Robot Builders Source Book - Gordon McComb Episode 2 Part 8 pps

video-cameras 662 video-cameras 663  sales@newtonlabs.com  http://www.newtonlabs.com/ High-end machine vision. In the words of the Web site, “Newton Labs develops and manufactures full turnkey machine vision systems, specializing in high speed and high resolution. Newton also manufactures robotics systems, diode laser prod- ucts, and academic/research products. Newton Labs powerful, easy to use, and industrially rugged systems provide solutions for wide ranging vision and robotics applications for virtually every industry.” Pelikan Industry, Inc. 202994 555-A West Lambert Rd. Brea, CA 92821 USA  (714) 672-0333  (714) 672-0360  sales@pelikancam.com  http://www.pelikancam.com/ Pelikan provides video surveillance systems, including cameras and video transmitters. x V Photon Vision Systems, Inc. 203724 Finger Lakes Business and Technology Park One Technology Place Homer, NY 13077 USA  (607) 756-5200  (607) 756-5319  sales@photon-vision.com  http://www.photon-vision.com/ Photon Vision Systems designs and supplies CMOS imaging sensors and single-chip camera systems. Products are intended for OEM applications, but demonstration kits are available. x  Plantraco Ltd. 204229 1105 8th St. East Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7H 0S3 Canada  (306) 955-1836  (306) 931-0055 Board camera from Pelikan. Photo Pelikan Industry, Inc. Better Pictures with Better Lenses If you’re interested in exploring vision systems for your robot creations, be sure to con- sider the quality of the lens (some solid-state imagers don’t even come with a lens; you must add your own). Many of the smallest solid-state cameras were designed as elec- tronic peepholes for doors and so have a very wide field of view—almost a “fisheye” appearance—to see as much outside as possible. With wide views comes distortion of the image. That can make it hard to process the image to detect shapes and objects. For robotics work, you’ll want the best lens you can afford, preferably one that provides a normal field of view. This will reduce the so-called barrel distortion common in wide-angle lenses. The least expensive solid-state cameras come with a nonremovable lens, so you get what you get. The lens is interchangeable on the better units. A few are designed to work with standard C-mount lenses, which any CCTV reseller can provide. video-cameras 664 Better Eyes to See You With Most ‘bot eyes are far simpler than the ocular sensors we humans have, yet they function quite admirably despite their lack of complexity. Here are the most common devices used for robot eyes. • Photoresistors, typically a cadmium sulfide (Cds) cell (often referred to simply as a pho- tocell). A Cds cell acts like a light-dependent resistor: The resistance of the cell varies depending on the intensity of the light striking it. When no light strikes the cell, the device exhibits very high resistance, typically in the high hundreds of K ohms, or even megohms. Light reduces the resistance, usually significantly (a few hundreds or thou- sands of ohms). Cds cells are very easy to interface to other electronics, but they are somewhat slow reacting and are unable to discern when light flashes more than 20 or 30 times per second. This trait actually comes in handy, as it means Cds cells basically ignore the on/off flashes of AC-operated lights. • Phototransistors are very much like regular transistors, with their metal or plastic top removed. A glass or plastic cover protects the delicate transistor substrate inside. Unlike Cds cells, phototransistors are very quick acting, able to sense tens of thou- sands of flashes of light per second. The output of a phototransistor is not “linear”; that is, there is a disproportionate change in the output of a phototransistor as more and more light strikes it. A phototransistor can become easily “swamped” with too much light. Even as more light shines on the device, the phototransistor is not able to detect any more change. • Photodiodes are the simpler diode versions of phototransistors. Like phototransistors, they are made with a glass or plastic cover to protect the