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VIDEO SENSOR BRICK FOR MODULAR ROBOTICS
PILOT (Project In Lieu of Thesis)
Presented for the Master of Science Degree
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Anjana Poduri December 2004
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Acknowledgements
This project work would not have been possible without the assistance from many people who gave their support in different ways. To them I would like to convey my heartfelt gratitude and sincere appreciation.
It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge the guidance, suggestions, constructive criticism, and financial assistance provided by my major professor Dr. Mongi A. Abidi. You will always be remembered as the key factor that geared my career towards this path. I would like to thank Dr. Andrei Gribok for his encouragement in my research work and giving sound advice in accomplishing this report successfully. I would also like to appreciate the valuable assistance of Dr. David Page in my research work.
I would like to express a heartfelt thanks to Dr. Laura Morris Edwards for her constant help and moral support she provided me throughout the research work. I would like to say special thanks to Justin Acuff, computer specialist of IRIS lab who always guided me in hardware selection and was always there to solve the technical problems. I would like to acknowledge Doug Warren who has helped in the putting the brick design in a physical form and helped me learn about handling machinery at workshop while implementing the project work.
On this note I would like to thank all my fellow graduate students and colleagues of IRIS lab who readily to offered me a helping hand at times of need. Thank you all for your support in the completion of this degree.
Finally, I am forever thankful and in debt to my parents: my mother Mrs. G. Padma Kumari and my father Dr. P. V. Rao. They inspired me, supported me, taught me and loved me. It’s my pleasure to dedicate this work to them.
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Abstract There is an increasing necessity of monitoring and providing security for vast areas which include airport surveillance, harbor surveillance, continuous monitoring of any suspicious situation, as well as specific areas that include under vehicle inspection, maintenance of nuclear reactors. This project develops the hardware requirements and software techniques as a Video Sensor Brick for modular robotics, which is a self-sufficient system that best suits surveillance applications and robot navigation.
The Video Sensor Brick is completely modular in design developed to be mounted on a robotic platform. The design of Video Sensor Brick follows a brick layout with complete modularity at each level that allows it to be used for multiple applications and even makes it easy to operate and maintain. The main data acquisition is done by quad dome video camera, which has four built in cameras and a quad splitter. The data is preprocessed at the brick stage and transferred wireless to a remotely located host for further analysis. The main objective of the software is data acquisition and low-level image processing.
The hardware towards the Video Sensor Brick has been developed and implemented and tested successfully. This report presents the survey done towards developing the Video Sensor Brick, with the actual building and results of the packaged self-sufficient robotic acquisition system suitable for robotic platforms. This report concludes with a discussion of accomplishments and future directions of this project.
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Table of Contents 1 Introduction.................................................................................................. 9
1.1 Motivation............................................................................................................... 10
1.2 Applications ............................................................................................................ 12
1.3 Proposed Approach................................................................................................. 14
1.4 Documentation Organization.................................................................................. 15
2 Architecture of Video Sensor Brick .......................................................... 16
2.1 Video Brick Sensor Concept................................................................................... 16
2.2 Survey of the components for the Video Sensor Brick .......................................... 17
2.2.1 Survey for the Data Acquisition Block of the Video Sensor Brick ................. 18 2.2.2 Survey for the Preprocessing Block of the Video Sensor Brick...................... 19 2.2.3 Survey for the Communication Block of the Video Sensor Brick................... 21
3 Hardware Design ....................................................................................... 22
3.1 Description of the Blocks of the Video Sensor Brick............................................. 22
3.1.1 Data Acquisition Block.................................................................................... 23 3.1.2 Preprocessing Block......................................................................................... 26 3.1.3 Communication Block ..................................................................................... 28 3.1.4 Power Supply Block ........................................................................................ 30
3.2 Design and Building of the Brick ........................................................................... 34
3.2.1 Layout Proposals for the Video Sensor Brick.................................................. 35 3.2.2 Final Drawings of the Layout of the Video Sensor Brick ............................... 36
4 Software Design......................................................................................... 44
4.1 Preprocessing Operations on the Acquired Data .................................................... 44
4.2 Threat Detection Algorithms .................................................................................. 45
4.3 Graphical User Interface for the Video Sensor Brick............................................. 48
5 Testing and Evaluation .............................................................................. 50
6 Conclusions................................................................................................ 55
Bibliography ................................................................................................. 56
Vita................................................................................................................ 59
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List of Tables
Table 2.1: Survey of the Quad Dome Cameras for the acquisition block of Video Sensor Brick……………………………………………………………………………...19
Table 2.2: Survey of the motherboards and single-board computers for the preprocessing block of Video Sensor Brick……………………………………………………..20
Table 2.3: Features WLAN IEEE 802.11g and 802.11b Standards……………………...21
Table 3.1: Table of Specifications of Clover Electronics USA DQ205 model Color Quad Dome Camera with four built-in cameras and a quad splitter…………………...24
Table 3.2: Table of specifications of ASUS P4P800-VM for the preprocessing block of the Video Sensor Brick…………………………………………………………..28
Table 3.3: Table of specifications of ASUS Linksys WMP54G for the communication block of the Video Sensor Brick…………………………………………………30
Table 3.4: Specifications of PW-70A……………………………………………………33
Table 3.5: Bill of Materials of the Video Sensor Brick………………………………….43
Table 5.1: Details of the Video Sequences Captured using the Brick…………………...51
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List of Figures Figure 1.1: General Sensor Based Robotic System Block Diagram…………………...….9
Figure 1.2: Architecture of a Modular Multi-Sensor Robotic System…………………...10
Figure 1.3: (a) Range sensor, Thermal sensor and Video sensor (b) Video Sensor Brick - placed on tracked under-vehicle robot of IRIS lab………………………………11
Figure 1.4: (a) Complete scene of under a vehicle (b) Tracked robot of IRIS lab used for under vehicle inspection (c) Mirror on stick for under-vehicle inspection (d) Video Sensor Brick Mounted of the tracked under vehicle robot….……………14
Figure 1.5: Hardware Approach for the Video Sensor Brick……………………………15
Figure 2.1: Sensor Brick Layout…………………………………………………………17
Figure 3.1: Video Sensor Brick layout showing components of all the blocks………….23
Figure 3.2: Data Acquisition Block of Video Sensor Brick……………………………..23
Figure 3.3: Clover Electronics USA DQ205 model Color Quad Dome Camera with four built-in cameras and a quad splitter for the acquisition block of the Vision Sensor Brick……………………………………………………………………………...24
Figure 3.4: Pinnacle Studio AV/DV Capture Card for the Video Sensor Brick…………26
Figure 3.5: Preprocessing Block of Video Sensor Brick………………………………...27
Figure 3.6: ASUS P4P800-VM mini-ATX Motherboard for preprocessing block of the Video Sensor Brick………………………………………………………………27
Figure 3.7: Communication Block of Video Sensor Brick………………………………29
Figure 3.8: Linksys Wireless-G PCI WMP54G Card for the communication block of the Video Sensor Brick………………………………………………………………29
Figure 3.9: Power Supply Block of Video Sensor Brick………………………………...31
Figure 3.10: Panasonic LC-RA1212P Lead Acid Battery for actuation of the Video Sensor Brick……………………………………………………………………...31
Figure 3.11: PW-70A MINI-ATX DC-to-DC Converter for powering the ASUS P4P800-VM motherboard of the Video Sensor Brick…………………………………….32
Figure 3.12: Dimensions of the various components of the Video Sensor Brick………..33
Figure 3.13: First layout proposed for packaging the Video Sensor Brick……………...34
Figure 3.14: Second layout proposed for packaging the Video Sensor Brick…………...35
Figure 3.15: Layout for the components of Video Sensor Brick on the aluminum mounting plate…………………………………………………………………...35
Figure 3.16: Top view of the metal sheet for the outer casing of Video Sensor Brick with dimension laid down for cutting…………………………………………………36
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Figure 3.17: (a) 3mm thick Aluminum Sheet of 20 inches and 15 inches (b) Mounting plate with the necessary mounting material for all the components of the Video Sensor Brick……………………………………………………………………...37
Figure 3.18: (a) Mounting plate along with the components of the Video Sensor Brick (b) Mounting plate showing components of the Video Sensor Brick with electrical connections (camera seen goes on top of the box)………………………………37
Figure 3.19 Top view of the metal sheet for the outer casing of Video Sensor Brick with dimension laid down for cutting which is the initial design for packaging………………………………………………………………………...38
Figure 3.20: Different views of the outer casing of Video Sensor Brick initially proposed that encloses the mounting plate…………………………………………………38
Figure 3.21: 3D views of the packaged Video Sensor Brick initially proposed with the camera seated on the lid of the box………………………………………………39
Figure 3.22: (a) Wooden prototype of the first layout for the Video Sensor Brick casing (b) Metal box-casing prototype that would house the mounting plate with the components of the Video Sensor Brick………………………………………….39
Figure 3.23: (a) 3D model from mechanical desktop of the final packaging designed for Video Sensor Brick (b) Detailed model drawing with all the components, joints, screws in the Video Sensor Brick………………………………………………..40
Figure 3.24: Layouts of the final packaged version of the Video Sensor Brick with the top, side and the isometric views along with the joints and sides seen clearly…………………………………………………………………………….41
Figure 3.25: Electrical Connection Diagram of the Video Sensor Brick………………..42
Figure 4.1: (a) Original image captured by the Quad Dome Camera (b) Inverted image of the Original image (c) Intensity image of the original image (d) Histogram of the Original image (e) Contour of the Original image (f) Edges of the Original image using Sobel filters………………………………………………………………..45
Figure 4.2: Frames considered for performing threat detection algorithm from the under vehicle scene sequence with unusual object……………………………………..46
Figure 4.3: Cropped up images of similar mufflers from the under vehicle scene sequence with unusual object………………………………………………………………47
Figure 4.4: Difference images of similar mufflers (a) Frame1 from Frame2 (b) Frame2 from Frame1 of Figure 4.3……………………………………………………….47
Figure 4.5: Cropped up images of two different mufflers from the under vehicle scene sequence with unusual object…………………………………………………….48
Figure 4.6: Difference images of different mufflers (a) Frame1 from Frame2 (b) Frame2 from Frame1 of Figure 4.5……………………………………………………….48
Figure 4.7: Basic Form of GUI in Win32 Visual C++…………………………………..49
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Figure 5.1: (a) Set-up for the data acquisition process by the Video Sensor Brick from a
jacked up vehicle at Motor Pool (b) Image acquired by a vision still camera of the under vehicle scene (c) Frame from the sequence acquired by the DQ205 Quad Dome camera…………………………………………………………………….50
Figure 5.2: Frames from Video Sequence 1 captured by Video Sensor Brick…………..52
Figure 5.3: Frames from Video Sequence2 captured by the Video Sensor Brick showing the effect of additional lighting in the scene……………………………………..52
Figure 5.4: Frames from Video Sequence3 captured with an unusual object - dummy muffler in the scene………………………………………………………………53
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1 Introduction Increased terrorism activities in recent times have created a need for providing more security for property and people. For this purpose continuous surveillance and inspection systems have gained importance. A modular multi-sensor robotic system, which provides wide range of applications along with the additional features of remote operation, compactness and ease of handling, has been proposed suitable for various research applications. The challenge lies in making the robot completely modular, scalable, controllable, and programmable multi-application robot. Independent modules named as sensor bricks, are designed with different types of sensors that can work independently and be plugged into the robotic system. The system is developed such that on processing the data from different sensors will enable us to take autonomous decisions as to which data is required as per the application and choice of the right sensor required.
