robot-papers is a local-first paper reader built specifically for people interested in embodied AI, robotics, and machine learning. It helps you read, organize, and keep track of research papers about Vision-Language-Action models (VLA), imitation learning, and world models.
Think of it as your personal library that lives on your computer. You download papers, robot-papers keeps them tidy, and its smart timer feature reminds you to review new research on a regular schedule.
This guide is written for everyday computer users. No programming skills are required.
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Local-First Storage: Your papers stay on your computer. No cloud needed, no account required. Your data remains private.
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Smart Paper Organization: Automatically sorts papers by topic. Categories include VLA, imitation learning, world models, and more. Research topics appear as clickable tags.
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Built-in Reader: Read PDFs directly inside robot-papers. Highlight text, add notes, and mark important paragraphs without leaving the app.
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Obsidian Integration: Export your notes and highlights to Obsidian, a popular note-taking tool. Keep everything in one place.
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Scheduled Updates: Set a daily or weekly timer. robot-papers automatically checks for new papers and downloads them for you (requires Codex, a free coding assistant).
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Easy Search: Type a word or author name. robot-papers instantly finds the paper you need.
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Works Offline: Everything functions without internet after the initial download.
robot-papers runs on Windows (10 or newer), macOS (11 or newer), and Linux (Ubuntu 20.04 or similar). You need about 500 MB of free disk space. The application works with 4 GB of RAM or more, though 8 GB is recommended for smooth use.
No administrator privileges are required for installation, but you will need permission to download and open files on your computer.
Follow these simple steps to get robot-papers up and running.
Visit this link to download the application:
This page shows the latest version. Click the big download button on that page.
After the download finishes, go to your Downloads folder. Find the file you just downloaded. Double-click it to open.
If Windows shows a security prompt saying "Windows protected your PC," click More info, then click Run anyway. This happens because the app is new and the system has not yet seen it before.
Once the application opens, you will see the main screen. Welcome to robot-papers.
The first time you open the app, it asks you to pick a folder where your papers will live. Choose any folder on your computer. For best results, create a new folder named robot-papers-library on your Desktop.
Click Select Folder after making your choice.
Inside robot-papers, look for a button that says Add Papers or shows a plus icon. Click it, then browse to find any PDF research paper on your computer. Select the file and click Open.
The paper appears in the main list. You can now open it by double-clicking.
To use the scheduled update feature:
- Click Settings (gear icon, usually at the bottom-left corner).
- Find the section labeled Codex Integration.
- Type in your Codex API key. If you do not have one, follow the link on the screen to register for free.
- Set the update frequency. We recommend Daily or Weekly.
- Click Save.
Whenever the timer runs, robot-papers connects to research archives and downloads new papers on your selected topics automatically.
If the download gives you a zip file instead of a direct installer:
- Locate the downloaded
.zipfile in your Downloads folder. - Right-click the file and choose Extract All.
- Choose a destination folder (your Desktop works well) and click Extract.
- Open the extracted folder.
- Double-click the
robot-papers.exefile inside.
That's it. The application launches.
robot-papers uses a simple folder-based system. Every paper you add is stored in the library folder you chose.
When you add a paper, robot-papers attempts to detect the subject automatically. It adds tags such as VLA, imitation-learning, or world-models. You can change tags anytime:
- Open any paper.
- Click the Edit Details button.
- Type or select new tags.
- Press Save.
To view all papers under one tag, click that tag from the main list or use the search bar.
You can make your own subfolders inside the main library. For example, create a folder named Review_Next_Week. Move papers there when you need to revisit them soon.
Do you prefer dark mode? Go to Settings → Appearance. Choose between light, dark, or automatic based on your system.
While reading a paper, use the toolbar at the top. Click the A- or A+ buttons to make text smaller or larger.
robot-papers pairs beautifully with Obsidian. To export:
- While reading a paper, highlight text or add a note.
- Click the Export to Obsidian button.
- Follow the popup instructions to select an Obsidian vault folder.
- After exporting, the notes appear as regular Markdown files in Obsidian.
Try right-clicking the downloaded file and choosing Run as administrator. If Windows SmartScreen blocks it again, click More info → Run anyway.
The repository folder you selected at the beginning contains all your files. Open that folder in your file explorer. Every paper appears as a numbered PDF file along with a small .json file (metadata). Do not delete the JSON files — they help robot-papers organize the library.
Confirm that your Codex key was entered correctly. Check your internet connection. In Settings → Codex Integration, click Test Connection to verify everything works.
The reader works faster if you close papers you are not reading. Keep the main library limited by archiving old papers into separate folders. Right-click any paper and choose Move to Archive.
robot-papers is built for deep study. You can:
- Load 50 or more research papers without hiccups.
- Search through highlights across all papers.
- Create a "reading queue" for papers to tackle over the week.
- Back up your entire library simply by copying the folder.
- Start with one paper. Pick a recent VLA survey paper. Read it fully, highlight, and take notes.
- Tag everything. After reading, add new tags like
done,important, orneeds-followup. - Schedule Codex checks. Set a weekly reminder to fetch fresh papers on your key topics.
- Use Obsidian daily. Write your own summaries using notes you exported. This solidifies new knowledge.
Do I need an internet connection to use robot-papers?
No. The reader works entirely offline. Internet is only necessary for downloading new papers or Codex updates.
Can I read other types of files?
Currently, robot-papers supports PDF files best. Future updates may add EPUB support.
Is my library accessible on multiple computers?
Yes. Copy the entire library folder to a USB drive. Open it on another computer by pointing robot-papers to that folder.
Does robot-papers support collaborative sharing?
Not directly. You can share a folder or export notes, but simultaneous collaboration is not yet available.
What is Codex exactly?
Codex is a tool that helps with coding and automation. robot-papers uses Codex to find new papers automatically on a timer.
robot-papers takes the chaos out of reading and tracking research. With everything stored locally, a clean reading experience, and an Obsidian bridge for note-taking, you can focus entirely on understanding ideas instead of managing files.
Download now and bring order to your research life.
Keywords: codex, electron, embodied-ai, imitation-learning, obsidian, paper-management, research-tool, robotics, vision-language-action, world-models