Autonomous driving GoPiGo3 - bachelor project

[superbam]

Can you elaborate what you mean with dH?

[superbam]

I have two generell questions about a raspberry pi that I just can’t figure out.

1. I am using VNC to work with the pi. The resolution of this pi is set at 640x480 or 800x600 not sure right now. But I couldn’t find a way to increase it. If I open the command or showing camera footage the whole screen is used. Do you know a way to increase the resolution up to a reasonable amount?
2. Since I am coding on VS Code on my computer, I am copying codes that I tested to the pi with the remote ssh extension. But if I want to test images or videos on the pi I need to send them from my computer. I figured out that VNC has a function that allows me to send data from the computer to the pi. But not the otherway around. So If I save images from the raspi cam on the pi and I want to use it on the computer first to test it. I need to screenshot it. Is there a better way to do that?

[jimrh]

First:

To change the resolution:

1. Use a keyboard, monitor, and mouse to connect to the robot.
2. In a terminal window, type sudo raspi-config
3. Select “display options” and then “display resolution” (at the top).
4. Select a reasonable resolution.

(I am not near my system and I am doing this from memory.  Names may be slightly different.)

Reboot and see what you get.  Retry as needed to get it right.

I noticed that to get a reasonable resolution, I had to set up a desktop, and set that resolution to something reasonable.  Since VNC simply “mirrors” the desktop, you need a configured desktop to mirror.

Second:

What kind of a computer are you using?

On a PC you can use FileZilla to set up a secure connection to the 'bot to transfer files.

Another thing you can do with VS Code is to set up remote development.  that puts some software on the 'bot and allows you to run VS Code on your main system and develop code directly on the 'bot itself.

You will have to look that up yourself as I am not near my system right now.

[superbam]

So the one method to change the resolution is with peripherals and a monitor? But that also means that I need to have the monitor connected at all times if I want the resolution to not change back, right?
I am using a win10 pc. Nothing special. Okay FileZilla ist good to know. I am already using VS Code with the remote ssh extension to code on my pc and run the code on the gopigo

[jimrh]

No. You don’t need the monitor all the time, just to configure the desktop resolution.

You can use VNC all other times.

As far as huge picture resolution is concerned, you might need to look at wherever the camera/video is configured to set that differently.

[cyclicalobsessive]

@superbam

Do you know a way to increase the resolution up to a reasonable amount?

You do not need to attach a monitor/keyboard, just ssh in, and make changes:

GoPiGo3 Over Legacy PiOS: VNC Resolution

` **=== Configure resolution $ sudo raspi-config (You can exit menus by using Tab key, move to Finish, enter key) DisplayOptions:Resolution:1920x1080 SystemOptions:BootOptions:Desktop GUI, requiring user to login, Return InterfaceOptions: VNC enable Tab to Finish, reboot now? yes === Configuring vncserver sudo systemctl restart vncserver-x11-serviced.service vncserver -kill :1 vncserver :1 -geometry 1920x1080 -depth 24 -Authentication VncAuth -Encryption PreferOff -Security…

[cyclicalobsessive]

@superbam

save images from the raspi cam on the pi and I want to use it on the computer first to test it. I need to screenshot it. Is there a better way to do that?

Use scp secure copy command but FileZilla is easier

[cyclicalobsessive]

@superbam

what you mean with dH?

dH Delta horizontal = x1 - x2 (pixel)
dV Delta vertical = y1 - y2

[superbam]

Oh my god… It worked… Thank you so much!

[superbam]

Nice, Filezilla also works Thanks you both!

[cyclicalobsessive]

@superbam

No there is no speed controller.

This is an example architecture that would include a speed controller:

[jimrh]

@superbam

If I open the command or showing camera footage the whole screen is used

Since I cannot see what you are doing, I’m not sure what resolution you’re talking about.

If everything else is OK and its the CAMERA or VIDEO that’s taking too much room, you can change that by adjusting the /etc/uv4l/uv4l-raspicam.conf file.

Somewhere between lines 50 and 60, (depending on the version of raspicam and the config file you are using), you will see something that looks like the following:
(this is from the current version of raspicam’s uv4l-raspicam.conf file)

encoding = mjpeg
#  width = 640
#  height = 480
framerate = 30
#custom-sensor-config = 2

With the width and height lines commented out, the video image is HUGE  - filling the entire screen/browser width.

Un-commenting these lines makes the image smaller, but still too big for what I want.

The original version of the config file as shipped with GoPiGo O/S 3.0.1 has this:

encoding = mjpeg
width = 320
height = 240
framerate = 15
#custom-sensor-config = 2

Which produces an image that’s a bit too small for my taste, and a bit blurry, so I increased the size by half, and upped my framerate to 30.

