camera_imu_sync_apm

Provide firmware to create a VINS sensor using an APM2.5 and a pointgrey camera.

Provide firmware to create a VINS sensor using an APM2.5 and a pointgrey camera. The package contains apm firmware to read IMU data and trigger camera synchronously.

Installation

This package depends on the following packages:

• pointgrey_camera_driver (Download from here. Also if necessary, checkout the specific SHA used)
• rosserial_node
• rosserial_python

Once the dependencies have been installed, follow these steps

• Build the package using catkin build
• Copy the camera_imu_firmware sketch to your arduino sketchbook
• Rebuild ros messages in your libraries so as to include the messages from this package ( Follow this tutorial)
• Flash the firmware to Arduino.

Setting Camera

Connect GPIO0 to A0 pin on APM2.5. Also connect ground of camera to ground.

(Picture credit: http://ardupilot.org/copter/docs/common-apm25-and-26-overview.html)

Running computer side

Connect the APM board and the camera to the computer. Then run the launch file provided:

roslaunch camera_imu_sync_apm imu_camera_combined.launch

Known Bugs

Sometimes the camera does not respond when the launch file is started. The known workaround for now is to start reconfigure, and disable and re-enable external_trigger. This only happens occasionally so not sure what the reason is.