Sensors considered for the robotic system are visual sensor, thermal sensor and laser sensor and when these are combined on to a common platform increases the information that can be obtained through the system. Each sensor brick is self-sufficient and does the task of acquiring data from real world, preprocesses it and transfers the preprocessed data wirelessly to a remotely located central control computer for the robotic system. The central control computer does the main control of the entire robotic system, which include coordination between all the modules of the system, advanced data analysis and feedback operations. There is a human machine interface through which the operator talks to the robotic system. A robotic platform which is a low profile tracked robot has the ability to carry modules over it is used for providing mobility to the individual modules. Figure 1.1 shows the general block that would be present in a sensor based robotic system [HORN].
Figure 1.1: General Sensor Based Robotic System Block Diagram
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The overall system architecture of the modular multi-sensor robotic system,
which has been proposed, is shown in Figure 1.2 with its various modules. Mobility, Human Interface, Sensing Configuration and Central Intelligence are the four modules of the modular multi-sensor robotic system.
Figure 1.2: Architecture of a Modular Multi-Sensor Robotic System
In this project report, design and development of a Video Sensor Brick that is a
data acquisition module of the robotic system will be detailed. The hardware development including the physical building of the brick and the software applications developed for the vision system will be discussed.
1.1 Motivation Most of the present day robotic applications include the security and surveillance operations. This is due to the alarming rate of fall in security, which is evident from the incident of 11th September of World Trade Center from when security is seen as an important issue. For the sake of providing an efficient security and continuous surveillance, a concept of modular multi-sensor robotic system has been proposed. This has three different sensors, which when combined would give an excellent ability for the robot in surveillance applications, which may include continuous monitoring of commercial and office areas, security at airports, harbor surveillance and under vehicle inspection. The design of the robotic system features modularity, self-sufficiency, compactness and easy of operation.
Modularity, which is the main feature of this robotic system, makes it very promising for the current day surveillance applications as it makes the system flexible
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and expandable to meet the hardware and software requirements for the job it is being used. This combined with multiple sensors that include video sensor, thermal sensor and range sensor increases the scope of information acquired by the robotic system and hence the applications as well. The video sensor basically forms the eye of any robotic system and helps in the path planning and navigation. They can also be used in threat detection and object recognition applications. The surveillance when video sensors are used is limited to the daytime vision for the robot. The thermal sensor is mainly for nighttime vision or in absence of light where the former ceases to work. Thermal sensor is used to get exclusive thermal patterns which are very useful in face and human recognition. The laser sensor is used in getting information related to distance between robot and an object, 3-D view of an object by combining various views of it.
This robotic system could be used for multiple applications with reduced hardware and improved efficiency. The sensor blocks and modules that would be required for the task the robotic system is given can only be mounted on to the system. For example for general scouting operations a video sensor mounted with mobility are required. When the robot have to take a particular path, a video sensor is necessary to get the environment around and a laser sensor to find the exact distance from the objects in the scene and ensure it to follow the path defined.
The low profile multi-sensor under vehicle robotic system developed in IRIS lab placed over the tracked robotic platform can be seen in Figure 1.3. The multi-sensor robotic system gives us the entire scene information under a vehicle. The video sensor takes the sequence of all the components and their parts for visual examination. The thermal sensor will help in getting the heat patterns of all the parts under the vehicle and the laser sensor will give the 3D reconstructions of the components. Any threat object or unusual part can be easily detected very efficiently using this system as the chances of missing information are highly impossible.
(a)
(b)
Figure 1.3: (a) Range sensor, Thermal sensor and Video sensor (b) Video Sensor Brick - placed on tracked under-vehicle robot of IRIS lab
Vision for the robot is necessary for of both manned and unmanned robotic
applications. The work done to designed and developed a Video Sensor Brick as a module for the modular multi-sensor robotic system which is an acquisition block is
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presented in this document. Video Sensor Brick serves as the eye of the robot helping it to navigate through the path given to it correctly. Complex application areas of the Video Sensor Brick include the areas that require continuous surveillance like robot navigation, video tracking, and intrusion and threat detection.
The main features of the Video Sensor Brick include lightweight, ease of operation and maintenance, and its small size combined with the ability to work independently in a stand-alone mode. Modularity is maintained at every level of the brick, which would reduce the hardware requirements. The hardware components can be shared between different bricks and when put to multiple applications for which different specifications of individual components are required, they alone can be replaced. Each brick is developed such that, any block of the acquisition or preprocessing or communication can be removed and replaced with another component that would suit the task the robotic system is assigned. The self-sufficiency of the Video Sensor Brick will allow it to be a plug-and-play device to any robotic system.
In various applications related to surveillance or path planning the robot is monitored remotely. A clear picture of where the robot is heading, the path it has to follow and the surrounding environment is required. The video sensor acts as an eye to the robot and provides a view of the surroundings and environment it is present in, by capturing images and transmitting them to the remote control computer from where the robot is being monitored. Total 360 degrees coverage and additionally zooming of the area of interest is possible using vision cameras. The modularity of the brick allows the choice of the camera as per the requirement of the task of the robot.
The sensor brick design features of modularity and self-sufficiency which will open a wide variety of applications it can be put to as in sensor-based technology. The sensor brick has four blocks: acquisition block which is the video sensor for acquiring data from real world; preprocessing block to perform basic low level image processing operations; communication block; and the power supply block to provide actuation for the other blocks of the sensor brick.
Clover Electronics USA DQ205 model Color Dome Quad Camera with 4 built-in Cameras and a Quad Splitter is used as the sensor for the Video Sensor Brick for acquiring data [CLOVER]; ASUS P4P800-VM mini-ATX motherboard is used for performing the preprocessing operations on the acquired data [ASUS]; Linksys Wireless-G PCI Card WMP54G is used for wireless transmission of the processed data from the brick to the remote host computer [LINKSYS]; and Panasonic LC-RA1212P Lead Acid Battery of 12V is used for actuation of the above mentioned components of the brick [PANASONIC].
1.2 Applications The features offered in the Video Sensor Brick design, though complex gives a vast range of application for the robot. The sensor brick features modularity and self-sufficiency is aimed at applications which use sensors and require processing capabilities. The vision sensor is the most important part of robot as it is the one that provides vision to the robot in motion. It is the main tool in the path planning and navigation. In most of the scouting missions, vision sensor forms the basic sensor used. Vision sensors are also be used in
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high surveillance applications like video tracking and intrusion detection by having multiple cameras. The foremost application of video sensors would be robot navigation. Robot navigation system will help the robot to reach the destination avoiding the obstacles in the path defined way. Given the starting and the ending points, the robot must be able to move around the objects on its path. The video sensor will be the eye of the robotic system and guide through its motion in the path desired [HORN] [ALOIM].
Mobile robotics for are used in security and hazard detection, material handling like nuclear materials, tracking [21st CENT] applications. Remotely controlled robots with vision sensors on them are useful for inspection of areas where humans cannot enter, like nuclear reactors, space regions, and barren lands.
The modular robotic sensor system developed for a low profile robot platform is developed by IRIS lab that does under-vehicle inspection to detect presence of any possible threat object under the vehicle. This system is a very good replacement to the traditional mirrors used for under vehicle inspection at check post usually [TCS INT] [GRUMMAN].
The main advantages of the under vehicle inspection system developed by IRIS lab over the tradition mirrors are (1) the traditional mirror stick must be held out under the vehicle to view the scene and gives as less as 40% coverage of the under vehicle scene as it is restricted by the view of the mirror the center of the under vehicle cannot be viewed where the possibility for placing threat objects is more, where as with the use of sensor that are mounted on a robotic platform that can go under the vehicle, an entire sequence of under vehicle can be obtained. (2) In case of operating a mirror stick a person must be close to the vehicle where he would be exposed to the threat if present, but the robotic system would allow control of the robot and to navigate it remotely from a distant place providing more safety for the person who is operating and; (3) poor lighting under the vehicle would effect in the case of mirror stick.
Figure 1.4 shows the under vehicle inspection scene with the traditionally used mirror in contrast with the low profile multi-sensor robotic system developed.
