Table Of Contents

  1. Docs
  2. VIPER Configuration

VIPER Configuration

VIPER can be configured in two ways:

  • ROS dynamic reconfigure;
  • VIPER Web panel.

ROS Dynamic Reconfigure

Since VIPER is based on ROS, all the nodes are configurable via dynamic_reconfigure. All parameters can be accessed via rqt dynamic reconfigure plugin.

VIPER Core Configuration

VIPER Core has the following nodes and parameters.

cvm_configurator

This node should be used to switch between different resolutions. It has several presets that are optimized for each resolution.

preset

A set of parameters for certain resolutions

none No parameters are set by the node. Default.

preset1 resolution: 320x90, camera_rate: 60, read_framerate: 60, stereo_algorithm: StereoSGBM_VW, max_disparity: 64.

preset2 resolution: 640x180, camera_rate: 60, read_framerate: 60, stereo_algorithm: StereoSGBM_VW, max_disparity: 128.

preset3 resolution: 1280x360, camera_rate: 60, read_framerate: 20, stereo_algorithm: StereoSGBM_VW, max_disparity: 128.

preset4 resolution: 2560x720, camera_rate: 30, read_framerate: 8, stereo_algorithm: StereoSGBM_VW, max_disparity: 128.

cvm_v4l2_camera

resolution

Camera resolution can be changed to the following values:

320x90 Resized from nHD.

640x180 Resized from nHD.

1280x360 Original nHD from camera driver. Default.

2560x720 Original HD from camera driver.

cvm_stereo/disparity_nodelet

stereo_algorithm

Stereo matching algorithm. It affects accuracy of point clouds.

StereoSGBM_VW SGBM that comes from VisionWorks library. Slower and more robust than the other. Default.

StereoSGM_HZ Hernandez’s implementation of SGM. Faster, but it produces more noise.

FollowMe App Configuration

cvm_follow_me

drop_time
Time after which the target should be dropped if not seen, in seconds. Default: 5. Range: [0.2; 30].
similarity_threshold
Visual similarity of the object in the subsequent frame. Default: 0.6. Range: [0.0; 1.0].
history_queue
Queue size for storing visual data. If 0 then visual data is not compared. Default: 15. Range: [0; 100].

cvm_follow_me/cvm_object_detector

camera_rotation

If camera has been rotated, correct parameter has to be set for human recognition to work. Camera rotation types:

0 default. Camera is in its regular position.

1 CW_90. Camera is rotated 90 degrees clock wise.

2 CCW_90. Camera is rotated 90 degrees counter clock wise.

object_class
The class to detect. Default: person.
detection_prob
Probability threshold to assume that the correct object class has been detected. Default: 0.25. Range: [0.0; 1.0].

position_estimator

full_scan
Scan full image. If set to false, only epipolar lines ar checked. Default: False.
match_treshold
Matching similarity threshold. Default: 0.7. Range: [0.0; 1.0].
object_width
Maximum object width in meters. This is used to filter out incorrect matches. Default: 1.0. Range: [0.1; 4.0].
limit
Maximum number of objects to estimate position. Default: 0 (there is no limit). Range: [0; 40].
max_disp
Maximum disparity. Default: 128.0. Range: [1.0; 300.0].
scale
Downscale image before matching. Default: 1.0 (original size). Range: [0.1; 1.0].

FollowAruco App Configuration

cvm_follow_aruco

marker_size
Size of the Aruco marker in meters. Default: 0.15. Range: [0.0; 2.0].
marker_id
ID of the marker that will be considered as a target. Default: 4. Range: [0; 1000].

Obstacle Detector App Configuration

cvm_laserscan

target_frame
If provided, transforms the point cloud into this frame before converting to a laser scan. If the target frame is set to the cvm_ground_link or another part that is parallel to the ground, laser scan will also be parallel to the ground. Empty is default, which means that by default laser scans are produced in left_camera_link.
min_height
The minimum height to sample in the point cloud in meters. Default: -1.0. Range: [-100.0; 100.0].
max_height
The maximum height to sample in the point cloud in meters. Default: 1.0. Range: [-100.0; 100.0].
min_angle
The minimum scan angle in degrees. Default: -30.0. Range: [-180.0; 180.0].
max_angle
The maximum scan angle in degrees. Default: 30.0. Range: [-180.0; 180.0].
angle_increment
Resolution of laser scan in degrees per ray. Default: 0.6. Range: [-180.0; 180.0].
scan_time
The rate at which laser scan is produced in seconds. This information does not change the output of the Obstacle Detector App. Some navigation planners take it into account. Default: 0.1. Range: [0.0; 1.0].
min_range
The minimum ranges to return in meters. Default: 1.0. Range: [0.0; 50.0].
max_range
The maximum ranges to return in meters. Default: 25.0. Range: [0.0; 50.0].
use_inf
If disabled, report infinite range (no obstacle) as range_max + 1. Otherwise report infinite range as +inf. False is default.

