Methodology
Getting the RAWSEEDS datasetsMay 28, 2021
See AIRLab’s website for the link to the current dataset repository.
How to set up a PC to be a seed for RawseedsMay 21, 2009
Important note: the BitTorrent distribution system is not operational anymore. A new dataset distribution system is available. This is a brief explanation of how any computer (even old PCs are OK!) can be used as a seed for Rawseeds’ datasets. As you will see, it’s really easy and quick. If you don’t know why you […]
Why you should be a BitTorrent seed for Rawseeds, and howMay 20, 2009
Important note: the BitTorrent distribution system is not operational anymore. A new dataset distribution system is available. What are we talking about? As you can read in the BitTorrent HOWTO, downloading Rawseeds’ datasets is easy. You install a BitTorrent client program (chances are that you already have it installed by default) you click on a […]
BitTorrent HOWTO for Rawseeds users
Important note: the BitTorrent distribution system is not operational anymore. A new dataset distribution system is available. What is BitTorrent? BitTorrent is a protocol for efficient peer-to-peer file sharing. The term “peer-to-peer” means that each user requesting a specific file also acts as a distributor for that file towards other users. This leads to massively […]
Rawseeds and BitTorrent
Important note: the BitTorrent distribution system is not operational anymore. A new dataset distribution system is available. Rawseeds chose to distribute its datasets using the BitTorrent protocol. While requiring a bit of additional effort from the users, this choice has a number of key advantages (such as the fact that otherwise Rawseeds would not have […]
Data acquisitionDecember 17, 2008
Data-acquisition hardware on board of the Robocom robot is based on PCBricks. These are small, custom-built x86 PC modules, fitted with mini-ITX motherboards. For Rawseeds, three of them were mounted on the robot, interconnected through a TCP/IP network (also equipped with a wireless link to connect to remote machines). Operating system of Rawseeds’ PCBricks is […]
Data synchronizationFebruary 29, 2008
RAWSEEDS’ datasets are composed of multiple, heterogeneous data streams. These streams need to be precisely time-synchronized between each other and with respect to the ground truth data. To achieve such result, we used custom software built upon the IEEE 1588 protocol, or Precision Clock Synchronization Protocol for Networked Measurement and Control Systems (PTP).
Ground truth for indoor datasetsDecember 17, 2007
As already explained here, indoor datasets from Rawseeds include two kinds of ground truth: executive drawings and robot trajectory. To reconstruct the trajectory of the robot through the explored environment, we used two separate systems: a system based on industrial cameras, visual tags mounted on the robot, and ad hoc software a system using a […]
Ground truth for outdoor datasets
As already explained here, outdoor datasets from Rawseeds include two kinds of ground truth: executive drawings and robot trajectory. To reconstruct the trajectory of the robot through the explored environment, we used a high precision RTK (Real Time Kinematics) GPS system. Rawseeds’ RTK-GPS setup was composed of: a Trimble 5700 GPS receiver with Zephyr GPS […]
What is ground truth?
Together with each of the datasets, Rawseeds provides the associated ground truth. This is a set of information describing the real environments explored by the robot, and the trajectory followed by the robot within such environment. Ground truth is used as a reference, against which the results obtained by a Benchmark Solution can be evaluated. […]
Location Bicocca (indoor)December 15, 2007
The inside of a pair of the buildings belonging to the campus of the University of Milano-Bicocca (Bicocca is an area of the city of Milan, Italy). This location includes conventional office-like features (corridors, halls, rooms; doors, windows; normal and automatic stairs, elevators; tables, chairs, desks) along with more unusual elements, such as a fully […]
Location Bovisa (outdoor + mixed)
The Politecnico di Milano campus set in via Durando, Milan, Italy. (“Bovisa” is the name of the zone of the city where it is located.) This location comprises a set of buildings that once housed a factory. It has been modified for its new use trying to retain as much as possible of its original […]
Ultrasound transducers
For indoor acquisition, our plarforms are equipped with a sonar belt composed of 12 Maxbotix EZ-2 ultrasound transducers. The sensors are positioned all around the robot; they are activated in groups, so to prevent crosstalk. The control electronics interfacing the transducer with the data-acquisition PC has been designed and built by POLIMI. These sensors have […]
Inertial measurement unit
The sensors mounted on the data-acquisition robot platform include an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) providing 3-axis angular orientation, acceleration, rate-of-turn and Earth magnetic field data. We used an Xsense MTi device, selecting the version with 1,7g full scale acceleration and 150deg/s full scale rate of turn.
Onboard camera systems
Rawseeds’ sensor suite includes many vision components. Specifically, we used: binocular and trinocular black-and-white (B/W) vision; normal perspective, color and B/W cameras; omnidirectional color vision with hyperbolic mirror. The binocular vision system is composed of a two-camera Videre Design STH-DCSG-VAR system (two FireWire, B/W, 640×480 pixel cameras mounted on a common mechanical frame that allows […]