RoboSavvy Forum

Robonova with a cmucam2

2007-01-01T17:32:35+01:00

Hi,

I have a CMUcam2 from seattlerobotics ... basically it's a piece of work to use so I switched to the POB-Eye system from POB-Technology it's much more intelligent and so much easier to use being that you can program it in BASIC, Java or C languages ...

The libraries for the POB-Eye allow easy programming for recognizing colors or objects ... and so can make your robot so much more functional than just following blobs of colors ...

I highly recommend buying the POB-Bot "Golden Pack" as a start ... play with that and then move the big-buck items over to your RoboNova-1 after you've gotten comfortable with POB-Technology ...

So far there are at least three different POBified conversions of the RoboNova-1 and the latest seems pretty keen ... but this one here isn't bad either ...

On my RoboNova-1 I stuck the POB-Eye inside the chest plate:

I've been contemplating a new thicker body for the RoboNova-1 that would completely encase the new POB-Servo and controller ...

Statistics: Posted by CaptKill4Fun — Mon Jan 01, 2007 5:32 pm

Robonova with a cmucam2

2006-12-31T08:35:15+01:00

Quote by Richard - I have just been playing with a CMUCAM2 and I think the best way to interface it would be via another micro - perhaps a small AVR board.

This could process the CMUCam data and provide a much more simple output - maybe via 2 D/A channnels into the RoboNova analogue inputs.

Maybe as simple as the x and y location of a tracked colour blob or motion detected area.

This is a very good idea. In fact, the code already exists, in part, at the downloads section found in the Parallax Inc. web site. The CMUcam-1 sends tracking information to BoeBot, which in turn moves the wheels to acquire and track the object. In RN, we replace the wheel turning code with a foot turning routine in the proper direction, then execute a walk forward routine. An infrared or Ping))) sensor determines the "follow distance."

Humanoido

Statistics: Posted by Humanoido — Sun Dec 31, 2006 8:35 am

Robonova with a cmucam2

2006-12-30T21:20:40+01:00

I have just been playing with a CMUCAM2 and I think the best way to interface it would be via another micro - perhaps a small AVR board.

This could process the CMUCam data and provide a much more simple output - maybe via 2 D/A channnels into the RoboNova analogue inputs.

Maybe as simple as the x and y location of a tracked colour blob or motion detected area.

Seeing as neither the RoboNova or the CMUCAM are open source, it's the only way to make the thing autonomous without sending the data back to a PC to process. (If you used a PC, you'd just send a video feed direct).

Statistics: Posted by Richard — Sat Dec 30, 2006 9:20 pm

Robonova with a cmucam2

2006-12-18T12:58:40+01:00

Currently I use the CMUcam1 for another humanoid robot hack. I use a serial servo controller and feed commands to it using a Parallax BS2. It's still in the development phase. In addition, I'm working on a serial feed that can send images at the frame rate to a pc computer. When this system is complete, it can be ported over to the Robonova or any other humanoid.

The dream is to have a computer terminal for Robonova that can not only show what RN sees, but also handle various autonomous behaviors. It will need some kind of serial feed, even with the BS2 feeding data to the RN's controller. The method I've used in the past is to flag a binary word across the robots port to have it read to indicate which proper sequence to activate. You can have a lot of combinations that way.

We'll see how easy this is with the CMUcam1. Maybe there's someone already sending images over a serial port to their pc computer?

Another thing is the lens is rather large. I'd like to experiment with smaller lenses. Anyone hacked the CMUcam?

Humanoido

Statistics: Posted by Humanoido — Mon Dec 18, 2006 12:58 pm

Camera

2006-12-18T11:49:44+01:00

Thanks Humanoido,

We purchase this camera from another country, so probably there is still a long way to wait.
Thanks a lot. Once I get the camera, I will share our work.
By the way..since therea are only around 5 servos available in cmucam2. can we reprogram the board since KHR-1 has 17 servos. How do you work on your cmucam1?

ryann2k1

Statistics: Posted by ryann2k1 — Mon Dec 18, 2006 11:49 am

Robonova with a cmucam2

2006-12-18T10:45:14+01:00

There's an upgrade to turn a CMUcam1 into the new version, by switching over the camera part to a new purchased board. "If you already have the CMUcam1 and require the additional features of the CMUcam2 you can use this board-only option and swap the camera module over."

http://www.active-robots.com/products/a ... ucam.shtml

Since you now have the new CMUcam2, you have everything needed to get started.

