Default control interface
The CONTROL tab provides a ready-made interface for testing and operating any configured machine. Every component and service on the machine gets a control card with relevant controls and readouts. No code required.
For a purpose-built operator interface with only the widgets you need, see Teleop workspaces. For a fully custom app with SDK access, see Build apps.
Web UI
Navigate to your machine’s page in the Viam app and click the CONTROL tab.
Each configured component and service appears as a card. What you can do depends on the resource type:
| Resource type | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Arm | Move joints, set joint positions, read current positions |
| Base | Drive with an arrow pad, set speed with a power slider |
| Board | Read and write GPIO pins, ADC/DAC values |
| Button | View button state, simulate press |
| Camera | View live feed, capture frames |
| Encoder | Read position and ticks |
| Gantry | Move axes, read positions |
| Gripper | Open, close, stop |
| Input controller | View button and axis states |
| Motor | Set power, set RPM, go to position, read position |
| Movement sensor | Read position, orientation, velocity |
| Power sensor | Read voltage, current, power |
| Sensor | Read current values |
| Servo | Set angle, read current angle |
| Switch | Toggle position |
| Generic component | Send custom commands (DoCommand) |
| Discovery service | View discovery results |
| ML model service | Run inference |
| Navigation service | View and set navigation goals |
| SLAM service | View map and pose |
| Vision service | Run detections and classifications on camera feeds |
| Generic service | Send custom commands (DoCommand) |
You can switch between machine parts directly from the CONTROL tab using the part selector at the top.
Code sandbox
The CONTROL tab includes a TypeScript code sandbox. Click Sandbox in the sidebar under Code to open it.
The sandbox editor is pre-filled with a starter program based on the machine’s configured resources. You can edit the code, run it, and see output in the console below the editor. The sandbox runs against your live machine using the page’s existing connection, so you do not need to supply an API key or address.
Use the sandbox to:
- Test SDK calls interactively before writing a full application
- Experiment with component and service methods on a live machine
- Prototype a sequence of commands without setting up a local development environment
Programs are not persisted. Navigating away from the sandbox discards your code. Use the download button to save your program as a file before leaving.
Viam mobile app
The Viam mobile app provides similar access from your phone:
- See which machines are online
- View machine details including OS, platform, network info, and IDs
- View live camera feeds
- Adjust component settings
- Switch between components
- Restart machines
- View machine logs
- Upload images from your phone to the cloud
The mobile app is available on the App Store and Google Play.
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