Humanoid Server

This repository hosts backend code for the Humanoid VR teleoperation project. The server is responsible for handling the communication between the VR client and the robot. The app will receive messages from the VR client that encode the shape of your hand using float values, and then forward these messages to the robot. The robot will then use its control systems (built by WATonomous) to move its fingers to match the shape of your hand. In the future, this server must be capable of streaming even more data, such as head tracking information and video feeds, between the VR client and the robot.

• Current Design: Built using TypeScript, WebSockets, Express.js, Node.js. Monolith. Goal is to scale using EC2 Auto-Scaling Groups and ALB.
• Future Design: Microservices architecture using Kubernetes, Docker, with consideration to switch to using Go/gRPC for better performance.

Setup

1. Install dependencies:

   npm install

2. Create a .env file in the root directory with the following:

   PORT=3000
   NODE_ENV=development
   

3. Run the development server:

   npm run dev

Project Structure

• src/app.ts - Main Express application setup
• src/server.ts - Server entry point
• src/config/ - Configuration files
• src/routes/ - Route definitions
• src/handlers/ - Request handlers
• src/middleware/ - Middleware used for error handling
• src/types/ - TypeScript type definitions, for requests, responses, models, etc.

Adding New Endpoints

Endpoints are URL paths that the server listens on and responds to. We create new endpoints to add new features to our server. To add a new endpoint:

1. Create a new route file in src/routes/api/. This allows you to direct requests to the appropriate handler.
2. Create a corresponding handler in src/handlers/. A handler is a class that contains various methods for handling different HTTP methods. Inside these methods, you write code for what you want to happen when a request is made to that endpoint.
3. Define any types you need for your requests/responses/models in src/types/. We use TypeScript to enforce predictable behavior and to let your IDE give you better hints.
4. Register your new route in src/routes/api/index.ts.

Example of adding a new users endpoint (purely for demonstration purposes):

// src/routes/api/users.ts
import { Router } from "express";
import { UserHandler } from "../../controllers/users";

const router = Router();
const handler = new UserHandler();

router.get("/", handler.getAll);
router.get("/:id", handler.getById);
// Add more routes as needed

export default router;

Then register it in src/routes/api/index.ts:

import userRoutes from "./users";
// ...
router.use("/users", userRoutes);

See the included example files to get an idea of how to write your new endpoint.

Build and Test

To run the project on localhost:3000:

npm run dev

You can now test your endpoint by opening your web browser and navigating to http://localhost:3000/api/your-endpoint. Try pasting these into your browser:

• http://localhost:3000/api/example
• http://localhost:3000/api/example/:id