duration_s=60
```
4. **Execution mode** — pick sync vs RTC per `docs/how-to/runtime/use-execution-modes.md`; do not build ad-hoc timing around `InferenceModel.select_action` when `PolicyRuntime` should own the queue.
5. **Callbacks** — register via runtime callback APIs (`docs/how-to/runtime/add-runtime-callbacks.md`) for telemetry/latency, not inside inference adapters.
## Validation loop
```bash
uv run pytest tests/unit/runtime/ -q
```
Use fake robots/cameras from runtime tests when hardware is unavailable.
## Required checks
- `fps` and camera read rates are consistent.
- Action dimensions match robot `send_action` expectations.
- Config `class_path` targets are importable without training packages.
- Document breaking changes to runtime config schema in `docs/reference/config-schema.md`.
## References
- `docs/how-to/runtime/run-policy-on-robot.md`
- `docs/how-to/config/write-runtime-config.md`
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