TurtleBot 4 Standard (new unit, factory state): buttons unresponsive, won't dock, Create 3 power button won't shut down

[SmartSysRobotAI]

Robot Model

Turtlebot4 Standard

ROS distro

Humble

Networking Configuration

Simple Discovery

OS

Windows / MAC

Built from source or installed?

Installed

Package version

Brand-new TurtleBot 4 Standard, first-time setup. Serial (base label): RCI3099B240228N101022. Purchased via RobotShop; their support (ticket T1120106) directed me to open an issue here.

Factory image, unmodified — unable to query (no SSH session established yet)

Type of issue

Select One

Expected behaviour

Pressing BTN 1–4 executes the selected OLED menu action (Dock, Undock, EStop, Wall Follow). Holding the Create 3 center power button (⏻) for ~7 seconds shuts the robot down (shutdown tune, lights off).

Actual behaviour

Brand-new TurtleBot 4 Standard, first-time setup. The robot powers on normally — OLED is active (shows 10.42.0.1 and the menu) and the PWR/COMM/WIFI/BATT/POWER LEDs are green. However:

1. The onboard buttons (BTN 1–4) have no effect — selecting Dock/Undock does nothing and the robot never moves.
2. The Create 3 power button will not shut the robot down. With the robot off the dock and no cables attached, holding the center (⏻) button for 7+ seconds produces no shutdown tune and no power-off. The only way the unit powers off is by letting the battery fully deplete.

Photos and a short video demonstrating the behavior are attached.

Error messages

None available — no companion PC or SSH session has been set up yet; the robot is still in factory AP mode.

To Reproduce

1. Power on the brand-new robot (factory state, off the dock, no cables attached)
2. Press BTN 1–4 to select menu items (Dock, Undock, etc.) on the OLED — no response, robot never moves
3. Hold the Create 3 center power button (⏻) for 7+ seconds, both on and off the dock — robot does not shut down
4. Repeat after a full power cycle (battery depletion) — same symptoms

Other notes

Serial (base label): RCI3099B240228N101022. Purchased via RobotShop; their support (ticket T1120106) directed me here. What I've tried: verified I'm using the center power button (not the side • buttons); attempted shutdown both on and off the dock; power-cycled via full battery depletion — symptoms persist. This is the only robot at our newly established College of Engineering, so we'd appreciate guidance on whether this is a setup issue or a faulty unit requiring service/replacement.

[smatarCPR]

Hello @SmartSysRobotAI
Thank you for reaching out on the Turtlebot 4 Github page. I am very sorry to hear that your unit is not meeting expectations.

Based on the details provided, it sounds as though the Create 3 unit on the Turtlebot is stuck in a sort of boot loop or hanging.

Once the base is powered on:

• Do you hear the chime noise indicating it has completed its boot cycle?
• Are you able to access the Create3 webserver?
• What is the status of the ring light on the Create3?
• If you hold the power button for an extended period of time (beyond the initial 7 seconds) does the power down? NOTE: Powering down must occur when the Turtlebot is off the dock.

In terms of the buttons, which buttons have you tried? From my recollection, one button scrolls up, one button scrolls down, one executes the highlighted command and one cancels the current command. If the Create 3 however, is not in a ready to drive state, the commands will not execute.

To verify this, does the Turtlebot respond to controller inputs? You can perform the same functions as the top buttons using the controller's directional pad to scroll and the X shaped button to execute the command.

Let me know the results of these checks. Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Best Regards,
Saif

[SmartSysRobotAI]

Hi Saif,
Thank you for your detailed response.
I checked the unit again and reviewed the attached videos. Here are the results:

1. Boot chime: The videos start with the robot already powered on, so they do not capture the full boot cycle. I have not noticed a clear boot-complete chime, but I can try a fresh power-up again to confirm.
2. Create 3 webserver: I have not tested this yet. The robot still appears to be in the out-of-box/factory AP mode, and the OLED shows 10.42.0.1 with about 80% battery. Please let me know the recommended way to access the Create 3 webserver in this condition.
3. Ring light: The Create 3 ring light appears solid white while the robot is off the dock. It does not appear to be spinning.
4. Power button: I held the center power button for about 18–20 seconds while the robot was off the dock and not connected to any cables. The unit did not power down. There was no shutdown sound, no flashing light sequence, and the OLED/status LEDs remained on. So far, the only way we have been able to turn it off is by letting the battery fully drain.
5. Buttons tried: I tried all four TurtleBot buttons. The display/menu is active, but the commands do not execute. For example, selecting Dock or Undock does not make the robot move or respond.
6. Controller: I have not tested the controller yet.
   In summary, the Create 3 appears to power on, and the ring light reaches a solid white state, but the unit does not respond properly to the buttons and does not shut down even after holding the power button for much longer than 7 seconds. Based on this behavior, I am concerned that the Create 3 base may be faulty and may need service, part replacement, or replacement of the unit.
   Please advise on the next troubleshooting step.
   Best regards,
   Umar

[SmartSysRobotAI]

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