semiconductor material inside them. And like phototransistors, photodiodes are very fast acting and can become “swamped” when exposed to a certain threshold of light. One common char- acteristic of most photodiodes is that their output is rather low, even when fully exposed to bright light. This means that to be effective, the output of the photodiode must usually be connected to a small amplifier of some type. • Pyroelectric sensors—commonly referred to as PIR, for “passive infrared”—see by detecting changes in heat. They can be purchased new or salvaged from an existing motion detector. The most common use of pyroelectric infrared (or PIR) sensors is in burglar alarms and motion detectors. Because PIR sensors see only objects that move, they can be used to distinguish between animate and inanimate objects. • Ultrasonic sensors send out a beam of sound, and then wait for the return echo. The difference in time between the burst of sound and its return echo indicates distance. By taking many measurements while slowly moving the ultrasonic sensor, it’s possible for the robot to “map” the topography of its immediate environment. • Radar is like ultrasonics, but it uses radio waves instead of sound. The advantage of radar is that the resolution—the ability to determine objects of small size—is far better than ultrasonics. The disadvantage is that workable radar detectors for robotics are quite expensive. • Video cameras can be directly connected to computers, and the image they receive can be analyzed by software. They are the most like “real” eyes, and while video cam- eras are now relatively inexpensive and produce excellent detail, the limitation is in the software. It’s not an easy task to break down and analyze a moving scene in an unpre- dictable environment, particularly in real time. No doubt this area of robotics will undergo massive improvements in the years to come and will someday give the ability for robots to see just as humans do. video-cameras 665  ufoman@plantraco.com  http://www.plantraco.com/ Sellers of upscale radio-controlled toys, including blimps and little tracked vehicles. Their Desktop Rover tracked vehicle can be controlled via a handheld remote or by software running on your computer. The company also sells a miniature wireless camera for use on its R/C products. x V Polaris Industries 202033 470 Armour Dr. NE Atlanta, GA 30324-3943 USA  (404) 872-0722  (404) 872-1038  (800) 752-3571  sales@polarisusa.com  http://www.polarisusa.com/ Polaris supplies security cameras and wireless transmit- ters for video. x V QuickCam 204049 http://www.quickcam.com/ All about the Logitech QuickCam, including drivers. Super Circuits  202732 One Supercircuits Plaza Liberty Hill, TX 78642 USA Google.com Search Phrases for Video and Robotics Try these for locating more information about using cameras in robotics: intitle:”basic stamp” camera intitle:AVR camera intitle:microcontroller camera intitle:PIC camera video robot camera vision robot camera webcam robot OR roboticsrobot vision mapping OR map Polaris Industries miniature board camera. Photo Polaris Industries. Polaris Industries micro “lipstick” camera. Photo Polaris Industries.  (800) 335-9777  http://www.supercircuits.com/ Super Circuits sells wired and wireless video cameras, miniature (including the size of a shirt button) cam- eras, and video transmitters and receivers. Good stuff at reasonable prices. x d V URS Electronics Inc. 203615 123 N.E Seventh Ave. Portland, OR 97293-0040 USA video-cameras 666 Alternative Sources for Video Cameras You don’t need to buy a specialty solid-state video camera to give eyes to your robot. There are a few alternative sources for low-cost imagers: • Hacked wireless security camera. You’ve seen ads for wireless security cameras you can “put anywhere.” The camera, which operates at 9 to 12 volts DC, transmits its sig- nal in the 2.4-gigahertz range. You need a video receiver to pick up the signal. Quality varies greatly, especially under low-light condition. Test a sample camera first before taking it apart. And be sure to turn off any microwave ovens that are operating nearby, as they emit a signal close