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USA
Asked — Edited

Kinect

... ... ... ?
will it ever be supported.



Id sure like to hook up 3 of them to the robot


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#9  
@DJ ... if you happen to read this, a question.
I am just getting ready to build my robots head (large robot).
Now that EZB is getting ready to adapt the Kinect I am wondering should I continue with that or not?
Will the Kinect also be used as a camera?
Will it be detecting the QR codes, face tracking, color, etc?
I would hate to go about and build my head and then switch it all to the Kinect.
Hate to bother you with this but just wondering?

Herr
#11  
OMG EZ-B and the Kinect, I can't wait to interface this setup. I belive we should know as much about the Kinect as possible so we robot builders can create wounderful things. My first question was how is the kinect put together, can we take it apart to customize it into our robots body, or are we to have robots with Kinect heads. So the first thing I wanted to know was how to take it apart without destroying it, so I found this great video that shows you the tools needed and the step by step process. Even if you don't plan on taking it apart at least you get to see what makes this thing tic. Enjoy

#12  
Thanks @Tymtravler That is a great find.

Alan
#14  
So, i checked the kinect sdk and other downloadable file. Looks like there are some real cool things that can be done. Im imagining that raw data can be taken from the kinect, but the processing might require some power.
My d810 laptop was barely pulling it



I would imagine that you pass the data to the pc for processing. I might be wrong
USA
#15  
Correct. The Kinect device must be connected to a Windows PC via USB. It cannot actually sit on your robot unless the robot has its own PC on-board. It does require a fair amount of performance from the PC in order to do all the fancy skeletal tracking and stuff.
#16  
My pc will be in the robot. Much like human brain, the ezb will act partially as occipital lobe, and as brainstem. The frontal lobe functions will be on the pc, along with heavy visual calculations


Here, however, is a video contradictory to your statement


USA
#17  
That's pretty cool. Although it does have a PC on board (Atom based). Technically it could be running Linux and not Windows and therefore would use Open Source drivers and code for Kinect.

It would have been more accurate for me to say that if you wanted to use the official Kinect SDK from Microsoft, then you would need to be running Windows 7 or 8 on a PC that is connected to the Kinect device by USB.
#18  
That design i seen before and is uses linux ROS software,that needs less processing power then windows.
ROS has drivers for LIDAR laser that goes for $1200 and KINECT.
United Kingdom
#19  
@Mike, since ARC requires Windows it should be a given that so will the Kinect additions anyway, although the clarification may aid others.

Is there no way for the Kinect to wirelessly transmit the data to the PC with any kind of add on? Wireless USB hub for instance?

A further downside to the Kinect is the power demand it has, although correct me if I am wrong but isn't the stated power demand including the tilt motor too? Without motor (or requirement for moving it) the power demand is drastically decreased if I recall correctly?
#20  
Thats right. Power is used for the motor, but the wall outlet can be replaced with a battery pack
USA
#21  
Here's a project where someone used batteries to run the Kinect. Even without the motor, the Kinect uses a fair amount of power for the electronics and the laser diodes. There is also a processor on board that cleans up the audio signals and handles echo cancellation. You should budget for about 1A of current at 12V.

Now we're Kinecting with Battery Power!

I haven't heard of anyone using wireless USB though. In theory it should work as long as both the Kinect and the PC think they are talking to normal USB. The challenge is that Kinect streams data at a very high rate. So finding a very fast, reliable wireless adapter for the USB may be problematic.
#22  
@DeMoNN great site info, there is also a youtube with it on a Roomba.
Here is the link.


Germany
#23  
Hmm...it only makes sense if it is wireless.
And a i5 or i7 on a robot is a bit oversized in my opinion.
What's about a singlecore atom board like N270, i tiink it will work with win7 and kinect but can it handle the ez robot softwate too?


Marc
#24  
Well obviously kinect is not useful for a nanobot army, however, if its mounted to an ez-b quadrocopter, it can communicate surroundings or commands tothe other robots. The advanced depth perception is a very neat tool
#25  
Wow so soon we will be able to connect a kinect module to the EZ-B Controller and control it with the ARC software?

The kinect is an amazing senesor, that would open up all sorts of possibilities with software.

When will this be officially supported, youtube tutorial with it too?

Thanks
- Feroze
United Kingdom
#26  
It's being phased in from the looks of it. If it's ready for the next update it'll be 1st June, otherwise it'll be one of the future updates. No date has been given yet and probably wont be, deadlines and dates are not really a part of EZ-Robots... it comes when it comes:)
#27  
What most likely would be the procedure for connecting the kinect to the EZ-B Board? Or would the kinect be connected to the PC?

Could you connect the kinect directly to the EZ-B Controller, and bluetooth the data back to the PC? Or is there a bluetooth kinect module available? So we can write program from the point of view of the robot.
United Kingdom
#28  
If you read the topic it's been mentioned. It would have to connect to the PC, the bluetooth connection would not be good enough. This means that you will need an on board PC or a reliable method of wirelessly transmitting the data (wireless USB hub for instance).
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