Humanoido

Statistics: Posted by Humanoido — Mon Dec 18, 2006 10:45 am

CMUcam II Robotics Camera

2006-12-18T10:19:27+01:00

Thanks Humanoido,

It seems great to use it. But my friend has just purchased cmucam2 for our KHR-1.Any Idea whether we can still use the original RGB-1 board or we can use the cmucam2 board.
http://www.active-robots.com/products/a ... ucam.shtml

ryann2k1

Statistics: Posted by ryann2k1 — Mon Dec 18, 2006 10:19 am

Robonova with a cmucam2

2006-12-18T06:04:56+01:00

I have a CMUcam-1 from Parallax Inc. Although it's designed for a BoeBot, it can work perfectly for the Robonova. The design here is to control it with a BS-2 using the serial connection. The BS-2 can be programmed in PBASIC to send prompts to the Robonova's controller. I'm also thinking of doing a connection with BlueTooth so small images can be sent to a computer during operating. This cam is setup, assembled, and ready to go!

IMO, Parallax has some of the most comprehensive technical support (toll free) and free support information and downloads in the industry. Here's some specs and their home page.

http://www.parallax.com/
http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=30051

Here's what a CMUcam-1 can do:
* Track user defined color blobs at 17 frames per second,
find the centroid of the blob
*Gather mean color and variance data
*80x143 resolution
*9600 baud serial communication
*Automatically detect a color and drive a servo to track an object
*Slave parallel image processing mode off a single camera bus -
advance function
*Ability to control 1 servo or have 1 digital I/O pin - advanced function
*Adjust the camera's image properties - advanced function.

Download a CMUcam manual here
http://www.parallax.com/dl/docs/prod/robo/cmucamman.pdf
chip information
http://www.parallax.com/dl/docs/prod/ro ... mnivis.pdf
source code
http://www.parallax.com/dl/src/prod/3rd ... ogram1.bs2
http://www.parallax.com/dl/src/prod/3rd ... ogram2.bs2
demo
http://www.parallax.com/dl/src/prod/3rd/cmucamdemo.bs2

Hope this helps.

Humanoido

Statistics: Posted by Humanoido — Mon Dec 18, 2006 6:04 am

Hi all

2006-12-16T06:01:54+01:00

I want to know that in your design, you replace the original board RGB-1 with your own board or you make a new configuration to the RGB-1 board?
Thank you.

Statistics: Posted by ryann2k1 — Sat Dec 16, 2006 6:01 am

Robonova with a cmucam2

2006-10-09T23:52:40+01:00

Wow thats an amazing kit.... I'm want that really bad.

Statistics: Posted by vinny15 — Mon Oct 09, 2006 11:52 pm

Robonova with a cmucam2

2006-10-08T19:02:47+01:00

Did you see that : http://robosavvy.com/modules.php?name=F ... 78&start=0

Statistics: Posted by POB-Forum — Sun Oct 08, 2006 7:02 pm

Robonova with a cmucam2

2006-10-07T17:41:53+01:00

Thanks.... I still need to get a nova though haha.... I'm working on raising the funds....

Statistics: Posted by vinny15 — Sat Oct 07, 2006 5:41 pm

Robonova with a cmucam2

2006-10-07T15:03:34+01:00

vinny15 wrote:
I was thinking that instead of using the serial port, you could use the open servo ports and recognize distinct outputs that tell them to turn right and than that would triger the nova to turn right in biped motion.

This should work as long as the nova has the ability to use any realtime sensor (wich they all are i.e. infrared, sonic, gyros) And I know it does.

Interesting Idea. The CMUCAM does support both Pan and Tilt Servos and in their demo mode tracks a colour by using the pan and tilt servos connected to its own ports. I guess if you could read those values you could use those to trigger movement. Infact you'd only need to read pan to do left and right but tilt may be useful for forwards backwards (move closer to or further away from type stuff).

Could be very interesting.

Good luck

Pev

Statistics: Posted by Pev — Sat Oct 07, 2006 3:03 pm

Robonova with a cmucam2

2006-10-07T14:35:46+01:00

I was thinking that instead of using the serial port, you could use the open servo ports and recognize distinct outputs that tell them to turn right and than that would triger the nova to turn right in biped motion.

This should work as long as the nova has the ability to use any realtime sensor (wich they all are i.e. infrared, sonic, gyros) And I know it does.

Statistics: Posted by vinny15 — Sat Oct 07, 2006 2:35 pm

Robonova with a cmucam2

2006-10-07T14:23:04+01:00

There is also the AVRcam which may have a small advantage in that the code is open source and up to 8 colours can be tracked simultaneously.

http://www.jrobot.net/Projects/AVRcam.html

I'm like Pev in that I've got one on a tracked vehicle for now, but would really like to implement vision on a humanoid.

Cheers, Harry

Statistics: Posted by HarryBotter — Sat Oct 07, 2006 2:23 pm