to the operating frequency of these cameras. • Game Boy camera. These were available for a time—but are now discontinued—for the venerable Nintendo Game Boy handheld game machine. You can still find them at swap meets, used computer stores, and at online auctions, such as eBay (the Game Boy device is not needed to hack the camera). The resolution is fairly low—128 by 123 pixels—but the camera is cheap and worth the hacking effort. Here are two sources for hacking the camera: http://pages.zoom.co.uk/andyc/camera.htm. http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/~vkemp/gbcam.htm Google.com search: +gameboy +camera hacking • Older model digital still cameras. Digital cameras get better all the time. Ones with USB or serial interfaces to transfer the pictures to a PC are good candidates for hacking. • USB serial Webcams. Many of the latest Webcams are cheap and are inherently digital, as they connect to the PC (or Macintosh or whatever) via a USB serial link. With some work, you may be able to hack a Webcam for robotics. But take note: While the data may be transferred via USB, the format of that data is likely propriety and varies from one manufacturer to the other. Some Webcam makers provide a software developer’s kit or publish the data format specifications for their products, but others do not. Use Google.com to look for resources for Webcam writing drivers for Linux and other non- Windows operating systems. These pages will explain the data format of the camera. A most helpful resource is Sourceforge: http://www.sorceforge.net/. Google.com search phrase: +CCD Super Circuits Web site. video-cameras 667  (503) 233-5341  (503) 232-3373  (800) 955-4877  sales@ursele.com  http://www.ursele.com/ General industrial electronics; wire and cable; video cameras; test equipment. Local store in Portland, Ore  Wm. B. Allen Supply Company, Inc. 202887 301 N. Rampart St. New Orleans, LA 70112-3105 USA  (504) 525-8222  (504) 525-6361  (800) 535-9593  info@wmballen.com  http://www.wmballen.com/ Wm. B. Allen supplies 35,000 items from over 150 man- ufacturers. For the robot builder, their electronics, video, and tools sections will be of most interest. The company is primarily in the alarm, security, and con- trolled access business. x V X10 Wireless Technology, Inc. 203076 15200 52nd Ave. South Seattle, WA 98188 USA  (206) 241-3285  (206) 242-4644  (800) 675-3044  sales@mail.x10.com  http://www.x10.com/ Home automation products for wireless remote con- trol. Also, line of moderate-quality color and black-and- white security cameras. The main corporate Web site of X10 is at http://www.x10wti.com/. x V Zoomkat: Web Based Control Panel 202229 http://www.geocities.com/zoomkat/ Web-based control of servos (via a Mini SSC II servo controller). Details and programming examples for using servo control with a Web cam.  Video-Imagers See the description in Video for more information about this section. Foveon, Inc. 204150 2820 San Tomas Expressway Santa Clara, CA 95051 USA CCD and CMOS Imagers When I started robotics, consumer video cameras used a high-voltage imaging tube called a Vidicon to render a picture. Vidicons tended to be large and required a high-volt- age power supply. The whole thing was heavy; with a lens, the typical video camera was the size of a lunchbox and weighed several pounds. These days, cameras are the size of a cockroach—a regular-sized cockroach, not those brutes you encounter in New York City!—and require only minimal voltage to run. The cameras are cheap, too. You can buy a decent miniature black-and-white video camera for under $50; color versions are more, but still reasonable. These cameras, which use only solid-state components, are intended for security applications. The better ones operate under fairly low light conditions. Solid-state video cameras use two kinds of imaging electronics: CCD or CMOS. CCD imagers (the CCD stands for “charged coupled device”) is generally considered to offer a sharper picture and offers better low-light sensitivity. CMOS imagers cost less, but on the whole, don’t deliver the sharpest pictures. While there are some CMOS imagers intended for low-light operation, most are not as sensitive as their CCD brethren.  (408) 350-5100  (877) 436-8366  http://www.foveon.com/ Makers of high-resolution CCD color imagers. Some technical documents available on the Web site.  OmniVision Technologies, Inc. 202281 930 Thompson Place Sunnyvale, CA 94085 USA  (408) 733-3030  (408) 733-3061  http://www.ovt.com/ Single-chip CMOS black-and-white and color imagers— ”Single-Chip CMOS Image Sensors (Camera-on-a- Chip).” The company designs single-chip image sensors for cap- turing and converting images for cameras. Their imagers are used in a number of products and designs, including the CMUcam (see http://www- 2.cs.cmu.edu/~cmucam/). x  Video-Programming & APIs See the description in Video for more information about this section. AVR + GameBoy tm Camera = Fun 202277 http://pages.zoom.co.uk/andyc/camera.htm Detailed information, circuits, and sample program- ming (for the Atmel AVR microcontroller) for using the Gameboy camera for crude machine vision.  CMUcam Vision Sensor  202514 http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~cmucam/ See listing under Video-Camera.  CORAL Group’s Color Machine Vision Project 202513 http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~jbruce/cmvision/ video-imagers 668 Video Images: Analog or Digital The vast majority of solid-state video cameras available today provide an analog output signal (specifically, it is a composite signal that combines synchronization and lumi- nance signals, and with a color system, chrominance signals as well). Depending on where in the world you buy your camera, this signal is compatible with your TV and VCR. For example, color cameras sold in the United States are compatible with the NTSC color standard; black-and-white cameras, with the RS-170 standard. Cameras for sale in many parts of Europe follow the PAL standard. Some cameras are selectable between NTSC and PAL or are available in either version. For the most part, cameras with composite signal outputs are only modestly useful in robotics. The signal must be processed before the electronics (computer, microcon- troller) on the robot can use it. The processing might be in the form of a frame capture card, or it might be some homemade sync separator and analog-to-digital comparator circuit. However, a minority of solid-state cameras provides a digital output—usually 8-bit parallel, but also USB serial. A parallel digital camera can be directly connected to your robot’s computer or controller; software running on the robot reads the video signal by processing the digital data. Says the Web site, their mission is to “create a simple, robust vision system suitable for real time robotics applications. The system aims to perform global low level color vision at video rates without the use of spe- cial purpose hardware.”  Game Boy Camera Parallel Port Interface 203656 http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/ ~vkemp/gbcam.htm How to connect a Nintendo Gameboy camera (no longer made, but still available from some quarters) to a PC parallel port. Then how to program the PC to know how to read the data the camera is sending it. Includes circuit diagrams, how-to, and program code.  Java Media Framework API 203001 http://java.sun.com/products/ java-media/jmf/index.html Using Java for media and vision. Says the Web site, “The Java Media Framework API (JMF) enables audio, video and other time-based media to be added to Java appli- cations and applets. This optional package, which can capture, playback, stream and transcode multiple media formats, extends the multimedia capabilities on the J2SE platform, and gives multimedia developers a powerful toolkit to develop scalable, cross-platform technology.” The JMF is capable of capturing, processing, and dis- playing data from most any analog camera. Can be used with any computer that supports Java, including Linux and the PC. Linux support for Philips USB webcams 202660 http://www.smcc.demon.nl/webcam/ Site provides information and downloads for the Linux driver for Philips USB Web cams. According to the Web site, the driver also supports some cameras from Askey, Logitech, Samsung, and Creative Labs.  