VIPER Web Panel

When you are connected to the same network as VIPER, you should be able to access VIPER Web panel by opening a browser and entering IP address of your VIPER.

Overview

In the picture below you can see what sections are available in VIPER web panel.

The following sections are available:

  • CVM Version
  • Robot config
  • Applications
  • System actions
  • Network config
  • System time
  • System info
_images/web_panel_0-start-800.png

Note

Initially some sections are collapsed, and some are expanded - you can mouse click on heading and section will change between collapsed and expanded state.

CVM Version

In this section current CVM version is shown.

If VIPER is connected to the internet, it verifies if there is any newer version of CVM software. If newer CVM version is available - update action will be presented to the user.

_images/web_panel_1-versions-800.png

Note

Version update, depending on internet connection speed, can take up to 30 minutes. Reload page after some time to verify if update has completed.

Robot Config

In this section Robot configuration parameters can be adjusted. This section is collapsed by default - mouse click on the heading and section will expand.

_images/web_panel_2-robot_config-800.png

If VIPER is being used on the robot, these parameters should be adjusted accordingly.

Note

Viper prefix should contain value without spaces in the middle, also it cannot start with number.

Note

If any value changes in this section - applications should be restarted i.e. deactivate and activate every application that you use.

Applications

The list of applications is shown here.

For every application additional information is shown:

  • application or package title e.g. Follow Me Package
  • list of modules e.g. cvm-object-tracker, cvm-position-estimator etc.
  • license status of each module e.g. License is valid
  • license actions: request license and install license - click on these titles for more information to be shown
  • application status: Active, Inactive, Active (on external ROS)
  • actions: Activate, Activate with External ROS

Note

You will be asked to confirm your action before VIPER executes it.

_images/web_panel_3-apps-800.png

In the picture below you can see what information and actions are available for license handling.

When you have new VIPER then most likely applications (some or all) will have no license installed. In this case, you have to send license request to the email address licensing@rubedos.com . In the body of license request email you have to include VIPER information (as shown in the picture - copy and paste from the web panel). Also, in the license request you have to include information about yourself and your organization.

_images/web_panel_3-apps-1-licenses-800.png

After your license request is fulfilled, you will receive license files (one file or multiple files). Then you should upload these files into VIPER web panel by pressing install license then Choose file. After you execute this action, page will reload and application module license status will be updated.

Note

At any time do not forget to reload page to get the most current information about application status!

Note

If you are using robot setup i.e. camera is mounted on some kind of robot with its own computer running with ROS, and you activate application with external ROS, VIPER periodically (every 2 minutes) will check if external ROS is alive, and, if it is alive i.e. responding, then VIPER activates application (which previously was activated with external ROS). If VIPER detects that external ROS is not responding, then it deactivates application until next check is performed. Also, you can manually deactivate or activate application at any time by yourself.

System Actions

Available system actions:

  • Reset nodes: reset all nodes to its factory default parameter values
  • Shutdown
  • Reboot

Note

You will be asked to confirm your action before VIPER executes it.

_images/web_panel_4-system-actions-800.png

Network Config

In network configuration section you can adjust network parameters to match your network setup.

Warning

Be very careful when changing network configuration - in case of mistake you can lose access to your VIPER device!

Note

Changes take effect only after VIPER reboot.

_images/web_panel_5-network-config-800.png

Initially network configuration info section is collapsed - click section heading to expand it.

If you want to edit network configuration - click on the (edit) text on the right hand side.

_images/web_panel_5-network-config-1-edit-800.png

After you enter values, click Submit, then you will see extra confirmation screen for final review and confirmation.

Note

Your changes will take effect only after you do VIPER reboot. Until that, you can make changes if you notice any mistakes.

System Time

In this section VIPER system time is shown. Reload page to get the most current information.

System Info

In this section various VIPER system information is shown. Reload page to get the most current information.

VIPER ROS API
Frequently Asked Questions
© Copyright 2019, Rubedos. Created using Sphinx.