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(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Figure 1.4: (a) Complete scene of under a vehicle (b) Tracked robot of IRIS lab used for under vehicle inspection (c) Mirror on stick for under-vehicle inspection (d) Video Sensor Brick Mounted of the tracked under vehicle robot
1.3 Proposed Approach This project is split into two phases. Phase 1: Hardware Design The hardware design includes a detailed survey of the components of the Video Sensor Brick. A brick that would meet the specifications required is modular, and fit in a low profile robotic platform is designed. The various blocks along with their functions can be seen in Figure 1.5.
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Figure 1.5: Hardware Approach for the Video Sensor Brick
Phase 2: Software Design The software for the Video Sensor Brick includes the Graphical User Interface (GUI) developed in Visual Studio. NET with the various operations coded in C, C++ and MATLAB. The software also includes the development of algorithms for basic image processing of the acquired data that is performed at the brick level. The low-level image processing operations that the Video Sensor Brick would be able to perform are image inversion, histogram for the intensity information, cropping, edge detection. An algorithm to do threat detection is also developed by background subtraction.
1.4 Documentation Organization This first chapter gives an overview of the modular robotic sensor system with the hardware and software requirements for Video Sensor Brick. Second chapter presents the architecture of the Video Sensor Brick and the survey on the components of various blocks available in market. The third and fourth chapters present the development of the hardware and software designs, respectively. Fifth chapter provides results and the evaluation of the results which are the data collected by the Video Sensor Brick. Finally, in the sixth chapter we conclude the report.
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2 Architecture of Video Sensor Brick Each sensor brick of the modular multi-sensor robotic system has been designed in a brick layout, where all the functionalities of the system form an individual block that will perform a specific task. The brick concept is developed to provide modularity to the sensor bricks at every level, make it usable for multiple applications by just changing the necessary components, and to provide easy operation. The components of the brick are laid in such a way, that they can be easily replaced by another; owing to the requirements of the application the robotic system is being used. This saves a lot of hardware, as the design can be modified to suit the need, instead of building an entirely new unit.
The Video Sensor Brick discussed in this report is a data acquisition system which acquires data from real time environment, preprocesses it and transmits the data to the central computer of the robotic system wirelessly. Following sections give a detailed description of the sensor brick concept and the survey performed on individual components for various blocks of the brick, for development the Video Sensor Brick.
2.1 Video Brick Sensor Concept The Video Sensor Brick is developed in a brick layout which has four different blocks. The design is given the name ‘brick’ as the different components of the Video Sensor Brick can be laid together as bricks, which can be easily be joined to form the sensor based acquisition system. The blocks of the sensor brick can easily be removed and replaced by another component. The brick layout ensures modularity and flexibility to the Video Sensor Brick at every level. The design of Video Sensor Brick includes a power block, which makes it self-sufficient so that it can operate as a separate entity. The Video Sensor Brick can be used as a stand-alone system that acquires data from the real world as well as work as a plug-and-play device to modular robotic sensor system.
The blocks of the Vision Sensor Brick are data acquisition or sensing block, preprocessing block, communication block and power supply block. The brick layout for the sensor block is shown in Figure 2.1.
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Figure 2.1: Sensor Brick Layout
In the Video Sensor Brick, vision sensor is required for the data acquisition block
that would acquire the data from real time environment. The video camera forms the sensor. The acquired data is passed to the next block - the preprocessing block where low-level image processing is done. In this block the acquired data is detailed and partial processed. The central control computer takes care of the advanced processing. These high level processing include fine positioning information used to direct the mobility module or pattern recognition that helps in decision making required for the robot. Communication block transfers the preprocessed data from the individual sensor brick to the remotely located central computer of the robotic system. After completing the high-level computations on the data received from the different bricks the central computer returns the final results to individual the sensor blocks for visualization and gives feedback as to what it has to do next. Individual bricks are involved in planning the action strategy for data capturing and pass it to mobility module which guides the robot to move to the next position with a sampling strategy developed for the recalibration of the sensors.
2.2 Survey of the components for the Video Sensor Brick
This section of the report gives a detailed commercial survey done on the available options for the different blocks of the Video Sensor Brick. The main considerations taken while doing the search for the components include size, weight, cost, ease of operation, and maintenance. These features are necessary to make the Video Sensor Brick compact, and at the same time be efficient in performance. The design also must be flexible; to allow changes of various blocks to suit the task the robot performs. Though the design is complex, it will provide various advantages to save the hardware, reduced cost, and handling of the brick easy.
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2.2.1 Survey for the Data Acquisition Block of the Video Sensor Brick The data acquisition block of the Video Sensor Brick is a video camera that will capture video sequences from the real time. There are innumerable models of video sensors available in market, as they are the most widely used cameras for research and commercial applications, which include surveillance and continuous monitoring of a situation, and for robot navigation and path planning. The video sensors can be broadly classified into two different types, fixed cameras and PTZ cameras. The choice of sensor for the brick depends on the complexity of the application the Video Sensor Brick has been assigned. The fixed cameras provide data from a limited region that it covered in its view, as its area of coverage is restricted by the lack of movement in all directions. In PTZ camera a larger area is covered owing to the capabilities of Pan which is the left to right movement; and Tilt which is the up to down movement. The PTZ cameras are also provided with zoom effect to get a better and a closer view of the object. The video camera is available in different designs which include the normal mount model, and dome ceiling model.
Technical information of each camera can be defined by various parameters that would help in assessing the camera performance and whether it meets the requirements necessary for the application the sensor brick is assigned. The general parameters are – image sensors i.e. CCD or CMOS, signal formats i.e. NTSC or PAL, effective pixels, horizontal resolution, maximum sensitivity, power, size and weight, video signal to noise ratio and for the PTZ cameras we have the pan, tilt angles and zooming capabilities along with there respective speeds in which they can be controlled. Survey has been performed by considering some of the important parameters of the camera, which include – resolution, minimum illumination, image sensor type, power, dimensions and weight, pan/tilt angles and speed and cost.
After a detailed market study on available for the video sensor in different types and designs, a quad dome camera has been chosen for the data acquisition block of the Video Sensor Brick. This dome camera has four built-in cameras along with a built-in quad splitter. This allows viewing images acquired from all the four cameras simultaneously. The cameras can be positioned as per the requirements, to view specific areas of interest. They will provide 360 degree coverage.
An in-depth study of the market choices available for quad dome cameras has been preformed and Clover Electronics USA DQ205 model Color Dome Quad Camera with 4 built-in cameras and built-in quad splitter has been chosen as the video sensor for the Video Sensor Brick [CLOVER]. This also has IR remote controller which functions on RS 485 interface. The survey of the quad dome cameras considered and reviewed as the video camera for the Video Sensor Brick are listed in Table 2.1 below:
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4 Camera Dome with
Built-in Quad Splitter
Image Sensor
Resolution Min. Illumination
Dimension and Weight
Coverage Power Price
Clover DQ –200– B/W
1/3´´ B/W CCD
380 lines and 30 fps
1.0 Lux Dome dimensions: 5.5´´ x 3.75´´
Complete 360º coverage
- $310.70
MJ – V – DOME4 – SM
1/3´´ B/W CCD
330 lines
1.0 Lux Dome diameter:
4.75´´
Complete 360º coverage
12 V DC $375.00
MD5Q- 2 $ Dome Camera
- 380 lines (B/W) and 350 lines
(Color)
0.1 Lux (B/W) and 1.0 Lux
(Color)
Dome Diameter: 8´´
Complete 360º coverage
12 V DC $399.90
Eagle Vision-Quad Dome
1/3´´ B/W CCD
380 lines - Dimensions: 140mm x
88mm
Complete 360º coverage
12 V DC $699.90 $995.90
DC – 521 Multi- Camera Armor Camera
1/3´´ Sony CCD
400 lines (B/W) and 380 lines
(Color)
0.05 Lux (B/W) and 1.0 Lux
(Color)
- Complete 360º coverage
12 V DC $396.00 $782.90
CloverDQ205 4 Color Cameras
Dome
1/4´´ CCD (Color)
330 lines and 30 fps
3.0 Lux Dome dimensions:
140(d) x 95(h) mm and
360º coverage with IR Remote
Control
18V DC $999.90
Table 2.1: Survey of the Quad Dome Cameras for the acquisition block of Video Sensor Brick
Most of the vision cameras have video data as output, which will be in a standard analog format. For any further processing and analysis, the raw data needs to be converted into digital form. A frame grabber or a capture that basically takes in an analog input and gives out a digital data is used for digitization of acquired data. The digital data obtained from the capture card will be feed to the preprocessing block. Pinnacle Studio AV/DV Version 8 Capture Card is chosen as the capture card, for the purpose digitization in the Video Sensor Brick [PINNACLE].
2.2.2 Survey for the Preprocessing Block of the Video Sensor Brick The preprocessing block of the Video Sensor Brick consists of a motherboard that would provide a provision for processor, memory, I/O capabilities and expansion cards. The main function of this block is to perform low-level image processing on the acquired data and pass the preprocessed data to the communication block for wireless transfer to the central control computer. The low-level image processing operations on the spatial images include inversion resizing, cropping and the edge operations using various methods Sobel, Prewitt, Log operations on the images.
The options available for the preprocessing block are explored. A detailed survey for the components has been performed taking into considerations of single-chip computers, single-board computers, and notebook. After the study of the above, with respect to the available specifications that would suit the requirements for the
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preprocessing block of the Video Sensor and taking cost as well into consideration, single-board computers are chosen. Motherboards of mini form factor are selected to limit the size of the brick to minimum. Various motherboards available in market were surveyed and short listed to a choice of three. The specifications of three different single-board computers that are studied in detail for the Video Sensor Brick are listed in the Table 2 below.