Newton Research Labs, Inc. 203762 441 SW 41st St. Renton, WA 98055 USA  (425) 251-9600  (425) 251-8900  sales@newtonlabs.com  http://www.newtonlabs.com/ High-end machine vision. See listing under Video- Camera. Open Source Computer Vision Library 202512 http://www.intel.com/research/mrl/ research/opencv/ The Web site’s aim is to “aid commercial uses of com- puter vision in human-computer interface, robotics, monitoring, biometrics and security by providing a free and open infrastructure where the distributed efforts of the vision community can be consolidated and per- formance optimized.”  Programming Video for Windows 202032 http://ej.bantz.com/video/detail/ Informational Web site on using a video camera with Windows and writing programming code to capture frames with the Video for Windows application inter- face. For machines with Windows, obviously. (Note: Later versions of Windows incorporate video playback and capture services in the DirectX interfaces.)  video-programming & apis 669 DVSec http://MotionDetectionSoftware.com/ Video motion detection software for Windows VideoScript Inc. http://www.videoscript.com/ Video motion detection software for Windows and Macintosh QCUIAG (QuickCam and Unconventional Imaging Astronomy Group) 203657 http://www.astrabio.demon.co.uk/ Tips and techniques for using the QuickCam and other CCD/CMOS cameras for astrophotography. Many of the same techniques can be used for robot vision.  QuickCam Third-Party Drivers 204180 http://www.crynwr.com/qcpc/ Information about drivers for various computer plat- forms, such as Linux, for the QuickCam brand of video cameras.  RobotVision2 202983 http://hammer.prohosting.com/~vision4/ RobotVision/rv2/rv2.htm According to the Web site, “RobotVision2 (Rv2) is a real-time image processing software, using Video for Window (VFW) compatible camera, such as QuickCam, as the image source. Rv2 supports 1, 4, 8, 16, 24 and 32 bit-per-pixel, all uncompressed.”  WebRemote 202251 http://www.WebRemote.co.uk/ The WebRemote Device Controller allows you to con- trol devices across a Microsoft NetMeeting connec- tion. Using just the NetMeeting software, you can con- trol a Web camera (connected to the appropriate servo pan-tilt head, of course) from anywhere in the world. Use it to command the video on your robot— or even your entire robot—from a Web browser. Free download.  Video-Transmitters See the description in Video for more information about this section. CCTV Outlet 202195 1376 N.W. 22 Ave. Miami, FL 33125 USA  (305) 635-7060  (305) 635-3175  (800) 323-8746  sales@cctvco.com  http://www.cctvoutlet.com/ Cameras, lenses, RF transmitters and receivers. x V Matco Inc. 202207 2246 North Palmer Dr. Unit 103 Schaumburg, IL 60173 USA  (847) 303-9700  (847) 303-0660  (800) 719-9605  info@matco.com  http://www.matco.com/ See listing under Video-Camera. x V Micro Video Products 203998 One Mill Line Rd. Bobcaygeon, Ontario K0M 1A0 Canada  (705) 738-1755  (705) 738-5484  (800) 213-8111  info@microvideo.ca  http://www.microvideo.ca/ See listing under Video-Camera.  x V Polaris Industries 202033 470 Armour Dr. NE Atlanta, GA 30324-3943 USA  (404) 872-0722  (404) 872-1038 video-programming & apis 670  (800) 752-3571  sales@polarisusa.com  http://www.polarisusa.com/ Polaris supplies security cameras and wireless transmit- ters for video. x V Super Circuits  202732 One Supercircuits Plaza Liberty Hill, TX 78642 USA  (800) 335-9777  http://www.supercircuits.com/ Super Circuits sells wired and wireless video cameras, miniature (including the size of a shirt button) cam- eras, and video transmitters and receivers. Good stuff at reasonable prices. x d V X10 Wireless Technology, Inc. 203076 15200 52nd Ave. South Seattle, WA 98188 USA  (206) 241-3285  (206) 242-4644  (800) 675-3044  sales@mail.x10.com  http://www.x10.com/ Home automation products for wireless remote con- trol. Also line of moderate-quality color and black-and- white security cameras. The main corporate Web site of X10 is at http://www.x10wti.com/. x V video-transmitters 671 Micro-miniature video transmitter. Photo Polaris Industries. Transmitter (with integrated camera) and receiver pair. Photo Polaris Industries. [...]