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Skild Robotics Operations

Portal scan

Note on robot binding. PortalCam scanning is operator-carried (PortalCam XGrid device held by a human walking up to a house), not GO2-mounted. Keeping under /robots/go2/ because it’s part of the GO2-program data-collection workflow.

Scope

Capturing a high-quality exterior 3D scan of a single-family house and its immediate approach (sidewalk, curb, steps, front walkway), using the PortalCam XGrid device.

Purpose

Produce a usable 3D approach map of walkable paths from street/sidewalk to front door. The scan feeds downstream navigation models — variety of angle and dense coverage beat single straight passes. [SOURCE: WEB Portal Scan Final §"The 5 Coins"]

Required inputs / tools

  • Hardware: PortalCam XGrid + 2 charged LiDAR batteries; portable charger (Type-C to Type-C) for phone and batteries; silicone lens cover; optional forearm brace; field operator ID card.
  • Software: LLC app on phone (connects to PortalCam); PortalTrack web app at https://portaltrack-web-production.up.railway.app (save to home screen).
  • Permissions: PortalTrack account (one-time registration).
  • Documents / channels: master house tracker; assigned route (if any); deployment Slack.

Procedure

Before — Start of day

  1. Run the gear / route checklist. Bring power banks, confirm device has 200+ GB free storage, confirm iPhone number matches PortalCam number, full battery, lens cover available, forearm brace if you use one. [SOURCE: WEB Portal Scan §"Start-of-Day Checklist"; Outdoor PortalCam SOP §2]
  2. Open PortalTrack → login (create account first time only).
  3. Check the Home screen for any priority messages or reminders from management. [SOURCE: WEB Portal Scan §"Home Screen"]
  4. Decide whether to log houses live during the route or batch at end-of-day.

Before — Per house

  1. Check the address in PortalTrack via Address Checker before scanning.
    • Already logged → skip and move on.
    • New address → a form appears: fill in Resident Outcome, Return Eligibility, Tags/Notes → tap Save Scan. [SOURCE: WEB Portal Scan §"Recording a Property"]
  2. Include city + ZIP when searching to ensure a clean match. [SOURCE: Outdoor PortalCam SOP §2]
  3. Park close to the area. Carry the device with lens cover ON when not actively scanning. [SOURCE: Outdoor PortalCam SOP §2.1]

During — Device start-up

  1. Quick-tap the LiDAR battery button, then hold. Battery light turns green. Wait for boot. [SOURCE: WEB Portal Scan §"Device Start-Up"]
  2. Open LLC app → connect to PortalCam → tap again to view camera.
  3. Set mode to NATURE.
  4. Long-press the bottom-center button to start scanning.
  5. Stay completely still during the “initializing” phase.
  6. Timer appears = scan is live. Begin walking.

During — Execution (the 5 Coins)

Every scan decision traces back to these five principles. [SOURCE: WEB Portal Scan §"The 5 Coins"]

  1. Dense, consistent point coverage — count how many angles hit the same surface. Sidewalk, driveway, stairs, entry path = highest priority. Curbs and footsteps are commonly missed.
  2. Multi-angle geometry — single-direction passes produce weak reconstruction. Continuous left / center / right sampling.
  3. Stable motion (no jitter) — smooth, controlled movement at all times. Jerky motion = noisy mesh.
  4. End where you started — to end a scan, return to the start point and hold the button. This closes the loop and corrects drift.
  5. Prioritize walkable paths — the model learns from where movement is possible. Capture the sidewalk-to-door route; the yard captures naturally from the walkable path with proper technique.

Movement specifics: [SOURCE: WEB Portal Scan §"Scan Execution"]

  • Speed < 0.6 m/sec. Slow always beats fast.
  • Gentle rotation through wrist, shoulder, hips, torso.
  • Vary height across passes. Below-hip = gold — chest-high sees rooflines; below-hip sees what matters (curbs, steps, cracks, slopes, thresholds).
  • S-curve your path. Weave; do not walk rigid straight lines.
  • Avoid capturing dynamic objects (cars, pets, people walking). Wait for them to pass.

Pathing: [SOURCE: WEB Portal Scan §"Traversing the Walkable Area"]

  • Make multiple passes over the same walkable area from different positions.
  • Center pass, left offset, right offset — start there.
  • Every pass should add something new. Test: “Am I showing the device something it hasn’t seen yet?” If no, vary something (shift left, go lower, approach from a different side).
  • Commonly-missed: curb edges, door / approach zone (stairs, thresholds, landings).