Table 2.2: Survey of the motherboards and single-board computers for the preprocessing block of Video Sensor Brick
ASUS P4P800-VM motherboard has been chosen from the above three for the preprocessor block of the Video Sensor Brick. ASUS P4P800 motherboard is available in ATX mini form factor with dimensions of 9.6" x 9.6" and superior when compared to other two as it provides better processor provision. The memory capability of ASUS
Features P4P800-VM Mainboard VIA EPIA Mainboard LE-564 Miniboard Processor Socket 478 for Intel® Pentium® 4/
Celeron up to 3.06GHz+ On-die 512KB/256KB L2 Cache
with full speed Intel®: Hyper-Threading
Technology ready New power design supports up to 3.06GHz CPU speeds and above
VIA Eden™ ESP 5000 processor
VIA C3™ E-Series processor (EBGA package)
X86 processor architecture
Front Side Bus 533 / 400 MHz 100/133MHz Front Side Bus Low power consumption
Optional Fanless
533 MHz CPU
Memory 2 x 184-pin DIMM Sockets support max. 2GB
PC2700/PC2100 (FSB533) or PC2100/PC1600 (FSB400) non-
ECC DDR SDRAM memory
Two 168-pin DIMM memory sockets
PC100/133 SDRAM support
Integrated Compact Flash type-I/II interface supports
CFC (Compact Flash Card) with flash memory
capacity up to 1 GB Expansion Slots 1 x AGP 4X (1.5V
only)(optional) 3 x PCI
ATA/100/66/33 Support 1 PCI slots
One PCI expansive slot supports up to 2 PCI add-on cards via an additional riser card and one Mini-PCI socket optional use
with PCI slot Special Features Power Loss Restart
Support S/PDIF out interface ASUS® EZ Flash
ASUS® Q-Fan technology Crash Free BIOS
AGP warning LED
Integrated Macro Vision 7.01 High quality scaling and
filtering S-Video or Composite video
output Supports NTSC/PAL TV
formats
--
Back Panel I/O Ports
1 x Parallel 1 x Serial
1 x PS/2 Keyboard 1 x PS/2 Mouse
1 x VGA 1 x Audio I/O 4 x USB 2.0
1 x RJ45 (on LAN model only)
Four USB ports (two USB ports located at rear side) 1 EPP/ECP parallel port
1 16C550 compatible serial port
2 External PS/2 Compatible Keyboard /Mouse ports 2 TV output ports (S-)
2 COM, 1 Parallel, 2 USB ports.
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motherboard is good comparatively as well as has three expansion slots, which provides the ability to add other functional cards [ASUS]. Intel Pentium IV processor [NEWEGG1], a 512MB Corsair memory for RAM [NEWEGG2] and 40GB hard disk from Maxtor [MAXTOR] are chosen for the preprocessing block for the storage of the processed data.
2.2.3 Survey for the Communication Block of the Video Sensor Brick In the communicating block of the Video Sensor Brick the preprocessed data has to be transferred wirelessly to the remotely located central computer for further processing and analysis of data. Proper means of communication has to be ensured, as the data must be transferred without any loss of information at a good speed over the required distance. Most of the monitoring of the robot movement and interpretation of the data acquired cannot be done at the place of acquisition i.e. brick itself. The data acquired by the Video Sensor Brick is transmitted to the central computer, which analyses the data and gives a feedback to the individual sensor and other modules about follow up action based on the interpretations. The various options considered here for the communication purpose is wireless LAN using 802.11g and 802.11b standards. Wireless LAN standard 802.11g has been chosen for wirelessly transferring data from the Video Sensor Brick and been standardized for the entire robotic system to keep the system update to the latest technology. 802.11g Standard has the frequency wavelength of 2.4GHz that of 802.11a, data bandwidth of 54Mbps of 802.11b with a coverage area of 150 ft minimum. As well 802.11g is downward compatible with both 802.11a and 802.11b. Linksys Wireless G PCI WMP54G Card forms the communication block of the Video Sensor Brick [LINKSYS]. A comparative study of the IEEE 802.11b and 802.11g standards is performed and the following Table 3 details the features and specifications of them respectively.
Standard Specifications IEEE 802.11b IEEE 802.11g Frequency wavelength 2.4GHz 2.4GHz
Data bandwidth 11Mbps 54Mbps, 48Mbps, 36Mbps, 24Mbps, 12Mbps, 6Mbps
Security measures WEP, OFDM WEP, OFDM, AES (in Broadcom 54g) and possibly WPA/Wi-Fi
protected access Optimum operating range 150 ft. indoors, 300 ft. outdoors,
under normal conditions 1000 ft. under ideal conditions;
expect more like 150 ft. indoors, 300 ft. outdoors, under normal
conditions Best suited for a specific purpose
or device type Roaming laptops in home or
business; computers when wiring is inconvenient
Roaming laptops in home or business; computers when wiring
is inconvenient Devices currently using the
standard Consumer products by Intel,
Linksys, Lucent, Cisco, chipsets made by Atheros
Consumer products by Apple, Linksys, Lucent, Cisco, Buffalo,
Belkin; chipsets made by Broadcom, Atheros, Intersil
Table 2.3: Features WLAN IEEE 802.11g and 802.11b Standards
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3 Hardware Design In this chapter of the report the technical specifications and characteristics of each component of the Video Sensor Brick is elaborated. All the blocks and the interface between the various block is also detailed. The physical packaging of the Video Sensor Brick with different layouts and design options explored is as well presented along with the drawings, electrical circuit diagram and the bill of materials for the Video Sensor Brick.
3.1 Description of the Blocks of the Video Sensor Brick
Hardware design part includes the description of the physical components of the brick chosen for each of the four blocks. After a detailed survey, the components for various blocks of the Video Sensor Brick have been finalized. The components are chosen in a way that they best suit maximum number of applications and be efficient in performance at low cost. The selected components are interfaced with each other to perform with full efficiency. The interface between the block and the features of each component of the Video Sensor Brick is detailed in the following section.
The main component of the Video Sensor Brick will be the camera, which acquires real time data in real time environment. A Clover Electronics USA DQ205 model Color Quad Dome Camera with 4 built-in Cameras and a Quad Splitter along with the Pinnacle Studio AV/DV Version 8 Capture Card used for digitization forms the data acquisition block [CLOVER]; the preprocessing block constitutes of ASUS P4P800-VM mini-ATX motherboard with the processor, memory and hard disk which performs low level image processing on the data acquired [ASUS]; the communication block consist of Linksys Wireless-G PCI card WMP54G which would transfer the preprocessed images wirelessly to a remotely located central computer [LINKSYS] and the power design would be 12 V battery of Panasonic LC-RA1212P Lead Acid Battery for actuation of the above three blocks of the brick [PANASONIC]. Figure 3.1 shows all the components of the Video Sensor Brick laid down as per their interface.
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Figure 3.1: Video Sensor Brick layout showing components of all the blocks
3.1.1 Data Acquisition Block The data acquisition block of the Video Sensor Brick constitutes of a camera, which forms the actual sensor of the brick and a capture card that would digitize the analog video output from the camera to digital form. Clover Electronics USA model DQ205 Color Quad Dome Camera with four built-in cameras and a quad splitter form the sensor for Video Sensor Brick [CLOVER] and Pinnacle Studio AV/DV card as the capture card [PINNACLE]. The capture card basically takes an analog input and provides a digital output. Figure 3.2 shows the data acquisition block of the Video Sensor Brick.
Figure 3.2: Data Acquisition Block of Video Sensor Brick
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Clover Electronics USA DQ205 model Color Quad Dome Camera with four built-in cameras and a quad splitter has IR Remote control with RS 485 communication that enables the user to set the dwell time, Quad, Auto and Manual mode remotely. The camera has high resolution, low illumination, and provides 360 degrees coverage with manual control for tilt. It forms a cost effective alternative to the general Quad Monitors and is compatible with most TV’s and monitors. It also has an easy RCA and power plug – in connection and is VCR recordable. It can be operated in automatic and manual mode where options are present to view the data from all the four camera simultaneously, or each camera data at a time, or have the quad screen and individual camera data one after the other in a loop with a preset delay that can be varied from 1 sec to 5 sec. The DQ205 quad dome camera from Clover Electronics USA [CLOVER] is seen in the following Figure 3.3.
Figure 3.3: Clover Electronics USA DQ205 model Color Quad Dome Camera with four built-in cameras and a quad splitter for the acquisition block of the Vision Sensor brick
Specifications of Clover Electronics USA DQ205 model Color Quad Dome Camera with four built-in cameras and a quad splitter are listed in the following Table 4.
Description Specifications Image Pickup Device 1/4´´ color CCD area sensor
TV System NTSC, PAL No. of Pixels NTSC: 512(H) * 492(V) PAL: 512(H)*582(V)
Scanning System NTSC: 525 lines, 60 fields per sec PAL: 625 lines, 50 field/sec Sync System Usable Internal Sync
Resolution 380 TV lines Usable Illumination 3.0 Lux/ F 2.0
S/N Ratio More than 46db Video Output 1 V p-p 75Ω
Electronic shutter speed NTSC: 1/60 ~ 1/100,000 Real Time and Dwell Time 30 frames per sec.; 1 to 5 sec
Power Supply 18 V DC Power Consumption 1,500mA Max
Lens 3.6mm F2.0 Operation Temperature -10°C to 50°C
Dimensions 165(d) x 105(h) mm Weight 3.0lb
Table 3.1: Table of Specifications of Clover Electronics USA DQ205 model Color Quad Dome Camera with four built-in cameras and a quad splitter
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By having a quad splitter as an included feature in the Clover Electronics USA DQ205 model Color Dome Quad Camera, scenes from all the four different built-in cameras could be viewed and monitored simultaneously. This forms a definite advantage, as continuous supervision of wide range of areas at a time is possible, which is the main requirement in surveillance applications. The main feature of a quad splitter is the ability to compress images from four separate cameras and simultaneously display them on a single monitor screen. As the name implies these allow images from 4 cameras to be viewed and recorded simultaneously. Since each camera will be displayed on 1/4th of the screen, the use of a large monitor (minimum 12") makes the display easier. Most quad splitters incorporate two types of output, Quad and Switch. Quad output is for continuous recording such that the tape is always recording the quad image. Switching output permits the recording of quad screen but will switch to full screen recording of a single camera upon activation of external alarm (e.g.: PIR motion sensor) associated with the camera. When four cameras are displayed, each occupies a quarter of the screen. A single camera can be selected and displayed full-screen, as well. Unlike multiplexer recording, quad splitter recording yields only what appears on the monitor screen. If the VCR is recording a four-camera display, then playback will show four cameras.
