> Hopefully my future FreeTrack system, uses a Wii Sensor Bar.
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Kestrel |
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edberg @ 30/04/2008 - 01h11 a dit: Should I remove the Visible Light filter and try it that way?
It's pretty much cumpulsory for reflective tracking.
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edberg |
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Where can I get cheap IR emitters, I can't get them from ebay.
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Don 'Chito' Lito |
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edberg |
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edberg |
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Tried that IR emmitter, total crap. It just doesn't work properly, my face reflects more light then the reflectors, I've tried all types of settings. I'm just going to buy a premade LED hat, I feel horrible seeing as how I've wasted over 30$ on this emitter and reflector.
Edited by edberg on 27/05/2008 at 19h27. |
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Deimos |
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Well, an active system should always work, but i really don't see why you don't get any results. Are you sure that the IR emitter is close to the camera lens? At the picture on the previous page it looks as if it the light source was shifted to the left.
Try doing a simple experiment - put the trackir clip on the one side of a dark corridor or room (at more than 5 meters away from you), stand on the other end of the corridor with a flashlight and illuminate the clip while holding the flashlight right next to your eye (that is, at the side of your head). The clip should seem to be glowing really brightly. But as you move the flashlight away from your eye, it will get dimmer. It's exactly the same with the camera - the farther from the lens is the light source, the less reflected light will come back to the camera.
So it might just be a problem with positioning of the IR emitter.
Hell, if positioned close enough to the camera (in front of it), i can even see light from a TV remote reflecting off my clip - and it's not even bright enough to illuminate my face at that distance...
Please post a picture of IR emitter you're using and how you placed it in respect to the camera when testing - maybe i'll be able to suggest something if i see how exactly you were testing it.
Edited by Deimos on 27/05/2008 at 21h40. |
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edberg |
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Quick video I made, it also seems that going to far left/right makes the reflectors go completely black. The IR emitter doesn't have that much "spread". Both the camera and emitter are mounted side-by-side about 3 feet away from my head.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUqnIRHCEmI#GU5U2spHI_4
Edited by edberg on 28/05/2008 at 03h57. |
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Deimos |
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Okay, at least we can see _some_ reflections...
But they're still not strong enough - and it seems that the IR light is rather strong, so that's not the problem. I still think it's just misaligned.
How about trying to put the emitter right in front of the camera, and just below its lens - never mind that it will be visible in the image and obstruct part of camera's field of view - it's just for testing.
It seems that the perfect placement of LEDs is around the camera lens - maybe your emitter's (if it is a LED array) circuit board has a hole trough the center big enough for the camera to see trough it? If so you might want to try disassembling it and placing the board with LEDs over the camera.
As for increasing angle of the light cone (the "spread") - if it's a multi-LED array, like the one you linked on ebay - with concentric rings of LEDs, you should be able do disassemble it and bend the outer LEDs a bit to the outside.
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edberg |
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I've gotten a better reflection, but I cannot move very much without my reflectors going out of it's view angle. I cannot move the camera farther back, I'm thinking of just scrapping all of this and getting a TrackIR, because apparently they have huge view angles.
If this is the case I'm willing to sell my modded camera, IR emmiter, and reflectors to someone.
Edited by edberg on 01/06/2008 at 19h56. |
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Kestrel |
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Wii remote is 41 degrees fov, most webcams are 42 degrees, TrackIR 1, 2 and 3 are 33 degrees, TrackIR 4 is 46 degrees, SmartNav 1 and 3 are 33 degrees, SmartNav 4 is 41 degrees (SmartNav cameras are a premium version of TrackIR). I wouldn't say 42->46 degrees is a huge difference. If you can't position the camera further away you can make a smaller model, or just don't translate as much, adjust sensitivity accordingly. In the next version you'll be able to move the camera higher, which effectively moves it further away, without it changing the Z/Y translation direction.
Your IR illuminator is a bit of overkill given TIR4 in reflective mode works fine with 4 leds.
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edberg |
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Kestrel @ 02/06/2008 - 10h57 a dit: Wii remote is 41 degrees fov, most webcams are 42 degrees, TrackIR 1, 2 and 3 are 33 degrees, TrackIR 4 is 46 degrees, SmartNav 1 and 3 are 33 degrees, SmartNav 4 is 41 degrees (SmartNav cameras are a premium version of TrackIR). I wouldn't say 42->46 degrees is a huge difference. If you can't position the camera further away you can make a smaller model, or just don't translate as much, adjust sensitivity accordingly. In the next version you'll be able to move the camera higher, which effectively moves it further away, without it changing the Z/Y translation direction.
Your IR illuminator is a bit of overkill given TIR4 in reflective mode works fine with 4 leds.
Should I try taping over some of the lights to reduce the light? If I tape it over with opaque scotch tape will that diffuse some of the light over a greater area? I'm gonna experiment a bit more.
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marcusw |
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If you use a black hat, it will absorb the ir better and won't show up in the camera as well. I have been thinking of building a reflective system myself, just to see how it works.
The only way to fly!!!
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edberg |
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Sorry, it's just too unreliable, I've been fiddling with it for ages but I'm more focused on trying not to break freetracks lock instead of flying the plane. I just don't have the deskspace to place them properly.
I'm just gonna go buy an LED hat, if anyone wants the IR emitter and trackclip I'm willing to give it away granted that you pay for shipping.
Oh and I wear glasses, if I look up my glasses reflect light and ruins the lock. Can't really avoid that.
Edited by edberg on 12/06/2008 at 20h13. |