... an O-ring) onto hubs 676 wheels & casters Du-Bro Products, Inc 20 2134 P.O Box 81 5, 480 Bonner Rd Wauconda, IL 60 084 USA http://www.dubro.com/rcproducts.html Du-Bro is a leading manufacturer of hardware, wheels, and accessories for radio-controlled models See listing under Radio Control-Hardware x EL-COM 20 3 82 7 126 91 Monarch St Garden Grove, CA 9 28 41 USA (714) 23 0-6 20 0 (714) 23 0-6 22 2 (80 0) 22 8- 9 122 http://www.elcomhardware.com/... 706373 enquiries@flexelmobility.co.uk http://www.flexelmobility.co.uk/ P.O Box 510035 New Berlin, WI 5315 1-0 035 USA (26 2) 78 6 -8 22 7 (26 2) 78 6 -8 524 (80 0) 87 7 -8 351 x V KC Marketing Group, Inc 20 2531 CasterSupply.com 10 Dubelbeiss Lane Rochester, NY 14 622 USA (716) 26 6-0 130 (716) 26 6-0 311 (80 0) 45 6-9 340 sales@castersupply.com http://www.castersupply.com/ Casters, wheels, drawer slides, and ball transfers... 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( 626 ) 44 8- 6 155 linco@linco-inc.com http://www.linco-inc.com/ Casters Local retail stores in southern California National Power Chair 20 2169 485 1 Shoreline Dr P.O Box 1 18 Mound, MN 55364 USA (9 52) 47 2- 1 511 (9 52) 47 2- 1 5 12 (80 0) 44 4-3 5 28 info@npcinc.com http://www.npcinc.com/ See listing under Actuators-Motors x d V Airless tire from NPC Photo National Power Chair Nighthawk Manufacturing Inc 20 3775 2. .. Retail-Surplus Mechanical x V Applied Industrial Technologies 20 3445 One Applied Plaza Cleveland, OH 4411 5-5 053 USA (21 6) 42 6-4 189 (21 6) 42 6-4 82 0 (87 7) 27 9 -2 799 products@apz-applied.com http://www.appliedindustrial.com/ Industrial bearings, linear slides, gears, pulleys, pneumatics, hydraulics, and other mechanical things Also hosts Caster Connection 20 383 4 745 South St Chardon, OH 44 024 USA (80 0) 54 4 -8 9 78. .. hubs x Falcon Wheel 20 4091 80 0 N Clark St Albion, MI 4 922 4 USA (517) 62 9-9 501 (80 0) 83 5 -8 911 email@albioninc.com http://www.albioninc.com/ V American Surplus Inc 1 Noyes Ave East Providence, RI 029 16 USA Copyright 20 03 by Gordon McComb Click Here for Terms of Use 20 3593 wheels & casters 673 (401) 43 4-4 355 (401) 43 4-7 414 (80 0) 98 9-7 176 info@American-Surplus.com http://www.american-surplus.com/ Maintenance... 674 wheels & casters (80 0) 83 5-6 561 sales@cheapcasters.com http://www.cheapcasters.com/ Discount casters and wheels All sizes from 2 inches on up x V Swivel caster Photo courtesy Colson Caster Corp Home page of Cheapcasters.com Cisco-Eagle Inc 20 326 3 21 20 Valley View Lane Dallas, TX 7 523 4 USA (9 72) 40 6-9 330 (9 72) 40 6-9 577 (80 0) 44 1-1 1 62 24hours@cisco-eagle.com http://www.cisco-eagle.com/ Pneumatic... lists, etc 12 Volt Fasteners Fasteners 123 securityproducts.com Video-Cameras 3M Worldwide Manufacturer-Materials Manufacturer-Glues & Adhesives 4QD Motor Control 80 /20 Inc Machine Framing 99 Cents Only Stores Retail-Discount & Department A K Peters, Ltd Books-Technical A G Tannenbaum Books-Technical A O Smith Actuators-Motors A-1 Electronics Kits-Electronic Retail-General Electronics A -2 - Z Solutions,... of tubeless (no air loss) tires, for wheelchairs and similar applications Sizes range from 6 to 26 inches The tires use inflated foam for pneumatic-like performance x American Caster & Material Handling, Inc 20 420 9 26 03 NE Industrial Dr North Kansas City, MO 64117 USA (81 6) 28 3-3 81 5 (81 6) 28 3-3 81 9 (80 0) 68 8- 0 677 custservice@americancaster.com http://www.americancaster.com/ Sells casters and wheels for . models. See listing under Radio Control-Hardware.  x  EL-COM 20 3 82 7 126 91 Monarch St. Garden Grove, CA 9 28 41 USA  (714) 23 0-6 20 0  (714) 23 0-6 22 2  (80 0) 22 8- 9 122  http://www.elcomhardware.com/ Fasteners. Winco 20 2717 P.O. Box 510035 New Berlin, WI 5315 1-0 035 USA  (26 2) 78 6 -8 22 7  (26 2) 78 6 -8 524  (80 0) 87 7 -8 351  http://www.jwwinco.com/ Industrial components (casters, handles, cranks, hand- wheels,. under Retail-Surplus Mechanical.  x V Applied Industrial Technologies 20 3445 One Applied Plaza Cleveland, OH 4411 5-5 053 USA  (21 6) 42 6-4 189  (21 6) 42 6-4 82 0  (87 7) 27 9 -2 799  products@apz-applied.com 