The various operating modes available in DQ205 model Clover Electronics USA
Color Dome Camera are briefed below -- Quad Mode Operation – In this mode, the camera displays four quadrant pictures, i.e. all the video sequences being captured by the four in-built cameras will be displayed simultaneously on the monitor. Sequential Mode Operation – The Quad Dome camera DQ205 has an in-built sequential switcher, which will display a full screen of a particular camera at a time in sequence for a period of time. These modes present are controlled by the remote control provided, which uses RS - 485 communications by the AUTO/MANUAL mode. The Dwell time in the sequential mode can be adjusted remotely as required. Manual Mode Operation – By using this option we can display only one camera video sequences, when it is not it Quad or Sequential mode. Using this we can view a particular camera capture sequence for the time duration of our interest, unlike the Sequential mode in which the time of picture of each camera is per fixed. Capture Card – Pinnacle Studio AV/DV The visual data acquired by the camera in the acquisition block is in a video NTSC format. An analog video is obtained which has to be converted to digital format to perform the preliminary image processing operations. A capture card Pinnacle Studio AV/DV that gives digital images of the analog data captured performs this conversion.
Studio AV/DV is an internal analog and digital video card that can capture your video from any consumer videotape to your PC. It comes with a full version of Studio 8, world’s one of the best video editing software. Studio version 8 provides a tool needed to easily capture video to the computer, edit it, add titles, music, narration and special
26
effects and then output a finished video back to videotape, DVD and the web. This card is used in the Video Sensor Brick for converting analog signal to digital format [PINNACLE]. Figure 3.4 shows the Pinnacle Studio AV/DV card used for digitization in the data acquisition block of the Video Sensor Brick.
Figure 3.4: Pinnacle Studio AV/DV Capture Card for the Video Sensor Brick
3.1.2 Preprocessing Block The preprocessing block of the Video Sensor Brick constitutes of the ASUS P4P800-VM as the motherboard [ASUS], Intel Pentium IV as the processor [NEWEGG1], Corsair 512 MB RAM [NEWEGG2], and Maxtor hard disk. The preprocessing block of the Video Sensor Brick has to do low-level processing of the acquired data, which would include noise removal, rotation of the image, smoothing, and sharpening, zooming, cropping and edge detection. The preprocessing block might need to perform specific high-level processing tasks such as tracking or intrusion detection. Generally, high-level processing is to be performed by the remote central control system in general but as per the requirements of the application it being the brick would be put to the preprocessing block must have specific well-defined capabilities. Video Sensor Brick preprocessing block is supposed to be capable to a certain extent to perform these operations, which might be required sometimes, and to maintain the feature of modularity of the overall brick. The following Figure 3.5 shows the preprocessing block of the Video Sensor Brick with its components.
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Figure 3.5: Preprocessing Block of Video Sensor Brick
The preprocessing block would perform preliminary processing; provide a
platform for storage and to transmit the visual data captured wireless to a remote host. ASUS P4P800-VMmini-ATX board manufactured by ASUSTeK Computer Inc. was chosen to perform this task. The dimensions of this card are reasonable to provide a compact overall brick size. It supports Pentium 4 processor and has 3 PCI expansion slots. One of the slots is used to interface it to the camera through the capture card and another PCI slot is used for the communication to the remote central control system [ASUS].
ASUS P4P800-VM motherboard used in the preprocessing block of the Video Sensor Brick is shown in Figure 3.6.
Figure 3.6: ASUS P4P800-VM mini-ATX Motherboard for preprocessing block of the Video Sensor Brick
Specifications of the ASUS P4P800-VM mini-ATX motherboard for the
preprocessing block of the Video Sensor Brick are listed in the Table 3.2 below.
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Processor Socket 478 for Intel Pentium 4/ Celeron up to 3.4Ghz+, Intel Hyper-Threading Technology ready
Chipset Intel 865G GMCH, Intel ICH5 Front Side Bus 800/533/400MHz Memory Dual channel memory architecture, 4×184-pin DIMM sockets
support maximum 4GB PC3200/PC2700/PC2100 non-ECC DDR SDRAM memory
Expansion Slots 1× AGP 8x, 3× PCI Special Features ASUS Crash-Free BIOS2 Back Panel I/O Ports 1× Parallel
1× VGA 1× PS/2 Keyboard 1× PS/2 Mouse 1 x Line In/ Line Out / Microphone ports 1 x COM1 1× RJ45 4× USB 2.0
Internal I/O Connectors 2 x USB 2.0 connector support additional 4 USB 2.0 ports S/PDIF out connector 20 Pin ATX Power Connectors 4 Pin ATX 12V Power Connector 20 pin Panel connector 10 Pin Intel Front Panel Audio connector
BIOS 2MB Flash ROM, AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.3, ACPI
Form Factor Micro ATX 9.6” × 9.6” (24.3cm × 24.3cm)
Table 3.2: Table of specifications of ASUS P4P800-VM for the preprocessing block of the Video Sensor Brick
Processor: The processor for processing block is Intel Pentium IV, 2.4 GHz, a front side bus of 800MHz and 512K Cache along with Hyper Threading Technology [NEWEGG1]. RAM: The memory we used for the processing block is VS512MB400C3 manufactured by Corsair Memory Inc. It is 512MB, 333MHz 184 Pin SD RAM-DDR, non-EOC, 3.2GB/s bandwidth and 64M x 64 –Bit organization [NEWEGG2].
3.1.3 Communication Block Communication block of the Video Sensor Brick transmits the data that has been captured and preprocessed to a remotely located central control computer. For transmitting the processed data, IEEE standard 802.11g has been selected for the Video Sensor Brick. The standard 802.11g is a physical layer standard for WLANs in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radio band specifying three available radio channels. The maximum link rate is 54-Mbps per channel compared with 11 Mbps for 802.11b. The 802.11g standard uses OFDM modulation but, for backward compatibility with 802.11b, it also supports complementary code keying (CCK) modulation and, as an option for faster link rates, allows packet binary convolution coding (PBCC) modulation. Its speed similar to
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802.11a and backward compatibility may appear attractive but there are modulation issues: or 802.11b’s CCK modulation, the end result is three modulation types. Figure 3.7 shows the communication block of the Video Sensor Brick.
Figure 3.7: Communication Block of Video Sensor Brick
A Linksys Wireless-G PCI WMP54G Card has been chosen for the sake of the
Video Sensor Brick that would be the wireless communication channel [LINKSYS]. This card supports the wireless LAN 802.11g and sets the speed of our sensor brick to 54Mbps with 128-bit encryption. The 802.11g standard would be an obvious choice as it is the latest one with a frequency wavelength equal to 802.11b being 24GHz but data bandwidth much superior to it where 802.11b has 11Mbps; 802.11g has 54Mbps. It would as well provide with a good range of 100 to 150 feet, which is similar to that of 802.11b. WMP54G card is shown in Figure 3.8.
Figure 3.8: Linksys Wireless-G PCI WMP54G Card for the communication block of the Video Sensor Brick
Specifications of Linksys Wireless-G PCI WMP54G Card for the communication
block of the Video Sensor Brick are listed in the following Table 3.3.
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Standard IEEE 802.11g, 802.11b Transmit Power 15 dBm
Sensitivity -80dBM Security Features WEP. WPA, AES
Modulation 802.11b:CCK (11Mbps), DQPSK (2Mbps), DBPSK (1Mbps); 802.11g: OFDM
WEP Key Bits 64-Bit and 128-Bit Network Protocols TCP/IP, IPX, NDIS 4, NDIS 5, NDIS 5.1, NetBEUI
Dimensions (W x H x D) 134mm x 121mm x 22mm Unit Weight 3.88Oz (0.11kg)
Power 3.3V Operating Temperature 0°C to 65°C
Table 3.3: Table of specifications of ASUS Linksys WMP54G for the communication block of the Video Sensor Brick
3.1.4 Power Supply Block The power supply block of the Video Sensor Brick would provide the required power for each of the individual components of the brick, thus making it self-sufficient. Having a power supply block in the Video Sensor Brick ensures it to work independently as the power requirements of all the other components of the brick are taken care off. Calculating the best-required values of each block does design of the power supply block. This should be done accurately so as to have a good power supply that would provide the required amount of energy for the functioning of Video Sensor Brick.
For the actuation of the Vision Sensor brick, Panasonic LC-RA1212P Lead Acid Batteries of 12V supply are taken as standard power source [PANASONIC]. The Clover Electronics USA DQ205 model Color Dome Quad Camera would require 18V at 2.5A i.e. about 50W. Vicor Mega Mod DC-to-DC converter with 18.5V, 50W output has been used to provide power to the camera [VICOR]. The ASUS P4P800-VM motherboard requires about 100W of power. As the wireless card and capture card are housed by it, their power requirements are also taken care off. The motherboard requires 5V; 12V and 15V that can be given by special DC-to-DC converter Mini-Box PW-80 which has been specially design for powering the mini-ATX boards [MINIBOX]. Figure 3.9 shows the power supply block of the Video Sensor Brick with various components put together to actuate the three other blocks of the brick.
