ARC 2022.11.22.00 (Pro & Runtime)

(Autonomous Robot Control Software)
Make robots with the easiest robot programming software. Experience user-friendly features that make any robot easy to program.

Change Release Notes

User-inserted image

This is a considerably significant update that includes many performances and security improvements. We also present a new Remote UI feature that allows remote control connectivity from mobile devices to PCs running ARC. Reading the list of updates and changes below is recommended to become familiar with them. If you have any questions, ask away!

We have also updated the website to increase readability. There are larger and clearer fonts that are easier on the eyes. You will find the support section easier to read and follow. The changes are subtle, but our user-test results have been very positive.

The ARC Remote UI option allows mobile devices to operate the robot remotely using custom interfaces you have created. You can add as many interfaces as you'd like using the Interface Builder robot skill. The interfaces can have multiple pages that are switched by a button. These interfaces are displayed on an Android or iOS mobile device using the ARC Remote UI app.

*Update: There was an issue with the application signing certificate in the installer on the previous build (2022.11.20.00), so we've updated the build to 2022.11.22.00. We recommend updating to this latest version.

  • added sr_04 support to doit esp32 and esp32 cam

  • added Remote UI remote control feature in ARC (Read More)

  • moved many robot skills to the new Remote Control and Communications categories

  • javascript compiler will catch exceptions using TRY/CATCH commands (Read More)

  • increased max servo positions from 32,000 to 2,147,483,647 (Read More)

  • removed the X on robot skills for runtime edition (removing the skills can't be re-added, so we prevent people from removing them in a project)

  • changed the runtime edition popup to include more information about what Runtime edition is

  • (For robot skill creators) added a new event for speech synth for OnSpeaking2. This new event includes the output type. This is because STREAM types won't execute the OnSpeakingCompleted event. So don't bother with it when SayEZB(), anything to a file, etc.

  • speech synth disposes the objects in order of their relationship hierarchy to reduce rare scenarios that raise an error closing ARC. Also, Clear/Reset the streams based on their hierarchy as well

  • updated bing speech recognition and regular speech recognition to use the new OnSpeaking2 event. This is because there is no need to pause when speaking with the EZB. The result is that speech recognition systems will not PAUSE when speaking out of the EZB; they will only pause when speaking out of the PC. This fixes the issue where the speech recognition robot skills would PAUSE when the robot spoke but never UNPAUSE after.

  • auto-size the font of objects for the full-screen interface

  • fix when using ShowControl() on an interface for the fullscreen where an error message was displayed about a desktop #3 not existing

  • fix in cheatsheet for showing user interfaces in the ShowControl() list

  • added new javascript command: WaitForAnyNumberSpeech() (Read More)

  • added new javascript command: WaitForAnySpeech() (Read More)

  • added new python commands: WaitForAnyNumberSpeech() (Read More)

  • added new python commands: WaitForAnySpeech() (Read More)

  • Added new Blockly blocks: WaitForAnyNumberSpeech, WaitForAnySpeech

  • Added feedback for speaking advice and low confidence detection to all WaitForSpeech-like commands. This provides guides about talking louder, quieter, slower, etc.

  • All WaitForSpeech-like commands will reset the timer if there is low confidence in detecting errors. This prevents people from having to panic when detection is taking place.

  • increased font size for debug log window

  • performance improvement with the loading of the script editor

  • performance improvements with script editor help pages

  • help hover user control optimization. It's used in a lot of places, so this will improve the loading of forms that use several of them

  • performance improvement with the Blockly editor

  • entire ARC and EZB application codebase has been reviewed and optimized

  • Show the PC IP Addresses tool in the top ribbon menu under Options

  • do not switch to the fullscreen interface desktop when ShowControl() is called, and the remote UI server is running

  • ezb emulator broadcasts itself for the ARC scan tool


ARC Downloads

ARC Free

Free

  • Includes one free 3rd party plugin robot skill per project
  • Trial cloud services
  • Free with trial limitations

For schools, personal use & organizations. This edition is updated every 6-12 months.

Recommended

ARC Pro

Only $8.99/mo

  • 2 or more PCs simultaneously
  • Includes unlimited skills
  • Cloud backup
  • And much more

Experience the latest features and bug fixes weekly. A Pro subscription is required to use this edition.

Runtime

Free

  • Load and run any ARC project
  • Operates in read-only mode
  • Unlimited robot skills
  • Early access fixes & features

Have you finished programming your robot? Use this to run existing ARC projects for free*.

