Comments

• Rich Maynard August 23, 2012 at 8:51pm

  Say are any of you guys, that are using one of the ArduPilots on your rovers, making use of the IMU and pressure sensors for guided operation? I'm making a shield for a Arduino Mega with just interfaces for the GPS and the mag compass. I figure that's all I need for ground operation.

  Rich
• Rich Maynard August 23, 2012 at 8:33pm

  Blackfin is an Analog Devices Processor that has been high optimized for audio and video digital signal processing. the main reason you don't see it so much in the maker/DIY arena is the the development tools are relatively expensive.

  I've been looking at RoboRealm also. My main issue is that it is only available for Win-PC architectures. It would be nice if they had a version of this that could be run on an embedded arm processor.

  -Rich (KB1WHS)
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  Jimmie D. Ivy August 23, 2012 at 7:12pm

  @ Randy

  First the ip camera I mentioned is not mounted on a rover. It is at a fixed location with on a pan & tilt unit. It transmits to a wireless router that has internet access. The p&t servos are controlled by a computer running RoboRealm. I can then get on the web and got to the camera's web address and see the images in real time. When the camera/RoboRealm senses motion video is captured. RR's web site has tutorials to walk you through most of this. The camera I used in this set up is a weather proof security camera that sells for around $100.00 on line. Thr RR web site has pipelines for several cameras.

  What I am going to try to implement a FPV system that feed the video to RR & then transmit RR's commands to the Pan & Tilt system to track an object. Again a lot of what is required to do this is on RR's web site. Some user probably has a program to do it.

  BlackFin is a processing unit sold by Analog Devices. Google BlackFin and you should get several hit. I had never heard of BlackFin until KM6VV mentioned it. I will be checking further into the processor, plus some others.

  Jim (KD0SWA)
• Randy Brazeau August 23, 2012 at 5:18pm

  I'm interested in RoboRealm to track objects on my rover and copter. What WiFi camera did you use? What is BlacFin?
  Search on the web doesn't show anything.
  Randy
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  Jimmie D. Ivy August 23, 2012 at 4:11pm

  I have 10.04 with emc2 on a system for cnc. Not familiar with ROS. As i said earlier I have written most of my software for Parallax processors.

  How what is the range of the WiFi w/ Blackfin? I have one unit set up with an IP camera mounted on a pan/tilt that uses RoboRealm to track objects with a mass larger than a medium size dog. Right now I am teaching it to recognize swine in order to track feral hogs. So far it does fair, still logs a bear as a hog at times. The system has limited range, but enough for the test site.

  Jim (KD0SWA)
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  KM6VV August 23, 2012 at 12:45pm

  I've loaded Ubuntu 10.04.  And I've been playing with both Electric and Fuente ROS.  Part of my problem, different versions have different package names and tools.s

  Alan
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  Jimmie D. Ivy August 23, 2012 at 12:43pm

  The equipment is video system operating on 910mHz (33cm band). This system will be mounted on my Flying platform, Rover, and Boat. I also have some property located in an area where there is no cell service, at least not for devices I own. So the monitoring equipment; video, vibration, audio, ir, etc., that telemetry is transmitted on 50 MHz (6 meters) Amateur frequencies. Some are activated remotely using a radio control telecommand transmitter also in the 6 meter band.

  Which Ubuntu are you using and will you use any vision software?

  Jim (KD0SWA)
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  KM6VV August 23, 2012 at 12:22pm

  Interesting stuff!

  I found a WiFi camera with a BlackFin processor to send my video and to vision processing.

  Alan  KM6VV
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  KM6VV August 23, 2012 at 10:40am

  Jim,

  
  Which Ham products were you able to use?  I'm KM6VV.  I thought about using a radio link, but BlueTooth or WiFi seemed easier.  

  I'm building a 6WD Robomagellan, and it will have a mini-ITX running it.  I'll import the waypoint steering commands, and use behaviors to do obstacle avoidance and target following.  ITX will run Ubuntu and ROS, which I'm currently working on.

  Alan  KM6VV
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  Jimmie D. Ivy August 23, 2012 at 6:31am

  @ Tom Gibson

  Although I am not a "veteran", I will try to help as much as possible.

  First, As far as I can tell the differences between ArduPlane & ArduRover is that the control board is "ported" for one or the other. I am sure you have accessed  the ArduRover area through the navigation  bar. There you will find information on Jean-Louis Naudin's ArduRover build and his porting of the controller board for rover use. The setup of the boards are through Mission Planner. Just click on ArduRover above and the follow the links on the ArduRover page.

  There is also a Sailing Group here. Just expand the "Groups" list and go to page 2. At present they have 10 members.

  I too am interested in building an autonomous boat. Actually I have a boat I just need to add the control board. I say add the control board and not APM1 or APM2 because having built an autonomous tracked vehicle that was controlled by a single thread microprocessor, I hate to abandon the in place system and software. The vehicle used IR sensing, sonar, and tactile sensors. I never implemented GPS functionality even though I had the necessary components.
   The advantage to switching to the APM boards is the mission planner, particularly the GPS

  Some of the transmitting equipment that I want to use operates in the Amateur radio frequencies and necessitated me getting an Amateur license.

  Hope I helped a little.

  Jim (KD0SWA)