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Figure 3.9: Power Supply Block of Video Sensor Brick
Panasonic LC-RA1212P Lead Acid Battery
The Panasonic LC-RA1212P Lead Acid Battery provides with 12V supply, which forms the input to the rest of the power supply block components PW-80 DC-to-DC converter and Vicor Mega Mod 18.5V, 50W DC-to-DC converter. This is a Panasonic Battery product and is of premium quality absorbed glass mat technology (AGM), which is ideal for ATVs, motorcycles. Figure 3.10 shows the Panasonic LC-RA1212P battery used in the brick [PANASONIC].
Figure 3.10: Panasonic LC-RA1212P Lead Acid Battery for actuation of the Video Sensor Brick
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Some of the features of Panasonic LC-RA1212P Lead Acid Battery for actuation of the components of Video Sensor Brick that make it a choice for our brick are as follows -
• High quality and reliability • Exceptional Deep Discharge recovery • No corrosive gas generation • Long service life • Quick Chargeability • High Power Density • Maintenance free operation
Specifications of the Panasonic LC-RA1212P Lead Acid Battery are listed below
• Nominal Voltage – 12V • Rated Capacity at 20 hour rate – 12 Ah • Dimensions – 151mm x 98mm 94mm (L x W x H) • Weight – 3.8 kg
Vicor Mega Mod DC-to-DC Converter A DC-to-DC converter from the Vicor MegaMod family 25W to 50W (12V to 24V) as in Figure 3.11, is used to provide power to the camera. The specifications the cards are 12V input and 75 W with an output of 18.5V and 50W [VICOR]. These come in single, dual and triple output DC-DC converters provide cost effective, high performance, off-the-shelf solutions to applications that might otherwise require a custom supply. Totally isolated outputs eliminate efficiency penalties and output interaction problems. Figure 3.11: Vicor Mega Mod Dc-to-DC converter to power the DQ205 camera of the Video Sensor Brick
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PW-70A DC-to-DC Converter The PW-80 dc-to-dc converter is chosen to power the motherboard ASUS P4P800-VM. The PW-80 is the only dc-to-dc cable less mini-ATX power solution for VIA platform and is compatible with entire range of mini-ITX motherboards [MINIBOX]. PW-70A from MiniBox is shown in Figure 3.12.
Figure 3.12: PW-70A MINI-ATX DC-to-DC Converter for powering the ASUS P4P800-VM motherboard of the Video Sensor Brick
Specifications of PW-70A Mini-ATX DC-to-DC converter used to power the
motherboard ASUS P4P800-VM of the Video Sensor Brick are listed in the Table 3.4 below:
Total output power (combined): 100W
NOMINAL LOAD CURRENT REGULATION VOLTAGE (DC) MIN. MAX. (%) V(in)=12 Volt 0.1 A 9 A +/-15 +3.3 Volt 0 A 5 A +/- 5 +5 Volt 0 A 5 A +/- 5 -5 Volt 0 A 0.2 A +/- 5 +12 Volt 0 A 6 A +/ -12 Volt 0 A 6 A +/- 5 +5 Volt 0 A 2 A +/- 5
Output Voltage Ripple & Noise(p-p) +3.3 Volts 50 mV +5 Volts 60 mV -5 Volts 60 mV +12 Volts 120 mV -12 Volts 120 mV +5sb Volts 100 mV
Table 3.4: Specifications of PW-70A
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3.2 Design and Building of the Brick In this section of the report, the physical packaging of the Video Sensor Brick will be discussed. All the components of the brick must be arranged in such a way that it forms a prefect design which would occupy least volume and have minimum height. The requirements considered while designing the layout of Video Sensor Brick are (1) it should have dimensions that would easily fit into a tracked robotic platform which can house a 19" x 20" box (2) it should be a low profile design to suit most of the surveillance application like under vehicle inspection (3) the entire brick should be enclosed in a box and be able to operate by a On/Off switch (4) the Video Sensor Brick casing must be robust so the it can be used for airline and landline travel. The various components used in the Video Sensor Brick along with their dimensions are specified in the Figure 3.13. Knowledge of the dimensions of each component is very necessary in order to keep design a layout for packaging Video Sensor Brick that meets the required specifications.
Figure 3.13: Dimensions of the various components of the Video Sensor Brick
6. PW-80 dc-to-dc converter 86mm or 3.4inches (length) x 57mm or 2.26inches (wide) x 30mm or 1.19inches (high)
5. Panasonic LC-RA 1212P Lead Acid Battery
151mm or 5.945inches (length) x 98mm or 3.86inches (wide) x 100mm or 3.937inches (high)
3. Pinnacle Capture Card 122mm or 4.8inhes (length) x 95mm
or 3.75inhes (wide)
7. Vicor Mega Mod 18.5V, 50W DC-to-DC Converter
2.5 inches (length) x 2.5 inches (wide)
8. Matron Hard Disk 5.25 inches (length) x 4.75
inches (wide)
1. Clover Color Quad Dome Camera DQ205
165mm or 6.5inches (diameter) x 105mm or 4.1inches (height)
2. Motherboard ASUS P4P800-VM
243mm or 9.6inches (length) x 243mm or 9.6inches (breadth)
4. Wireless Card WMP54G Linksys
134mm or 5.28inches (wide) x 121mm or 4.76inches (high)
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3.2.1 Layout Proposals for the Video Sensor Brick Various components of the Video Sensor Brick were laid down in different forms to meet the requirements set for its casing. Initially a low profile layout was done with all the components at same level so the design was of 24 inches x 13 inches x 5-inch box as in Figure 3.14. This would not meet the requirement fitting in the tracked robotic platform. As it is essential for the brick to be able to fit to the tracked robot, which provides it mobility, the height, which was constrained, was liberalized. Another layout was designed where the camera of the Video Sensor Brick placed at a second level over the remaining components thus reducing the dimensions of the box considerable. Figure 3.15 shows this layout.
Figure 3.14: First layout proposed for packaging the Video Sensor Brick
Figure 3.15: Second layout proposed for packaging the Video Sensor Brick
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3.2.2 Final Drawings of the Layout of the Video Sensor Brick The second layout Figure 3.14 that would meet the dimension requirements was chosen to build the Video Sensor Brick. All the components of the Video Sensor Brick were tested for there functioning. To mount these components an aluminum sheet has been used as the mounting plate, which will be then enclosed by a sheet casing externally to form a box of suitable dimensions. The camera will be positioned on the lid of the enclosed box. So, the aluminum sheet consists of other components that are housed with appropriate mounting materials.
The positioning of the various components over the mounting plate can be seen in Figure 3.16. The dimension of the aluminum sheet used as the mounting plate for the components of the Video Sensor Brick is 20" x 15". The figure gives the details of where holes have to be drilled so as to mount different components, which makes it possible that any person who will see the layout will be able to make the mounting plate following the design given.
Figure 3.16: Layout for the components of Video Sensor Brick on the aluminum mounting plate
3mm thick aluminum sheet is used as mounting plate with 20-inch length and 15 inch width. The motherboard ASUS P4P800 is mounted on to the board using standoff. For these 6-32 holes are tapped to the sheet and ½ inch standoff along with 6-32 1-inch screws are used. Hard disk is mounted using 3 standoff of ¼ inch and a 6-32 1/2inch
37
screws are used to fix into tapped holes. Velcro is used to mount the batteries and the camera controller. A plastic mounting is made to place the PW-80, which is mounted on to the aluminum plate using Velcro. The cooling fan used for the brick is mounted on a bracket that fits to the plate by 2 8-32 ½ inch screws. The Vicor dc-to-dc converter is mounted on to the plate using 2 stand-off of ½ inch length fixed to plate using 2 6-32 1 inch screws. Figure 3.17 shows the aluminum mounting plate for the Video Sensor Brick with all the mounting materials for various components.
(a)
(b)
Figure 3.17: (a) 3mm thick Aluminum Sheet of 20 inches and 15 inches (b) Mounting plate with the necessary mounting material for all the components of the Video Sensor Brick
Figure 3.18 shows all the components of Video Sensor Brick mounted on the aluminum mounting plate along with the electric connections. The camera is supposed to be on the lid of the box over the other components.
(a)
(b)
Figure 3.18: (a) Mounting plate along with the components of the Video Sensor Brick (b) Mounting plate showing components of the Video Sensor Brick with electrical connections (camera seen goes on top of the box)
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Initially a casing for the Video Sensor Brick is designed with stainless steel. The five sided base for the box and the lid over which the camera is placed is considered. The metal sheet layout along with the dimensions is perfectly drawn. The 3D model of the stainless steel box is also build virtually in the mechanical desktop.
Figure 3.19 and Figure 3.20 shows the top view of the sheet metal and the outer metal casing box cutting layouts along with the dimensions and other details, which makes building the box easy with good drawings.
Figure 3.19 Top view of the metal sheet for the outer casing of Video Sensor Brick with dimension laid down for cutting which is the initial design for packaging
Figure 3.20: Different views of the outer casing of Video Sensor Brick initially proposed that encloses the mounting plate
Top View of the Box
Isometric View
Side Views of the Box
Sheet metal drawings for the base of the box
Sheet metal drawings for the lid of the box
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Figure 3.21 shows the 3D views of the outer casing of the Video Sensor Brick with the camera housed on top of the lid. Figure 3.22 shows the initial stage of casing for Video Sensor Brick, which is the wooden box, followed by the prototype of the metal casing to house all the components in a professional way. Both the boxes are low profile and are aimed to fulfill the requirements of the box for the bricks.
Figure 3.21: 3D views of the packaged Video Sensor Brick initially proposed with the camera seated on the lid of the box
(a)
(b)
Figure 3.22: (a) Wooden prototype of the first layout for the Video Sensor Brick casing (b) Metal box-casing prototype that would house the mounting plate with the components of the Video Sensor Brick
Isometric View Side View of the Box
Top View of the Box
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The above design needs a lot of material as the top and base have five sides. The fabrication by itself is hard as it requires lot of manual labor and is time consuming. The design does not allow making changes. Instead the whole box have to be rebuilt which would be waste of material and lot of labor. So, another design is considered for Video Sensor Brick.
