Use Mission Dispatch MCP Server in Cursor

Overview

This tutorial explains how to run the isaac_mission_dispatch MCP server (mission_dispatch_mcp) and connect it to Cursor. This allows you to control robot missions using natural language prompts in Cursor’s AI chat.

It uses direct MCP configuration in ~/.cursor/mcp.json and does not require a .env file.

Tutorial Walkthrough

1. Clone the isaac_mission_control repository. Use this repository for stack bringup: the isaac_mission_dispatch image runs as part of isaac_mission_control compose profiles (you do not need a separate isaac_mission_dispatch image pull for the tutorial stack).

   git clone https://github.com/nvidia-isaac/isaac_mission_control.git
   cd isaac_mission_control
   

2. Confirm prerequisites:

   • Ubuntu/Linux environment (validated on Ubuntu 24.04)

   • Python 3.10+

   • Cursor installed (v2.4+ recommended)

   • Install and launch Isaac Sim using the Isaac ROS Isaac Sim Setup Guide

   • isaac_mission_control services already launched using: Mission Control Tutorial (this bringup starts both isaac_mission_control and isaac_mission_dispatch)

   • The Isaac Sim setup and isaac_mission_control tutorial bringup can be done in parallel.

3. Verify isaac_mission_dispatch health:

   curl http://localhost:5002/health
   

4. Set up the MCP package from the isaac_mission_dispatch repository (the Mission Dispatch MCP sources live there). Clone it if you do not already have a local copy, then install the package. If your shell is still inside the isaac_mission_control directory from step 1, run cd .. first so isaac_mission_dispatch is cloned as a sibling repository, not nested inside isaac_mission_control.

   cd ..
   git clone https://github.com/nvidia-isaac/isaac_mission_dispatch.git
   cd isaac_mission_dispatch/packages/agentic-utilities/mission-dispatch-mcp
   python3 -m venv venv
   ./venv/bin/python -m pip install -U pip
   ./venv/bin/python -m pip install -e .
   

5. Configure Cursor MCP directly in ~/.cursor/mcp.json (or use Cursor Settings -> Tools & MCP, which writes this file).

   

   

   Add or update this server entry with your real local paths:

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "mission-dispatch": {
         "command": "bash",
         "args": [
           "-lc",
           "set -euo pipefail; cd \"/ABS/PATH/TO/isaac_mission_dispatch/packages/agentic-utilities/mission-dispatch-mcp\" && exec \"/ABS/PATH/TO/isaac_mission_dispatch/packages/agentic-utilities/mission-dispatch-mcp/venv/bin/python\" -m mission_dispatch_mcp.server"
         ],
         "env": {
           "MISSION_DISPATCH_URL": "http://localhost:5002"
         }
       }
     }
   }
   

   Note

   Replace /ABS/PATH/TO/isaac_mission_dispatch with your actual path. If your isaac_mission_dispatch API runs on a different host/port, update MISSION_DISPATCH_URL.

6. Enable the mission-dispatch server in Cursor Settings -> Tools & MCP.

7. Start a new chat and ask:

   Use Mission Dispatch MCP to test the connection.

   If configured correctly, the server responds with a successful connection result.

   

Troubleshooting

Connection Refused

• Confirm the isaac_mission_dispatch API is reachable at the configured MISSION_DISPATCH_URL.

Tools Do Not Appear

• Disable/re-enable the MCP server in Cursor settings.

• Start a new chat.

• Restart Cursor.

Check Server Logs

• /tmp/mission_dispatch_mcp.log

Implementation References

• MCP server tools: packages/agentic-utilities/mission-dispatch-mcp/src/server.py

• isaac_mission_dispatch API client used by MCP: packages/agentic-utilities/mission-dispatch-mcp/src/queries.py