Experimental: qimessaging API

Warning

This is still a work in progress, and API may change in the future.

What is qimessaging

qimessaging is a new architecture, allowing you to use NAOqi APIs with a new and easier syntax.

Calling methods

  • Instead of creating a proxy to a module, create a session and ask for a service. You will get a Python object that has the same methods as the remote module, just like before:

    import qi

session = qi.Session()
session.connect("tcp://nao.local:9559")
tts = session.service("ALTextToSpeech")
tts.say("Hello, World")

  • You can also call methods asynchronously by using the _async keyword:

    import qi

HEY_ANIMATION_1 = "animations/Stand/Gestures/Hey_1";

app = qi.Application()
session = qi.Session()
session.connect("tcp://nao.local:9559")
memory = session.service("ALMemory")
tts = session.service("ALTextToSpeech")
bhm = session.service("ALBehaviorManager")
motion = session.service("ALMotion")
motion.wakeUp()
animationDone = bhm.runBehavior(HEY_ANIMATION_1, _async=True)
tts.say("Hello")
# block until the animation is over
# runBehavior returns nothing so the return value is None
animationDone.value()
motion.rest()

Subscribing to events

  • You do not need a broker, and should create a qi.Application instead, that will take care of creating an event loop, among other things.

  • You no longer need a module to subscribe to an event. Instead, use the subscriber method on ALMemory. It returns an object with a signal property on which you can connect callbacks:

    import qi

app = qi.Application()
session = qi.Session()
session.connect("tcp://nao.local:9559")
memory = session.service("ALMemory")
tts = session.service("ALTextToSpeech")

def on_touched(event):
    # value is 1 when pressed, 0 when released
    if event > 0:
        tts.say("ouch")

subscriber = memory.subscriber("FrontTactilTouched")
subscriber.signal.connect(on_touched)

app.run()

Writing services

  • Call session.registerService with any Python class you want. All public methods of the object will be available for other services by default.

  • You need to be connected to a special service called ServiceDirectory in order to register a new service. Such a service is provided by the naoqi process.

    import qi

class HelloService:
    def __init__(self, session):
        self.tts = session.service("ALTextToSpeech")

    def greet(self):
        self.tts.say("Hello, world")


app = qi.Application()
session = qi.Session()
session.connect("tcp://nao.local:9559")
hello = HelloService(session)
session.registerService("Hello", hello)
app.run()
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