The casing for the Video Sensor Brick is designed later to be built with aluminum which is cheaper than stainless steel. Aluminum is easier to handle and work with while building the box. The design is such that all the six sides of the casing are made separately and joined to form a box using rectangle joints called angles. This will make modifications much simpler. The side to be modified can be just replaced, thus saving a lot of material. The fabrication of the box itself is very easy.
3/16" thick aluminum sheet are used for building the box for Video Sensor Brick. Two sides of the box, base and the top are of dimensions 21" x 16"; the sides of the box are made of aluminum sheets of dimensions 21" x 6" length wise and 16" x 6" breadth wise. All the six sides are cut and designed as per the Video Sensor Brick mounting requirements. The vents for allowing air are provided and opening for PCI slots and the monitor, keyboard points are made. An On/Off switch with LED indication for powering the entire brick to batteries is given. Another reset switch is provided for the motherboard so as to ensure resetting it. 1/8" – 20 UNC 1/2" long button head socket cap screws are used to fix the joints of the sides and angles.
Figure 3.23 gives the 3D version of the final Video Sensor Brick that is drawn in mechanical desktop. It allows understanding all the details of the final packaged box with the provisions made for the components of the brick are clearly presented. Figure 3.24 shows different views of the packaged Video Sensor Brick.
(a)
(b) Figure 3.23: (a) 3D model from mechanical desktop of the final packaging designed for Video Sensor Brick (b) Detailed model drawing with all the components, joints, and screws in the Video Sensor Brick
Quad Dome Camera DQ205
Vent for CPU Fan
Button Head Socket Screws
On/Off Switch
Reset Switch
Angles for Joints Sides of Box made of Aluminum
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Figure 3.24: Layouts of the final packaged version of the Video Sensor Brick with the top, side and the isometric views along with the joints and sides seen clearly The later packaging design for the Video Sensor Brick is chosen to be the final design to build the brick. The advantages of the final packaging for the brick over the initial design are
• Fabrication of the box is very simple • Modification of the design of the brick is easy and can be done without
replacing any hardware or waste of material • Cost of the box is also much less as aluminum is used instead of much
expensive stainless steel. The Electrical Connection Diagram of the Video Sensor Brick is shown in Figure 3.25. It shows all the electrical connections between the different components of the brick. All the electrical interconnections between the DC-to-DC converters used to power the camera and the motherboard are shown along with the On/Off switch, in-line fuses, and positive/negative terminals in a detailed way in figure.
Top View of the Box
Side View of the Box
Isometric View
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Figure 3.25: Electrical Connection Diagram of the Video Sensor Brick
The Bill of Materials of the Video Sensor Brick is listed in detail along with the power requirements for each component in the Table 3.5 below. The components are chosen to be at low price while providing efficient results.
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Name of the Components Power Quantity Price 1. Clover Electronics USA DQ205 model Color Dome
Camera 50W 1 $990.00
2. ASUS P4P800-VM ATX Motherboard 80W 1 $93.00 3. Intel IV, 2.4GHz Processor 1 $157.00 4. Matron Hard Disk 20W 1 $115.00 5. Link Sys Wireless-G PCI Card 1 $49.99 6. Vicor Mega Mod 18V, 50 W DC-to-DC Converter 12V, 75W Input
18.5V, 50W Output 1 $115.00
7. Mini-Box PW-70A DC-to-DC Converter 24V 1 $60.00 8. Panasonic LC-RA1212P Battery Provides 12V, 20AH 2 $100.00 9. CPU Fan 12V, 0.29A 3.5” Form factor 1 $15.00
10. In-Line Fuses 4A and 7A 1 each $10.00 11. On-Off Switch 2 $8.00 12. 6-32, ½ “ Thru Screws 10 $2.00 13. 6-32, ¼ “ Thru Screws 3 $2.00 14. 6-32, 1 ½ “ Thru Screws 2 $2.00 15. Nylon Spacers 6 Dia, ¼ “ Length, No Threads 8 $2.00 16. Nylon Spacers 6 Dia, 1 “ Length, No Threads 2 $2.00 17. 10-32, ½ “ Flat Head Screws 4 $2.00 18. 10-32, ½ “ Hex Nuts 4 $2.00 19. LED Indicator 3 $1.00 20. Corsair Inc. 512MB RAM 1 $105.00 21. 20 inch x 15 inch Aluminum Sheet 1 $30.00 22. 22 inch x 17 inch Aluminum Sheets 2 $60.00 23. 22 inch x 6 inch Aluminum Sheets 2 $30.00 24. 17 inch x 6 inch Aluminum Sheets 2 $20.00 25. Rectangle Angle Joints 4 of 6 inch
2 of 22 inch 2 of 27 inch
$8.00
Total Cost Estimate $2250
Table 3.5: Bill of Materials of the Video Sensor Brick
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4 Software Design In this chapter of the project the software for the Video Sensor Brick will be discussed. The various image processing operations performed by the preprocessing block including the threat detection algorithms will be detailed. The GUI form developed for Video Sensor Brick is also presented.
4.1 Preprocessing Operations on the Acquired Data The images obtained from the camera are first analyzed valuable information before they could be used for further applications both by the processing block on the brick or by the central control computer of the robot. The images that would be obtained from the visual camera, DQ205 model Color Quad Dome camera would be inverted RGB images that will consist of three-color channels with ceiling mount facility. The obtained images from the camera can be seen must be inverted as the first step to get the upright image. A total of five images corresponding to each mode of the camera are obtained from the DQ205 Color Quad Dome camera. For any further processing, the intensity images of these images are to be obtained that provides with representative of the intensity variations in the original input images.
The first operation that would be done on the image would be to obtain an intensity image from an inverted RGB image and then to display the histogram of this intensity image, ensuring us more information. The camera could be used for navigation and surveillance operations and since usually these operations are conducted far away from the target the acquired images will usually be having a broad field of view (i.e.) the camera will focus on a larger area and so if we need to pick up a small part of the image and focus our attention on it then we could crop that section of the input image. We crop the acquired image so as to focus on our region of interest to obtain more detailed information. Similarly, as per the requirement of the navigation or surveillance operations we require images that are small in size or the area of interest as a small part of the image. There might be a need to resize the image and make it big in size, so as to view it clearly. Sometimes if the reverse happens and we obtain a big sized image then we might need to reduce its size by resizing the image.
Edge detection and plotting the contour of the acquired images are done as next step. The process of edge detection gives us all the edges encountered in the image. An edge in terms of image processing is classified as a sudden sharp change in intensity values. Thus this process of edge detection will help us in roughly estimating how many objects are present in the given image. Since an edge operator works on sharp changes in intensity values so we need to operate on the intensity image. Some of the possible options tried on the sample images with different edge detection operators like Sobel, Prewitt, Roberts and LoG are used.
The preprocessing operations performed on the spatial images acquired from the DQ205 Quad Dome camera are shown in Figure 4.1. The original images acquired from the camera are inverted in real time as the camera is meant to be a ceiling mount. Some of the low level image processing operations include inversion of acquired images to get
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an upright image, intensity image and the histogram of the original images, contour and edges of the images.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
Figure 4.1: (a) Original image captured by the Quad Dome Camera (b) Inverted image of the Original image (c) Intensity image of the original image (d) Histogram of the Original image (e) Contour of the Original image (f) Edges of the Original image using Sobel filters
4.2 Threat Detection Algorithms Basic threat detection algorithms using background subtraction has been implemented using some of the under vehicle images captured by the DQ205 Quad Dome camera. In background subtraction the background of the scene is fixed and assumed would not
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change for the entire real time sequence considered. The frames from the acquired data have different background as they have more details, which are from the additional objects or persons in the scene. When difference image of the frame from the real time scene and the background is performed and the histogram is analyzed. When the histogram value is greater than a certain value, which is usually predefined, new objects in the scene can be sensed.
Frames from under vehicle scene sequence that has an unusual object, which is a dummy muffler in the area of view, are considered. Two frames extracted from the sequence are shown in Figure 4.2. Frame 1 of Figure 4.2 is taken as background, which is fixed, and the difference image of the frame with the threat object, dummy muffler Frame 2 of Figure 4.2 is found. The video sequence from which the frames are used is captured when the camera is stationary and placed in a fixed position viewing the area of interest.
Frame1 720x480 pixels
Frame2 720x480 pixels
Figure 4.2: Frames considered for performing threat detection algorithm from the under vehicle scene sequence with unusual object
The images consider to perform the background subtraction are from real time
under vehicle scene sequence. For real time images, the background of any two images is not perfectly same. This is the reason a threshold value is taken. The frames from the under vehicle sequence are not perfectly similar as they are acquired by two different cameras of the in-built cameras of the DQ205 quad dome camera. The frame in Figure 4.2 does not even have the same area of coverage area. So, images are cropped to get the area of interest, which here are the mufflers from each frame. The cropped up mufflers from each frame are shown in Figure 4.3. Though the same muffler from the two different scenes is cropped when the difference is found we get interesting results as shown in Figure 4.4, which due the reasons such as the lighting conditions in real time varies and here the cameras used are different and background is not that constant for the taken frames.
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Frame1 415x198 pixels
Frame2 415x198 pixels
Figure 4.3: Cropped up images of similar mufflers from the under vehicle scene sequence with unusual object
(a) 415x198 pixels
(b) 415x198 pixels
Figure 4.4: Difference images of similar mufflers (a) Frame1 from Frame2 (b) Frame2 from Frame1 of Figure 4.3
The original muffler of the vehicle from Frame 1 and the dummy muffler from Frame 2 of Figure 4.2 are considered. Background subtraction is performed to detect the unusual object in the scene. Area of interest from the frames of Figure 4.2 is cropped to have original muffler and dummy muffler shown in Figure 4.5. The resulting difference images are shown in Figure 4.6. Figure 4.6 (a) is the obtained by subtracting the dummy muffler from the original muffler and Figure 4.6 (b) is the obtained by subtracting the original muffler from the dummy muffler.
