LiftAuth API Overview
Welcome to LiftAuth! This guide will help you understand our terminology, sequence of events, and provide you with the necessary steps to integrate our system with your robots.
Terminology
Robot
A robot is an autonomous or semi-autonomous machine that interacts with the LiftAuth system to request and manage lift access. Each robot in your fleet must be configured to communicate with your fleet manager and LiftAuth servers.
Fleet Manager
The fleet manager acts as the orchestrator for all lift-related operations. It communicates with both the robots and LiftAuth's API servers to ensure seamless coordination. The fleet manager is responsible for:
- Authenticating with the LiftAuth API using an API token.
- Managing requests and responses between robots and LiftAuth servers.
- Handling any error scenarios that arise during lift operations.
Lift Servers
Lift servers provide the backend services to interact with lifts. Through our WebSocket APIs, these servers enable the fleet manager to:
- Call a lift to a specific floor.
- Monitor the lift's status and position.
- Control lift doors (e.g., open or close them).
Sequence of Events
| Step | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robot is at Lift Landing, Ready to Enter | The robot is positioned at the lift landing, waiting to enter the lift. |
| 2 | Fleet Manager Connects to LiftAuth Servers | Establishes a WebSocket connection using the API key and lift identifier. |
| 3 | Fleet Manager Sends Request to Summon Lift | Sends a CALL_LIFT request to bring the lift to the robot's current floor. |
| 4 | LiftAuth Acknowledges the Request | LiftAuth acknowledges the request and queues it for processing. The lift’s availability and passenger usage determine timing. |
| 5 | Lift Notifies Fleet Manager | The lift arrives at the robot’s floor and sends a notification to the fleet manager. |
| 6 | Fleet Manager Coordinates Robot Movement | Instructs the robot to proceed with entering the lift. |
| 7 | Door Control | Uses SET_DOOR_OPEN to hold the door open and SET_DOOR_CLOSE after the robot enters. |
| 8 | Fleet Manager Sends Request to Send Lift to Target Floor | Sends a CALL_LIFT request to direct the lift to the robot's destination floor. |
| 9 | Lift Services the Target Floor Request | Processes the request and may stop at intermediate floors for other passengers. |
| 10 | Lift Notifies Fleet Manager of Arrival at Target Floor | Notifies the fleet manager when the lift arrives at the destination floor. |
| 11 | Fleet Manager Coordinates Robot Exit | Reconnects to the robot and instructs it to exit the lift. |
| 12 | Door Control | Uses SET_DOOR_OPEN to ensure the lift door remains open until the robot exits, and SET_DOOR_CLOSE after exiting. |