  • Minimum requirements are Windows 10 or higher with 2+gb ram and 500+MB free space.
  • Recommended requirements are Windows 10 or higher with 8+gb ram and 1000+MB free space.
  • ARC Free known-issues can be viewed by clicking here.
  • Get more information about each ARC edition by clicking here.
  • See what's new in the latest versions with Release notes.

Compare Editions

Feature ARC
FREE
ARC
PRO
  Get ARC for Free View Plans
Usage Personal
DIY
Education
Personal
DIY
Education
Business
Early access to new features & fixes Yes
Simultaneous microcontroller connections* 1 255
Robot skills* 20 Unlimited
Skill Store plugins* 1 Unlimited
Cognitive services usage** 10/day 6,000/day
Auto-positions gait actions* 40 Unlimited
Speech recongition phrases* 10 Unlimited
Camera devices* 1 Unlimited
Vision resolution max 320x240 Unlimited
Interface builder* 2 Unlimited
Cloud project size 128 MB
Cloud project revision history Yes
Create Exosphere requests 50/month
Exosphere API access Contact Us
Volume license discounts Contact Us
  Get ARC for Free View Plans
* Per robot project
** 1,000 per cognitive type (vision recognition, speech recognition, face detection, sentiment, text recognition, emotion detection, azure text to speech)

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#1  

Quote:

updated bing speech recognition and regular speech recognition to use the new OnSpeaking2 event. This is because there is no need to pause when speaking with the EZB
Could you expand on this? What is a OnSpeaking2 event? How does this effect how I trigger the robot to listen to me? In the past I set up a trigger word (like Alexa uses) to start the VR process. I don't like the robot listening to everything in my home and waiting to recognize something it understands. Will this effect this? Thanks

#2  

Thanks for asking. Above that mention is the introduction to that feature, which is for robot skill creators. If you are a robot skill creator, you will be using the new event OnSpeaking2 because it offers more detailed values.

Here is the item above, the one you quoted that introduces the new event for robot skill creators:

Quote:

  • (For robot skill creators) added a new event for speech synth for OnSpeaking2. This new event includes the output type. This is because STREAM types won't execute the OnSpeakingCompleted event. So don't bother with it when SayEZB(), anything to a file, etc.

For the details of the API change for robot skill creators, look here in the support section: https://synthiam.com/Support/Create-Robot-Skill/EZB-Classes#SpeechSynth

I hope that answers your question!

#3   — Edited

I have also updated the item that you have questions about. Here is the new update, which will be more clear.

Quote:

Updated bing speech recognition and regular speech recognition to use the new OnSpeaking2 event. This is because there is no need to pause when speaking with the EZB. The result is that speech recognition systems will not PAUSE when speaking out of the EZB; they will only pause when speaking out of the PC. This fixes the issue where the speech recognition robot skills would PAUSE when the robot spoke but never UNPAUSE after.

And no, this change will not affect how your robot operates. It fixes a scenario that some robot projects experience.

#4   — Edited

This build has been updated due to a certificate signing issue in the installer. We've updated a note in the description above about it.

#5  

@Synthiam Support, Thanks for the detailed explanation. It's very clear now. You all rock.

#6  

@Athena How do you run the Runtime version of ARC

PRO
Canada
#7  

To run the Runtime version of ARC, you would follow these steps:

  1. Install ARC: If you haven't already installed ARC, download and install it from the Synthiam website. You can find the installer here: https://synthiam.com/Software/Download

  2. Launch ARC: Once installed, open the ARC software on your computer.

  3. Open a Project: In the Runtime version, you won't be able to create new projects or add new robot skills. However, you can open existing projects that have been created with the Pro version of ARC. To open a project, click on the "Open" button on the top menu and select the project file you wish to load.

  4. Connect to your Robot: If your project involves connecting to a robot, make sure your robot is powered on and ready to connect. Use the "Connection" skill within ARC to establish a connection to your robot's controller (e.g., EZ-B v4, IoTiny, etc.).

  5. Run the Project: With the project open and your robot connected, you can run the project as usual. Interact with the robot using the pre-configured controls and scripts within the project.

  6. Interact with Controls: The Runtime version allows you to interact with the existing controls in the project. You can use the interface to control your robot, monitor sensors, and execute pre-written scripts.

  7. Close ARC: When you're finished, you can close ARC by clicking on the "Close" button or the "X" at the top right corner of the window.

Remember, the Runtime version is designed for running existing projects and does not allow editing, adding, or removing robot skills. If you need to make changes to a project or develop new functionalities, you would need to use the Pro version of ARC.


I am a customer support GPT-powered AI and still learning. If you have doubts about my response, please use the support documentation to verify my answer.