1706 Vision Solution: Tracking totes in depth-map, color, and infrared

[cmastudios]

The Ratchet Rockers team 1706 has been hard at work this build season to bring you the public release of our vision solution.

INTRODUCTORY VIDEO: http://youtu.be/HYWgS2M8Zy4

Source code at: https://rr1706.github.io/vision2015/

Specifications:
- C++ code
- Intended for a coprocessor (ODROID / Raspberry Pi)
- Uses the OpenCV library
- Written on Ubuntu 14.04 linux
- Designed for Xbox 360 Kinect (could be used by any color, IR, or depth-map camera)

The program has the ability to track the field totes in three different modes: depth map, infrared light, and color. The use of a depth map to aid in tracking was used by the team for the first time in a competition. It allows the retrieval of more features

Explanation of Depth logic: https://github.com/rr1706/vision2015/wiki/Depth-Explanation

Explanation of IR logic: https://github.com/rr1706/vision2015/wiki/IR-Explanation

A few items still are being worked on: better color thresholds, an edge detector to replace the calibration image, transmitting camera images, multithreading, and so on.

To get the program working, you will need:
- Ubuntu 14.04 linux
- Xbox 360 kinect
- C++ knowledge

Steps to get the program working:
1. Install the dependencies: sudo apt-get install build-essential libfreenect-dev qtcreator libopencv-dev
2. Clone the repository to your computer.
3. Open the vision2015.pro file with Qt Creator.
4. Configure Qt Creator to build the project for Desktop.
5. Visit the source code file demo.cpp in the Qt Creator sidebar to change your basic options.

The main function near the bottom of the file selects which mode to use. Select color for basic color tracking, or any other function available in the program by changing the line to call a function available. Check tracker.hpp for the classes that contain the various vision tracker programs. You may need to change the thresholding values for your current lighting conditions (your environment or day/night cycle). You can use my program multithresh (https://github.com/rr1706/multithresh) to select proper threshold values (stored in tracker.hpp).

https://i.imgur.com/7M20tvV.png

[AustinH]

Fantastic work. We'll be sure to give this a try.

Have you tried it on a Jetson by chance?

[cmastudios]

Fantastic work. We'll be sure to give this a try.

Have you tried it on a Jetson by chance?

Haven't tried to get it running on anything but my laptop and an ODROID-XU. We were thinking of looking into getting one to potentially improve the performance in comparison to the ODROID but haven't focused on it yet. We may.

[Fauge7]

have you thought about using the i2c communication to the roborio from the odroid c1 instead of sending a udp message?

[Cinnamon Toast]

This looks exceptional. I have access to a Jetson, and once I get some time, I'll see if I can get it working on the system. I'll definitely reply back with performance stats.

[baumgartensam]

If I get a chance I'll see if I can get a GPU optimized version working to take full advantage of the Jetson's GPU.

[cameronr2980]

Hello,
I have been trying to get this program running on an nvidia Jetson TK1 for the past few hours. I can't seem to get some of the dependencies to install. apt comes back with an error saying that every package except for build-essential cannot be located. "Unable to locate package x." I have looked around on the internet for a solution and tried a few but none of them have worked. This may be more of a linux question but does anyone see an easy solution to this? I'm thinking about reflashing linux and trying again.

[faust1706]

did you try sudo apt-get install libopencv-dev?

[yash101]

Hello,
I have been trying to get this program running on an nvidia Jetson TK1 for the past few hours. I can't seem to get some of the dependencies to install. apt comes back with an error saying that every package except for build-essential cannot be located. "Unable to locate package x." I have looked around on the internet for a solution and tried a few but none of them have worked. This may be more of a linux question but does anyone see an easy solution to this? I'm thinking about reflashing linux and trying again.

Try:

sudo apt-get update


Apt-get gives those errors all the time when the repos aren't up-to-date. What is the command you are running?

Also, I suggest that you compile OpenCV manually for the Jetson because it supports a crapload more of optimizations than other boards. I don't have a Jetson, but I'm sure that it uses the same repository as the other boards, like the ODROID.
The Jetson has CUDA support, one thing that should used to it's max for it's glory! It'll make your code run just a lot faster!

[faust1706]

I would love to see the performance of our code on the Jetson. Please someone deliver. I'm willing to thread it and optimize it if someone wants to bench mark it for me.

[cameronr2980]

Try:

sudo apt-get update


Apt-get gives those errors all the time when the repos aren't up-to-date. What is the command you are running?

Also, I suggest that you compile OpenCV manually for the Jetson because it supports a crapload more of optimizations than other boards. I don't have a Jetson, but I'm sure that it uses the same repository as the other boards, like the ODROID.
The Jetson has CUDA support, one thing that should used to it's max for it's glory! It'll make your code run just a lot faster!

I've tried apt-get update and apt-get upgrade, both completed just fine and I still had the same error. I get the error from running:
sudo apt-get install libavcodec-dev
I get the error for a couple more packages too, that is just an example. I think that all the problems i'm having are with open CV so i think i will reflash ubuntu and try again, this time compiling openCV myself.

[yash101]

I've tried apt-get update and apt-get upgrade, both completed just fine and I still had the same error. I get the error from running:
sudo apt-get install libavcodec-dev
I get the error for a couple more packages too, that is just an example. I think that all the problems i'm having are with open CV so i think i will reflash ubuntu and try again, this time compiling openCV myself.

