Sensors SetUp

Table of contents

1. Camera Sensor Configuration
   1. Step 1: Detect Available Cameras
   2. Step 2: Instantiate the Camera Sensor
   3. Step 3: Enable the Sensor
   4. Step 4: Start Data Streaming
   5. Step 4: Stop Data Streaming
   6. Complete Example

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Camera Sensor Configuration

To configure a Camera sensor in the framework, follow these steps:

Step 1: Detect Available Cameras

The first step is to detect the cameras connected to your system. You can use the get_cameras_info() function to scan for available camera ports and retrieve details about each detected camera.

def get_cameras_info(max_index=10):
    """
    Detect connected cameras and retrieve details for each, such as resolution.
    
    Args:
        max_index (int): Maximum number of camera indices to check.
    
    Returns:
        list: Details of available cameras.
    """

The function will check available camera indices (up to the number specified in the max_index parameter) and return information about the detected cameras, including their resolution.

Step 2: Instantiate the Camera Sensor

Once you’ve detected the available cameras, select one to instantiate a camera sensor. Use the Camera class to configure and enable the sensor.

cam1 = Camera(0, .3)  # Camera on port 0 with a sensing speed of 0.3 seconds
cam1.enable_sensor()   # Enable the camera sensor

• port: Specifies the index of the camera you want to use (e.g., 0 for the first camera).
• sensing_speed: The camera’s sensing speed (in seconds). The default value is 0.1, but you can adjust it according to your needs.

Step 3: Enable the Sensor

After instantiating the camera, you must enable it to start capturing data. This is done by calling the enable_sensor() method of the camera.

cam1.enable_sensor()  # Enable the camera sensor

• This method opens the camera port and configures the necessary properties for image capturing.

Step 4: Start Data Streaming

Once the sensor is enabled, you can begin streaming the captured data. This is done using the start_data_streaming() method.

await start_sensors_streaming([cam1])  # Start streaming data from the camera

• start_sensors_streaming(): This method starts streaming data from the selected sensors. In this case, we are passing the list containing the cam1 camera.

Step 4: Stop Data Streaming

When you no longer wish to stream data from the camera, you can stop the data stream using the stop_data_streaming() method.

cam1.stop_data_streaming()  # Stop the data streaming

• This method stops the data streaming from the sensor.

Complete Example

Here is a complete example of how to detect available cameras, instantiate a camera sensor, enable it, and start data streaming:

async def main():
    # Detect available cameras
    available_cameras = get_cameras_info()

    if available_cameras:
        # Display information about the available cameras
        print("Available Cameras:")
        for camera in available_cameras:
            print(f"Index: {camera['index']}, Resolution: {camera['resolution']}")

        # Instantiate a selected camera, e.g., the camera on index 0
        cam1 = Camera(0, .3)  # Camera on port 0 with a sensing speed of 0.3
        cam1.enable_sensor()   # Enable the sensor

        # Start streaming data from the cameras
        await start_sensors_streaming([cam1])

    else:
        print("No cameras found.")

In the future, you will be able to integrate other sensor types, such as LIDAR or radars, using a similar approach.