The EarthRover SDK (Software Development Kit) lets you control your bot using code instead of manually driving it through the website. Think of it as writing a set of instructions that your bot follows automatically.
Before You Start
Make sure you have the following ready:
An EarthRover (Mini, Mini+, or Zero) that is already activated
Your SDK Access Token from my.frodobots.com/owner/settings
Python 3.9 or higher installed — download at python.org
Google Chrome 143+ installed and up to date
💡 One SDK Access Token works for all your bots. Keep it safe and never share it!
Step 1: Download the SDK
Go to the EarthRovers SDK on GitHub and download the project.
On the GitHub page, click the green Code button, then click Download ZIP. Once downloaded, unzip/extract the folder somewhere easy to find — like your Desktop or Downloads folder.
💡 If you're familiar with Git, you can also clone it by running this in your terminal:
If you're familiar with Git, you can clone it:
git clone https://github.com/frodobots-org/earth-rovers-sdk.git
Step 2: Install the Required Tools
The terminal is a text-based window where you type commands to control your computer. Don't worry — we'll guide you through every command!
Here's how to open it:
Windows: Press ⊞
Windows key + R, typecmd, and press EnterMac: Press ⌘
Command + Space, typeTerminal, and press EnterLinux: Press
Ctrl + Alt + T
Step 3: Navigate to Your SDK Folder
Now we need to tell the terminal where the SDK folder is. Type cd followed by the path to your SDK folder.
Windows example:
cd C:\Users\YourName\Downloads\earth-rovers-sdk-main
Mac/Linux example:
cd /Users/YourName/Downloads/earth-rovers-sdk-main
💡 Not sure of the exact path? Here's an easier way:
Windows: Open the SDK folder in File Explorer → click the address bar at the top → copy the path → paste it after
cdMac: Type
cdin the terminal (with a space after), then drag the SDK folder directly into the terminal window — it will fill in the path automatically!
⚠️ Remove MISSION_SLUG as it is only used for competitions.
Step 4: Install the Required Tools
Now we need to install everything the SDK needs to run. Still in the terminal, type this and press Enter:
pip3 install -r requirements.txt
You'll see a lot of text appear, and that's completely normal! It's downloading all the necessary tools. Wait until it finishes and the cursor appears again before moving on.
⚠️ If you see an error saying pip3 is not found, try this instead:
pip install -r requirements.txt
Step 5: Get Your SDK Access Token
Before setting up the settings file, you'll need your SDK Access Token:
Log in to your account
Find the SDK Access Token section
Copy the token — it's a long string of letters and numbers
💡 One token works for all your bots. Keep it safe and never share it with anyone!
Step 6: Set Up Your .env File
The .env file is where you store your personal settings for the SDK — like your token and bot name. Here's how to set it up:
Open the SDK folder on your computer
Find the file called
.env.sample
Make a copy of it and rename the copy to
.env(remove the word "sample")Open the
.envfile with any text editor (Notepad on Windows, TextEdit on Mac)Fill in your details:
SDK_API_TOKEN=
BOT_SLUG=
CHROME_EXECUTABLE_PATH=
# Default value is MAP_ZOOM_LEVEL=18 https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Zoom_levels
MAP_ZOOM_LEVEL=
# Image quality between 0.1 and 1.0 (default: 0.8)
# Recommended: 0.8 for better performance
IMAGE_QUALITY=0.8
# Image format: jpeg, png or webp (default: png)
# Recommended: jpeg for better performance and lower bandwidth usage
IMAGE_FORMAT=jpeg
# TTS Provider: "edge" (free, default) or "gemini"
TTS_PROVIDER=edge
# API key (required for gemini only)
TTS_API_KEY=
# Voice name (default: en-US-GuyNeural for edge, Kore for gemini)
TTS_VOICE=en-US-GuyNeural
💡 What is BOT_SLUG? It's your bot's 3-word name written in lowercase with hyphens — for example watt-mass-lion. Find it on your FrodoBots dashboard.
What is CHROME_EXECUTABLE_PATH? It's the location of Google Chrome on your computer. Here's the path for each operating system:
Mac:
/Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google ChromeWindows:
C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exeLinux:
/usr/bin/google-chrome
Windows example:
⚠️ Do NOT add MISSION_SLUG to your .env file. This is only needed for competitions. Leave it out entirely.
Step 7: Run the SDK
Go back to your terminal and make sure you're still in the SDK folder (Step 3). Then type this command and press Enter:
hypercorn main:app --reload
You'll see some text appear in the terminal — this means the SDK is running successfully! Keep this window open the entire time you're using the SDK. Do not close it.
💡 If you see an error about hypercorn not being found, go back and make sure Step 4 completed without errors.
Step 8: View Your Bot's Live Dashboard
Open Google Chrome and type this in the address bar:
http://localhost:8000
Press Enter and you should see your bot's status.
Click "Join" to watch the live camera dashboard with the video feed! If you can see it, congratulations, you're all set!
⚠️ Make sure your bot is powered on and connected to the internet before this step.
⚠️ Important: Do not have my.frodobots.com open at the same time as the SDK. The bot can only connect to one session at a time. Always close the website before running the SDK, otherwise the bot won't respond to your commands.
💡 Need help? Contact us via the chat widget, join our Discord, or email hello@frodobots.com (Mon–Fri, 9AM–6PM SGT).