I will be using a wireless camera that outputs composite video so I will connect the receiver to the computer using a vcr to usb converter. I would also like to process the videos to do some common image manipulations (the same kind that you used in the "How to find your balls" tutorial) and send data to the robot using a receiver/transmitter pair with serial communication at 300 baud rate. Can I do this with MyRobotLab? If so, is it so complicated I still need to learn OpenCV (I originally was interested by MyRobotLab because it offered an oppurtunity to not learn OpenCV).
Thanks, Markamas
Other frequencies besides 434 MHz
Looks like I can use an 434 MHz RF trransciever/receiver pair. What about other frequencies? For example, I was thinking of using this RF module, which is relatively small despite a range of a 1000 meters outdoors and its 19 200 bps transfer rate. Here it is: http://www.robotshop.com/ca/dfrobot-rf-modules-pair-3.html .
Any frequency would work
That one is a little strange ... they say 19200 bps
and then they have a disclaimer
"Make sure that the data transmitted does not exceed 150 bytes per second"
Which is it? 150 bytes per second is only 1200 bps (slightly more with stop bits, optional parity, etc)
If your not scared of soldering - someone has made these work http://www.sparkfun.com/products/9582 and at $7.00 - they seem like a great deal.
Wireless Camera
I don't have any experience with wireless cameras. Chris the Carpenter has experience and for the most part his "inexpensive" wireless cameras did not work very well. The equipment I currently have is a couple USB cameras and a IP Camera. I would be a little concerned if MyRobotLab can see the VCR to USB converter as a video source.
Your general idea is very similar to what I am working on, except my current experiments involve a non mobile camera. I'm trying to make a very dumb and inexpensive robot very capable through a home computer and MyRobotLab, without the computer being "physically" attached to the robot.. or at least the mobile part of the robot.
More info here - http://myrobotlab.org/node/63
I am currently using my computer running MyRobotLab -- USB --> Arduino Clone ---> Sparkfun 434 Mhz 4800 transmitter---> Wireless Data --> Sparkfun 434 RF RX --> Arduino Clone Mobile robot with motors, servos, etc...
At the moment MRL can speak to Arduinos and Arduino Clones. For different ideas on communication check this link - http://myrobotlab.org/communication
Hopefully, that has answered some of your questions regarding communication..
Now, OpenCV.
OpenCV is a library or collection of functions, not so much a complete application. MRL wraps this functionality and makes some of the parameters easy to control through a GUI (they also can be easily controlled programmatically).
So, yes - you probably could use OpenCV through MRL without knowing as much as I do about it... But, I would recommend learning it. It's a great tool.
In my tests I have sent the results of data processed on my computer with MRL & OpenCV wirelessly to a small mobile robot. Recently I have begun testing voice commands (another Service in MRL)
Hope this helps.