Please try running apt-cache search libavcodec > out.txt and upload out.txt to this forum. That'll search through the repo and possibly output a ton of text! If the package is found, you're golden.

[cmastudios]

I've tried apt-get update and apt-get upgrade, both completed just fine and I still had the same error. I get the error from running:
sudo apt-get install libavcodec-dev
I get the error for a couple more packages too, that is just an example. I think that all the problems i'm having are with open CV so i think i will reflash ubuntu and try again, this time compiling openCV myself.

It could be a factor of the repositories you have enabled... check /etc/apt/sources.list

[cameronr2980]

Please try running apt-cache search libavcodec > out.txt and upload out.txt to this forum. That'll search through the repo and possibly output a ton of text! If the package is found, you're golden.

That returns:
"libavcodec-dev - Development files for libavcodec"
as well as several more lines like it describing other packages. I'm really confused now because this means that it found the package, right? But when I use apt-get to try and install it it says it can't be found.

It might be because I'm on the school network now think of it. I'll keep trying.

[cameronr2980]

Now it found every one of the dependencies no problem. No idea what was wrong but thank you all for the help.

[yara92]

hey everyone,

i have some qustion about using the knicet in auto ,but we can't figure if it is supported by the new wpi code (c++)

[Christopher149]

hey everyone,

i have some qustion about using the knicet in auto ,but we can't figure if it is supported by the new wpi code (c++)

On the robot, or the driver station? Because if driver station, keep in mind rule G21:
During AUTO, DRIVE TEAMS must not directly or indirectly interact with ROBOTS or OPERATOR CONSOLES.
VIOLATION: FOUL and YELLOW CARD

FIRST salutes the creative and innovative ways in which Teams have interacted with their ROBOTS during AUTO in previous seasons, making the AUTO period more of a hybrid period due to indirect interaction with the OPERATOR CONSOLE. The RECYCLE RUSH AUTO Period, however, is meant to be truly autonomous and ROBOT or OPERATOR CONSOLE interaction (such as through webcam or Kinect™) are prohibited.
emphasis mine

[yara92]

On the robot, or the driver station? Because if driver station, keep in mind rule G21:

emphasis mine
we mean to use the Kinect as 3D camera

[faust1706]

you have to utilize the libfreenect library in order to interface with the kinect. If you go to our code, cmastudios made grabbing the rgb, ir, and depth map from the kinect into one line of code.

https://github.com/rr1706/vision2015/tree/master/lib the files are free.cpp and free.hpp.

The rgb image is obviously in color (RGB), the ir is in grayscale, and the depth is an interesting type of image, it is grayscale where pixel values are a representation of depth.

[RyanShoff]

Thanks for sharing this. I did get your solution working on a Nvidia Jetson board yesterday.

[faust1706]

:D I have been stuck on a time consuming project in the lab so I haven't had time to configure it for the jetson board laying on the table next to me. I just stare at it with desire....

How'd it do? On the odroid, we get manageable fps, but it is rather laggy compared to our vision programs in the past that were hitting 30fps.

[RyanShoff]

Adding the profile times in robot.log gives me an average frame rate of 3-4 fps. This is with X running and both color and ir maps displaying on screen. There is a slight lag when putting your hand quickly in front on the camera. It probably is way less than a quarter second. Only two cores are being used.

It is much less laggy that anything I've been able to do with libpcl on the jetson.

With a little work, I think it could work for autonomous navigation.

[RyanShoff]

I didn't understand the profile times in the post above. With image display now turned off, I'm now seeing 20 fps.

[faust1706]

Image display is a rather computationally intensive task, to many people's surprise. I expected a decent jump in fps, but not that much. That is really encouraging to see, actually. Thank you so much for doing this.

[faust1706]

It is much less laggy that anything I've been able to do with libpcl on the jetson.

With a little work, I think it could work for autonomous navigation.

I have never written a vision program with a ton of lag. The most I personally witnessed first hand with 1706's vision solution in 2014. It utilized 3 cameras and solved for the robot's position and orientation on the field. It dedicated a single core for the entirety of processing of one of the cameras (so 3 of the 4 were used to process images). It had about a half second of display. I forget the exact amount. We tested lag by placing a stop watching in front of the camera, then took pictures of the vision output along with the stop watch then simply subtracted the times to find the lag.

If you want to, go for it. @cmastudios informed me that they are now using vision in autonomous, which is exciting. I wrote matlab code that is a basic implementation of a* in 2d. cmastudios converted it to c++, then I changed his c++ code to a custom path finding algorithm that takes robot width into consideration. The custom path finding algorithm is being used currently on a robotics team at MST.

There is a step missing between vision output and input to path finding: changing to D.S (data structure) of the vision output to fit that D.S that a * can operate on. Usually it is simply a list of points in a finite, discrete, grid that are deemed in-transversible (obstacles). You cannot simply pass the centers of all detected object to a astar due to the object (in this case totes), having a decent amount of width and length.

A big problem with converting from vision to path finding is precision. Yes, you can return every pixel that is an obstacle, but then your grid is extremely discrete and path finding is O(nlogn) if I remember.

cma utilized the gnu optimizer when we were toying with the idea of a* this past summer and he got a 900x900 grid to be solved in about 1ms, I forget the exact time, on a decent laptop.