Webots MCP

Full-access MCP server for the Webots robot simulator — modeled on Unity MCP. Lets an AI assistant see, understand, and modify a running simulation: scene-tree inspection/editing, node spawning/deletion, viewport screenshots, simulation control, generic control of any robot (motors, sensors, cameras, LEDs, motions), and arbitrary code execution inside Webots.

Architecture

Claude (MCP client)
   │ stdio (MCP protocol)
Python MCP server (server/main.py, FastMCP)
   │ TCP JSON frames, localhost:10022
mcp_bridge — Supervisor controller inside Webots (full scene/simulation API)
   │ localhost:10023
mcp_robot  — generic agent controller, attachable to any robot (auto-discovers devices)

Setup

1. pip install -r requirements.txt
2. Register the server with Claude Code (use this repo's actual path):

   claude mcp add webots -- python <path-to-this-repo>/server/main.py
   

   or add to .mcp.json:

   { "mcpServers": { "webots": { "command": "python", "args": ["<path-to-this-repo>/server/main.py"] } } }
   

3. Get a world with the bridge running — either:
   • ask for launch_webots (opens the bundled worlds/demo.wbt), or
   • for your own project: install_bridge_into_world("path\\to\\your.wbt"), then open it in Webots.

Whole-software control

Beyond the loaded world, the MCP controls the Webots application itself:

• Any world, any project: launch_webots auto-installs the bridge into worlds that don't have it (backup created). Works on Webots' own sample worlds too (list_sample_worlds).
• Full asset library: search_protos / get_proto_info index all ~850 official PROTOs (robots, furniture, environments, appearances); add_proto_to_world declares one so spawn_node('Nao { }') etc. works after a reload.
• Projects: create_project scaffolds a new Webots project; create_controller writes robot controllers.
• Recording: start/stop_movie_recording (.mp4), start/stop_animation_recording (interactive HTML5), export_screenshot to file.
• Application settings: get_webots_preferences / set_webots_preference (registry-backed: startup mode, python command, rendering options...).
• Process control: launch (windowed/fullscreen/minimized/no-rendering), quit, console capture, docs search.

Dynamic scene observation

The MCP sees the scene in motion, not just as snapshots:

• watch_simulation(duration_s) — run the sim and get a motion digest: every object's trajectory (positions over time), displacement, path length, top speed, plus interaction events (contact_start/contact_end: who touched whom, when, where — attributed by matching contact points across objects).
• start_tracking / get_object_trajectories / get_interactions / stop_tracking — record continuously while you drive robots or apply forces.
• capture_sequence(steps, frames, follow=...) — filmstrip of the 3D view as the sim advances; follow keeps a moving object in frame.
• set_viewpoint(look_at=[x,y,z]) — aim the camera at any point (orientation is computed; Webots cameras look along +x with +z up).

Scene understanding (Unity-MCP-style)

• screenshot_multiview(target=..., batch='surround'|'orbit') — capture 6 canonical views (or an azimuth × elevation orbit grid) around any node or the whole scene in one call, each returned inline with its angle caption; viewpoint restored after.
• get_viewport_screenshot(view_target=..., view_position=[x,y,z]) — positioned one-shot capture: aim at a node (auto-framed from scene bounds) or from an exact position, without permanently moving the camera.
• find_nodes(query, base_type) — search the scene by name/DEF/type substring; returns summaries with world positions.
• get_scene_tree(page_size=..., parent=..., cursor=...) — paged one-level listing for large worlds (returns next_cursor), in addition to the recursive summary.
• get_scene_bounds() — center + radius of the dynamic part of the scene.
• batch_execute([{action, params}, ...]) — run many scene/simulation commands in one call (bulk spawning, mass field edits) with per-command results and stop_on_error control.
• MCP resources — read-only live state at webots://simulation, webots://scene, webots://robots, and webots://scene/{node}.

Ground-truth perception

Webots cameras can report what they see — no ML needed:

• get_camera_recognition(robot) — labeled detections from a robot camera: model name, node id, 3D pose relative to the camera, physical size, pixel bounding box, colors. Run enable_camera_recognition(robot) once first (adds the Recognition node via the supervisor). Objects need a non-empty recognitionColors field.
• get_segmentation_image(robot) — per-object color mask image (enable_camera_recognition(robot, segmentation=True) first).
• get_depth_image(robot) — RangeFinder depth map as an image + distance stats.
• get_radar_targets(robot) — radar detections (distance, azimuth, speed, power).

