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Hands-free locomotion in Isaac Sim and Isaac Teleop

Use Foottroller for natural locomotion in NVIDIA Isaac Sim and Isaac Teleop. Walk in Omniverse VR with your feet, or drive a robot’s base while both hands stay free for grasping and tools. Setup covers Ubuntu + ROS2 and Windows VR mode.

What Foottroller does in Omniverse

Foottroller is the locomotion stick for NVIDIA Isaac Sim and Isaac Teleop. In Isaac Sim VR you walk and strafe with your feet so you can look around a scene without a thumbstick. In teleop the same foot gestures drive the robot’s base—forward, back, strafe, rotate, and height—while both hands stay on the arms, grippers, or tools. It connects as a standard gamepad-style HID; your Python or ROS2 graph reads those axes and sends velocity commands into the sim.

Tutorial: control a robot in Isaac Sim (Linux + ROS2)

This is a basic tutorial of using Foottroller for locomotion control in Nvidia Isaac Sim.

The tutorial is developed based on ISAPC lab tutorial #6 part 1 and part 2.

It demonstrates how to control a two-wheeled robot in NVIDIA Isaac Sim using foot gestures with the Foottroller to achieve hands-free locomotion control.

What you will learn:

  • Setup and test Foottroller in Ubuntu linux

  • Run Isaac Sim simulation

  • Use python to read Foottroller inputs, generate robot controls, and use ROS2 to send the controls to Isaac Sim to control the Robot

Required software installations:

  • Nvidia Isaac Sim (Tutorial)

  • ROS2 (search ROS2 installation on Ubuntu)

  • pygame: sudo apt install python3-pygame

  • jstest-gtk (Install with command: sudo apt install jstest-gtk)

Project file download

Tutorial #1 – Installation of Isaac Sim (Option 1: Workstation Installation)

Tutorial: VR mode in Isaac Sim (Windows XR experience)

What’s covered:

  • Enabling the XR Experience extension in Isaac Sim

  • Launching and configuring VR mode

  • Integrating Foottroller for natural, intuitive locomotion

  • Live demonstration of foot-based movement in VR inside Isaac Sim

Isaac Teleop integration

Discover how to achieve natural, hands-free robot locomotion in Isaac Teleop using Foottroller!

In this detailed guide, I break down every foot gesture with clear slow-motion footage so you can master precise control:

• Forward and Backward Movement
• Strafe Left & Right
• Rotate Clockwise & Counter-Clockwise
• Height Adjustment

Foottroller lets you move the robot intuitively with your feet while keeping both hands completely free for manipulation, grasping, and tool use — delivering stable, immersive whole-body teleoperation that feels truly natural.

Perfect for robotics developers, Isaac Sim users, and anyone building advanced humanoid teleoperation systems.

FAQ

Is this Isaac Sim or the full Omniverse suite?
The workflows on this page are for NVIDIA Isaac Sim (and Isaac Teleop). Isaac Sim runs on the Omniverse stack. You do not need every Omniverse app—install Isaac Sim as in the linked tutorials.

Does it work on Windows and Ubuntu?
Yes, with different paths. Ubuntu: Isaac Sim + ROS2 + Python reading Foottroller, then commands into the sim (wheeled-robot tutorial). Windows: enable the XR Experience extension, start VR mode, and use Foottroller for locomotion in the scene.

Do I need ROS2 for VR mode?
Not for the Windows VR-in-Isaac-Sim path shown here. ROS2 is for the Ubuntu tutorial that streams Foottroller input to a robot in the sim. Use ROS2 if you are wiring custom robot control; skip it if you only need to walk around a VR scene.

Does Foottroller replace the VR controllers?
No. Feet move you in the scene or the robot base. Hands still use VR controllers (or other teleop devices) for grasping, tools, and menus.

What foot gestures are used in Isaac Teleop?
Forward and back, strafe left and right, rotate clockwise and counter-clockwise, and height. The video shows each gesture in slow motion.

What software do I need?
Isaac Sim, a paired Foottroller, and the pieces for your path: ROS2, pygame, and jstest-gtk on Ubuntu; XR/VR enabled on Windows. Project files: the Isaac Sim download link on this page. Hardware pairing: setup guide.

Can I use it for humanoid teleop?
Yes as base locomotion. Keep both hands on manipulation. It does not replace arm retargeting or hand tracking.