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(a) 299x133 pixels Original muffler
(b) 299x133 pixels Dummy muffler
Figure 4.5: Cropped up images of two different mufflers from the under vehicle scene sequence with unusual object
(a) 299x133 pixels Original muffler
(b) 299x133 pixels Dummy muffler
Figure 4.6: Difference images of different mufflers (a) Frame1 from Frame2 (b) Frame2 from Frame1 of Figure 4.5
4.3 Graphical User Interface for the Video Sensor Brick The software for the Video Sensor Brick included the Graphical User Interface with special functionalities that would allow acquiring data from the camera. Visual C++. NET is chosen as the common platform for developing GUI so that interfacing with other brick of the robotic system and to communicate with the central control system. A basic form that included the functionalities required in the final GUI for the Video Sensor Brick is developed to start with as a Win 32 project. GUI shown in Figure 4.7 has all the functionalities and works on single frames. It has to be extended and converted to dialog box model in to suit real time environment.
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Figure 4.7: Basic Form of GUI in Win32 Visual C++
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5 Testing and Evaluation Each of the individual components of the Video Sensor Brick is tested for its operation. The hardware is evaluated and the power requirements as well the efficiency of the components are thorough. The interface, working, and performance, when all the components are put together are tested to be found satisfactory. The life of the brick when running on stand-alone mode with the power from the battery source to the camera and the processor is 2 hrs. The Panasonic battery is of 20AH and when it would power the camera alone, the battery life lasts for 10hrs and with processor alone it lasts for 3hrs.
The data collected by the Video Sensor Brick is presented in this chapter. The entire scene of under vehicle sequence has been captured and analyzed in detail. To camera efficiency is studied for various position and conditions imposed, in the under vehicle scene. The experimental set-up for data collection is shown in Figure 5.1.
(a)
(b) (c)
Figure 5.1: (a) Set-up for the data acquisition process by the Video Sensor Brick from a jacked up vehicle at Motor Pool (b) Image acquired by a vision still camera of the under vehicle scene (c) Frame from the sequence acquired by the DQ205 Quad Dome camera
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The data of the under vehicle is collected by jacking the vehicle about a height of 1 meter at Motor Pool of University of Tennessee. From the frames of the under vehicle sequence it can be clearly seen that the area of coverage of the DQ205 Quad Dome camera is more than that of a still camera. The quad mode option of the DQ205 allows us to view the images from all the four built-in cameras simultaneously. The camera when positioned manually to the area of interest gives 360 degrees coverage.
The details of the data collected by the brick for the under vehicle scene are given
in Table 5.1. The files of the video sequences of the under vehicle scenes acquired are available at http://www.imaging.utk.edu/classes/summer2004/apoduri/Task2/webfiles/documents.htm Name of the Sequence Details Size and Duration of the Sequences
Sequence 1 Under vehicle scene in the quad mode of DQ205
389MB, 3.08mins Sequence (30th June at Motor Pool)
Sequence 2 Under vehicle scene in auto and manual mode of the DQ205
1.32GB, 9.43mins Sequence (30th July, Motor Pool, van was jacked up to a
height of 1 meter) Sequence 3 Under vehicle scene with an
unusual object (dummy muffler) present
269MB, 1.35mins Sequence (July at Motor Pool)
Sequence 4 Under vehicle scene with additional lighting
1.15GB, 7.52mins Sequence (30th July, Motor Pool, van was jacked up to a
height of 1 meter) Sequence 5 Under vehicle scene without
jacking the vehicle 292MB , 1.46mins Sequence (12th July, IRIS West, van at regular level and no
conveyer was used)
Table 5.1: Details of the Video Sequences Captured using the Brick
The description of the video sequences captured by the Clover Electronics USA
DQ205 model Quad Dome Camera is given in detail below: Sequence1 A video sequence of under vehicle when the van was jacked up to a height of 1.25meters in quad mode where the data from all the four cameras in the Quad Dome camera can be viewed simultaneously of the camera. This sequence was taken with the camera being placed on the conveyer under the van at three different positions to capture the entire view under the vehicle. Frames from the sequence can be seen in Figure 5.2.
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(a) 299x133 pixels
(b) 299x133 pixels
Figure 5.2: Frames from Video Sequence 1 captured by Video Sensor Brick
Sequence2 An entire sequence of the under vehicle in both the quad mode with all data from all four cameras mounted on the Quad Dome camera simultaneously as well as in manual mode where we see data from each camera at one time. This sequence was taken with the camera being placed on the conveyer under the van at three different positions to capture the entire view under the vehicle. This sequence also has the difference in the images acquired with good lighting conditions under the vehicle while capturing data and without additional lighting. Figure 5.3 shows the frames from the video sequence.
(a) 720x480 pixels
(b) 720x480 pixels
Figure 5.3: Frames from Video Sequence2 captured by the Video Sensor Brick showing the effect of additional lighting in the scene
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Sequence3 A video sequence of under vehicle when the van was jacked up to a height of 1.5meters with an unusual object in the scene, where we have a dummy muffler. This sequence was taken with the Quad Dome Camera being placed at a fixed position under the van with various modes of the camera like the quad mode and the manual mode with all the different cameras one at a time. In the sequence we can see both the mufflers in various views. The Figure 5.4 shows the frames from the video sequence with dummy muffler. All the views from the different cameras of the DQ205 of the brick can be seen in Figure 5.4 (b), (c), (d) and (e).
(a) 720x480 pixels
(b) 720x480 pixels
(c) 720x480 pixels
(d) 720x480 pixels
(e) 720x480 pixels
Figure 5.4: Frames from Video Sequence3 captured with an unusual object - dummy muffler in the scene
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The area of coverage of the under vehicle scene depends of the position of the quad dome camera and the jack-up height of the vehicle. As the jack-up height of the vehicle being scanned increases the area that is being covered by the camera also increases. When the vehicle is jacked up the fine details, which might be important in, inspection might not be seen clearly, which is a disadvantage. The under vehicle scene can be viewed better when additional lighting conditions are provided as it is known that under vehicle region is dark. The regions of the scene can be analyzed and captured better in a quad mode as data from all four cameras is obtained simultaneously, thus making monitoring the scene easy. When any object or area of interest is present manual mode is used to view that particular region of the specific camera of the DQ205 quad dome camera. Sequence4 A sequence of the under vehicle that covers the main area of the under vehicle with the muffler, catalytic converter and the engine area in both the quad mode with all data from all four cameras mounted on the Quad Dome camera simultaneously as well as in manual mode where we see data from each camera at one time. This sequence was taken with the camera being placed on the conveyer under the van at three different positions to capture the entire view under the vehicle. This sequence was taken with additional lighting. Sequence5 A sequence of the under vehicle that covers the main area of the under vehicle with the muffler, catalytic converter and the engine area in both the quad mode with all data from all four cameras mounted on the Quad Dome camera simultaneously as well as in manual mode where we see data from each camera at one time. This sequence was taken with additional lighting.
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6 Conclusions The Video Sensor Brick for the modular multi-sensor robotics system has been successfully designed, implemented and tested. A completely packaged box with a professional look, of dimensions 21" x 15" x 6" that can be easily mounted on the tracked robot of IRIS, which provides mobility has been developed. The design of Video Sensor Brick follows a brick layout with complete modularity at each level that allows it to be used for multiple applications and even makes it easy to operate and maintain. The main data acquisition is done by Clover Electronics USA DQ205 model Color Dome Camera, which has four, built in cameras and a quad splitter. The preprocessing block mainly consists of the ASUS P4P800-VM mini ATX motherboard and with WMP54G as the wireless communication card. All the components of the brick are power by Panasonic LC-RA1212P Lead Acid Battery.
The Video Sensor Brick is independent and function as a separate entity or can be used as a plug-and-play device to modular robotic system. The whole unit can work full-fledged for time duration of 2hrs when on batteries of the brick. The Video Sensor Brick facilitates the options of monitoring the data real time as well as capture the data and analyze at a later point of time. The presence of wireless communication through 802.11g standard makes it possible to transfer the data acquired by the brick to any remotely located control computer, where the data can be further analyzed.
The various modes available in the DQ205 Quad Dome camera allow choosing the area of interest and make it possible to view all the data from the four cameras monitored at a time. If the cameras are positioned in such a way to cover the area required to be continuously monitored, DQ205 will make it possible.
The software of the Video Sensor Brick includes the preprocessing operations that are to be performed on the data acquired by the DQ205 Quad Dome camera. Operations such as image inversion, cropping, histogram of the images and edge detection were done. Initially the software that came with the capture card used for capturing data from the camera has been replaced by a GUI developed that include all the feature for camera control and preprocessing operations. This developed is complete in the form and works for stored and recorded images. The GUI is more application specific and has all the requirements that would make the Video Sensor Brick operation even simpler.
The future directions to the work done would be to extend the ability of the Video Sensor Brick to talk to other bricks and be able follow and act according to the orders of the central control system. The software must be made functional in real time where the monitoring and image processing operations at that level would be really useful. More algorithms can be included in the preprocessing block which gives the path which the robot has to follow over which the brick is mounted and the video camera sees the actually path whether the robot is going in the right path or not. This would be a great advantage in unmanned applications where robotics is fast growing field.
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Vita Anjana Poduri was born in Visakhapatnam, India on 12th of January, 1982. She did her schooling in Kotak Salesian School, India where she developed interest to learn how stuff works and the technology behind. This led her to pursue a Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Electronics and Instrumentation from GITAM College, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India. She graduated with a Bachelors Degree in the year 2003 as University Second. With the zeal to gain more knowledge she joined as a Masters student at University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She joined Imaging, Robotics and Intelligent Systems Laboratory as a graduate research student in January 2004 where she completed her Masters Degree in Fall 2004.