Scene authoring extras

• get_node_string(node) — export any node's full "source" (all field values); clone_node(node, new_def, position) — duplicate it in one call.
• get_node_pose(node, relative_to=...) — pose in another node's frame (e.g. cup relative to gripper); include_center_of_mass=True adds CoM + static balance.
• get_selected_node() — the node the user clicked in the Webots GUI: lets a human point at an object for the assistant.
• world_reload() / get_recording_status() — reload world; poll movie encoding.
• save_checkpoint(name) / restore_checkpoint(name) — snapshot all dynamic objects and rewind: try an action, undo, try again.
• set_joint_position(joint, pos) — pose articulated joints through the supervisor, no motors/controllers needed (e.g. pose an arm for a screenshot).
• insert_field_item / remove_field_item — full MF-field editing (append points to coordinate arrays, remove children by index...).
• frame_node(node) — Webots' built-in "move viewpoint to object" fast path.

Robot control extras

• configure_motor — acceleration limits, available force/torque, PID gains [kp, ki, kd], or direct force/torque actuation (bypass position control).
• get_motor_state(..., include_feedback=True) — measured force/torque feedback.
• get_lidar_summary — now includes a polar occupancy digest (nearest obstacle per sector, degrees, null = clear) and optional 3D point cloud.
• export_urdf(robot) — the robot's kinematic model as URDF.
• send_message / get_messages — inter-robot radio (Emitter/Receiver), with signal strength and direction to sender.
• set_connector(lock=...) / vacuum_gripper(on=...) — docking and suction grasping.
• speak(text) — robot text-to-speech; set_brake(damping); display_draw(commands) — draw text/shapes on robot Display devices; get_battery; robot_custom_data.
• set_node_visibility — hide/show objects per viewer (declutter screenshots).
• get_node_proto — introspect a PROTO instance's parameters and derivation chain.

Diagnostics, tool groups & tests

• preflight() — one call that health-checks the stack (Webots process, bridge port, round-trip latency, sim state, agents) and tells you the fix for anything failing. Run it first when something misbehaves.
• list_tool_groups() / manage_tool_groups(group, enabled) — disable tool groups you don't need (observe, app, assets) to keep the tool list lean; core stays on.
• Tests: pip install pytest, then cd server && python -m pytest tests -q (fake-bridge unit tests for every tool module + TCP frame-protocol tests; no Webots required).

Typical workflow

1. get_simulation_state — confirm the bridge is connected
2. get_scene_tree (paged for big worlds) + get_viewport_screenshot / screenshot_multiview — see and understand the scene; find_nodes to search it
3. Edit: spawn_node, move_node, set_node_field, delete_node, set_viewpoint (batch_execute for bulk edits)
4. Control a robot: list_robots → attach_mcp_controller(robot) → get_robot_devices → set_motor / get_camera_image / get_sensor_values
5. Drive time: set_simulation_mode (pause/realtime/fast), step_simulation, reset_simulation
6. Anything else: execute_supervisor_code / execute_robot_code

Notes & limitations

• The Webots installation is auto-detected (WEBOTS_HOME env var → Windows registry → webots on PATH → standard install locations on Windows/Linux/macOS). Set WEBOTS_HOME explicitly only for unusual install paths.
• Ports are configurable: WEBOTS_MCP_PORT (default 10022) and WEBOTS_MCP_AGENT_PORT (default 10023).
• Pause is implemented by the bridge not stepping (the GUI shows "0.00x"). While paused, scene/simulation tools work and step_simulation is deterministic, but per-robot commands may time out — step or resume first.
• Pausing from the Webots GUI blocks the bridge until resumed; prefer the set_simulation_mode tool.
• Viewport screenshots capture the 3D view as rendered — keep the Webots window reasonably large and unobstructed for useful images.
• attach_mcp_controller replaces the robot's own controller (the previous name is returned; restore it with set_node_field(robot, "controller", old_name) + execute_supervisor_code restartController if needed).
• If Webots was force-killed, stale mcp_bridge.py python processes can hold port 10022 and freeze new sessions — kill leftover python.exe mcp_bridge.py processes.

Layout

• server/ — FastMCP server (main.py), TCP client (connection.py), tool modules (tools/)
• controllers/mcp_bridge/ — supervisor bridge controller (runs inside Webots)
• controllers/mcp_robot/ — generic robot agent controller
• worlds/demo.wbt — demo world with bridge + a simple camera/lidar-less wheeled robot