Viz.: (my current settings)

encoding = mjpeg
width = 480
height = 360
framerate = 30
#custom-sensor-config = 2

. . . and that produces an image that is large enough, but not TOO big.

Maybe this will help?

Follow-up note:

In order to maximize the field of view, make sure the settings maintain a 4:3 aspect ratio.

[superbam]

Quick update: I spoke to my professor about the minimum result, that I need to achieve for my thesis. He said that the minimum result is the perception of the environment, which means lane detection and obstacle detection of certain objects. I don’t need to achieve lane keeping, but it would be amazing if I did. So I try to get the lane detection with turns going. After that I will search for a obstacle detection algorithm for cars or stop signs or pedestrians. After that my focus is mainly on writing the thesis and which the time in mind, I can think of improvements of any kind.

[jimrh]

@superbam

After that I will search for a obstacle detection algorithm for cars or stop signs or pedestrians.

Correct me if I am wrong, but (AFAIK) a “stop sign” isn’t an obstacle, right?

A person in the road, or another car, or a cow, or a fallen tree - these are obstacles, but a stop sign (or a traffic light) isn’t an obstacle.

Or, am I missing something here?

[superbam]

Correct a stop sign isn an obstacle. I was just brain storming while writing this . I need to prove that I can detect certain things basically. It doesn’t really matter what I am trying to detect. The easier to implement the better.

[KeithW]

Do you have to use the camera for obstacle detection, or can you use another sensor (e.g. ultrasound)?
/K

[jimrh]

@superbam

The easier to implement the better.

Absolutely!

Forgive me for being a bit long-winded, but the topic of engineering/over-engineering reminded me of a story I read in a 1950’s/1960’s era trade magazine for television repairmen of that day.

Two television repairmen (who owned their own businesses) were having coffee and doughnuts with a couple of engineers from a local television factory - and the conversation drifted to the topic of things being “over-engineered”.

The two repairmen complained that certain circuits within a recent television design had been “over-engineered” and could have been made much simpler and easier to repair.

The two engineers, (obviously!), climbed onto their dignity and claimed that the two “mere technicians” don’t know what they’re talking about and - eventually - one thing lead to another and the engineers challenged the technicians to a bet:

The Problem:
Design a metal sheet counter that would accurately count metal sheets as they are tossed into a bin after being sorted.

• There is overhead lighting and the metal sheets are shiny, so a light sensor of some kind is an obvious way to do it - but because overhead cranes move back and forth, mere absolute value of light is not a solution.

The television factory managers gave both the engineers and the technicians a metal box to hold the circuits, a counter, power connectors, some hardware, and their blessing.

The boxes and everything else given were identical.

The Bet:
Design the simplest circuit to accurately count sheets of metal as they are flipped into a bin.

The Prize:
The Best and Most Expensive television console that each of the two technicians sell in their businesses - each costs several months salary for a highly paid engineer at that time.

• If the engineers win, they get it for free.
• If the technicians win, the engineers pay full retail price.

The time comes for the demonstrations:

1. The Engineers:
   The engineers place their box in position, turn it on and wait for the tubes inside to warm up.  The worker begins flipping metal sheets and the box dutifully counts each one.

   • The Circuit:
     A six-tube photodetector circuit and high-pass filter with power supply.
     • The sheet of metal sends a flash of light to the box which is picked up by the photo-detector tube, shaped, filtered, and the electrical pulse is sent to the counter.
        

2. The Technicians:
   They place their box in position, turn it on, allow a few moments for “warm-up” like the engineers did, and it also counts every single sheet of metal accurately just like the engineer’s box did.

   • The Circuit:
     A micro-switch, spring, paper fan and a couple of large red bricks.
     • Each sheet as it is flipped, sends a “puff” of air to the box which moves the paper fan connected to the micro-switch - which sends a pulse to the counter - with a spring to help pull the fan back into position after each sheet of metal is tossed.

The engineers are aghast!  Why the big bricks?

So you wouldn’t know the box was almost completely empty when you lifted it up behind our backs to see how heavy it was!

[superbam]

Yes, I am only using the raspberry pi cam v2 for that.

[jimrh]

Did you see my posting on the setup for the raspberry pi camera up above?

https://forum.dexterindustries.com/t/autonomous-driving-gopigo3-bachelor-project/8685/55

There are a few cute settings in the current config file that might be useful - the only caveat is to keep the aspect ratio at 4:3 if you want to use the entire field of view.

[superbam]

Okay that’s nice and realistic anecdote