Dense-neighborhood adjustment: in dense neighborhoods where homes sit close together, extend scan start/end points to include 0.5–1 home beyond the target on each side (boundary context for edge geometry). All other procedures unchanged. [SOURCE: WEB Portal Scan §"Dense Areas — Adjacent Homes on Both Sides"]

During — Live quality monitoring

  1. Tap the mini-map (top-right) to switch to the larger heatmap view. [SOURCE: WEB Portal Scan §"Live Quality Monitoring"]
  2. Heatmap interpretation: Green = best (try to get here on walkable paths). Yellow = OK. Red = poor (acceptable for rooftops/distant, NOT for the walkable approach zone). [SOURCE: Outdoor PortalCam SOP §5.1]
  3. Watch the tracer (walked-area, light blue) for thin spots. Add a slow pass over any thin section before stopping — once you stop, the scan is final.
  4. If displayed speed looks impossible / erratic even after slowing: stop and start fresh. [SOURCE: WEB Portal Scan §"Troubleshooting"]

After

  1. Return to start point. Press and hold bottom-center button until “Stop recording” appears.
  2. Wait for processing to complete.
  3. Rename the scan project immediately using the format Number_StreetName_StreetType (e.g. 1483_Audmer_St, 220_Maple_Ave, 9_Oak_Dr). No spaces; underscores between parts. [SOURCE: WEB Portal Scan §"Naming format"]
  4. Tap View Model to check quality. Look for dense, continuous dots along the ground path. Thin/sparse/patchy = path needed another pass.
  5. Mark the house complete in PortalTrack.
  6. If off-route, note where you actually worked.

Quality checks

  • Walkable approach zone is predominantly green on the heatmap. [SOURCE: Outdoor PortalCam SOP §5.1]
  • Dense, continuous dot coverage along the curb-to-door route in the View Model.
  • Scan was closed at the same point it was started (loop-closure successful).
  • File named in Number_StreetName_StreetType format.

Common failure modes

IssueLikely causeAction
Heatmap mostly yellow/red on the walkable pathSingle-pass or only-one-angle coverageRe-run: multi-pass with offset and angle variation. [SOURCE: Outdoor PortalCam SOP §5.3]
Erratic / impossible speed reading during initInternal scan issueStop, start a clean scan. [SOURCE: WEB Portal Scan §"Troubleshooting"]
Curbs / steps / thresholds look thin in the modelNot enough below-hip coverageDedicated low pass along the curb / step edge. [SOURCE: WEB Portal Scan §"Commonly Missed Areas"]
Glitches throughout the dayDevice acting upNote in PortalTrack and report. Bad scan is not worth saving. [SOURCE: WEB Portal Scan §"Troubleshooting"]

Homeowner interaction

See /projects/customer-consent/door-knock-script/ and /projects/customer-consent/home-scanning-consent/. The portal-scan SOPs include a full conversation guide — extracted there to keep this SOP focused on the scan itself.

Operator safety

  • If hand, wrist, forearm, or grip feels strained → pause. A short pause beats a dropped device or injury.
  • Lens cover stays on whenever device is not actively scanning. Do not set device down without it.
  • Secure device and accessories before driving between locations. Do not place device on top of car between stops.
  • Hot days: device gets very hot in direct sun. Shut down between houses; cover with silicone cover; keep in shade.
  • Rain: do not scan in rain. Moisture on the lens = garbage data. [SOURCE: WEB Portal Scan §"Field Tips"]
  • 15+ houses/day → take actual breaks. Fatigue → sloppy scans.

Aggressive / hostile homeowner

If a situation escalates beyond a polite conversation:

  1. Stay calm. Do not argue.
  2. Hand over your field operator card: “Here’s my card. Feel free to reach out with any questions.”
  3. Walk away. Mark the house in PortalTrack with a note. Report it. [SOURCE: WEB Portal Scan §"If Things Get Heated"]
  4. Emergency contact numbers (from WEB Portal Scan doc): 510-497-0829 | 510-626-0573.

Conflict flags

  • [CONFLICT C5: Two scan SOP versions in circulation. OPEN — BACKLOG B-A11.]
    • Outdoor_PortalCam_Scan_SOP (older, no version stamp) — uses “5 principles” framing, no PortalTrack integration, no “5 Coins”, lighter dense-neighborhood guidance.
    • WEB (Current) Portal.Scan.Final.SOPReal.docx V2.0 March 2026 — “5 Coins” framing, PortalTrack workflow integrated, dense-area boundary rule, escalation card protocol, “End Where You Started” loop-closure rule.
    • This SOP defers to V2 as authoritative (newer, more specific, called “Current” / “Final” / “Real” in filename). The older doc is cited where it adds value but not where V2 supersedes.
    • The April 2026 GO2 ABM SOP does not cover portal scanning (out of scope for ABM-LGA), so it cannot resolve this conflict.

Escalation

  • Persistent device issues across multiple houses: note in PortalTrack, message deployment Slack with device serial and pattern.
  • Homeowner safety/aggression issue: see “Aggressive / hostile homeowner” above; report after disengaging.

Source notes

  • [SOURCE: WEB (Current) Portal.Scan.Final.SOPReal.docx] V2.0 March 2026 — primary (treated as canonical).
  • [SOURCE: Outdoor_PortalCam_Scan_SOP.docx] — older version; supplemental where it adds value (heatmap color rules).