Makers, developers, and hobbyists who have a spare Microsoft Kinect gesture-based controller lying around may be interested in a new DIY human-following robot. This innovative project has been created using a Kinect powered by a Raspberry Pi mini PC, offering a fascinating intersection of gaming technology and robotics.
Team Turtle Rover has kindly published full instructions on how to create your very own human-following robot via the Hackster.io website, which is available via the link at the bottom of this article. By leveraging the Microsoft Kinect hardware, the project eliminates the need to engage in complicated image recognition algorithms using a single camera. Instead, it utilizes the already available Kinect libraries, making the process more accessible and efficient.
Why Use Microsoft Kinect?
The Microsoft Kinect is a popular and relatively inexpensive device that has multiple applications in both amateur and professional robotics. Originally designed for the Xbox gaming console, the Kinect’s advanced sensors and depth-sensing capabilities have made it a favorite among robotics enthusiasts. One of the standout applications is the creation of a human-following robot. Instead of relying on a single camera and complex image recognition algorithms, the Kinect’s established libraries can be used to simplify the process.
Official Kinect libraries are designed only for Microsoft Windows. However, thanks to a strong community of developers, most of the functionality has been ported to Linux. This means that the Kinect can be used with ARM processors, allowing for integration with the popular minicomputer Raspberry Pi. This opens up a world of possibilities for DIY robotics projects, making advanced technology more accessible to hobbyists and developers.
Building Your Own Human-Following Robot
Creating your own human-following robot using a Kinect and Raspberry Pi involves several steps, but the detailed instructions provided by Team Turtle Rover make the process manageable. Here are some key points to consider:
1. Hardware Requirements: Besides the Microsoft Kinect and Raspberry Pi, you’ll need a few additional components such as a motor driver, wheels, and a chassis to build the robot. These components are readily available and can be sourced from various online retailers.
2. Software Setup: The software setup involves installing the necessary libraries and drivers for the Kinect on the Raspberry Pi. This includes the OpenNI and NITE libraries, which are essential for the Kinect to function properly on a Linux-based system.
3. Programming: The programming aspect involves writing code to process the data from the Kinect and control the robot’s movements. This can be done using Python, which is a versatile and beginner-friendly programming language. The code will need to handle tasks such as detecting a human, calculating the distance, and controlling the motors to follow the detected person.
4. Testing and Calibration: Once the hardware and software are set up, the next step is to test and calibrate the robot. This involves fine-tuning the parameters to ensure that the robot accurately follows a human without any glitches. It may require several iterations to get everything working perfectly.
Microsoft Kinect is a popular, and relatively cheap device, which has multiple applications both in amateur and professional robotics. One of the cases is man-following robot. Instead of using single camera and complicated image recognition algorithms we can take advantage of already-established Kinect libraries.
Official libraries are designed only for Microsoft Windows, but fortunately we have a strong community of developers and they ported most of the functionality to Linux. What’s more they work with ARM processors, therefore we can even use the popular minicomputer Raspberry Pi!
The project not only demonstrates the versatility of the Kinect but also highlights the potential of the Raspberry Pi in robotics. By combining these two technologies, hobbyists can create sophisticated robots without needing expensive equipment or advanced technical knowledge.
For those interested in diving into this exciting project, detailed instructions and resources are available on the Hackster.io website. This project is a testament to the power of community-driven development and the endless possibilities that arise when innovative minds come together.
Source: Hackster.io : Turtle Rover
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