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Comments: Getting Started with the Autonomous Kit for the Sphero RVR

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Looking for answers to technical questions?

We welcome your comments and suggestions below. However, if you are looking for solutions to technical questions please see our Technical Assistance page.

  • Member #1578731 / about 5 years ago / 1

    The sensors example requires answering a series of prompts each time. I'm looking for something that sets the dual sensors without prompts and lets me use it while moving RVR with the keyboard to measure and respond to distance.

    • santaimpersonator / about 5 years ago / 1

      Hi there, it sounds like you are looking for technical assistance. Please use the link in the banner above, to get started with posting a topic in our forums. Our technical support team will do their best to assist you.

      That being said, the sample code can be easily modified to hard code your desired configuration. Here is the GitHub repository.

  • Member #1578731 / about 5 years ago / 1

    Is there a way to move the camera thru python?

    • santaimpersonator / about 5 years ago / 1

      Hi there, it sounds like you are looking for technical assistance. Please use the link in the banner above, to get started with posting a topic in our forums. Our technical support team will do their best to assist you.

      That being said, you can move the servos using Python. You can find the source code for the web camera interface in the GitHub repository here. You can also check out the hookup guide for the Pi Servo pHAT for details on its operation.

  • Member #1578731 / about 5 years ago / 1

    I want to merge the examples using keyboard for movement and reading the VL53L1X sensors to stop short of walls. When I use pipenv shell to use the keyboard, the program can't find the QWIIC routines. If I don't use pipenv, QWIIC is found but other things don't work in the keyboard section as mentioned.

    • santaimpersonator / about 5 years ago / 1

      Update: You can look it up how to use pipenv online and find the GitHub repository. Based on the available resources, it looks like you can lock your work environment so that you don't loose any dependencies you install (i.e. like the Qwiic python packages).

      As a heads up, this process might be outside the scope of our support team, but the information in the ReadtheDocs and GitHub repository should help get you started using the pipenv. Otherwise, you can head over to the forum for Sphero as they implemented the pipenv in their SDK and will have more knowledge on how it operates.

      • Member #1578731 / about 5 years ago / 1

        I got all the examples working Ok. But over my head to use RVR SDK, ToF's, camera movement and GPS in one Python app. I tried following the suggested links plus some own searching. Maybe there will be an example by Sparkfun or Sphero someday using all the kit parts together. Displaying distance and location while moving RVR and camera would be a help.

        I posted some questions on technical forum.

    • santaimpersonator / about 5 years ago / 1

      Hi there, it sounds like you are looking for technical assistance. Please use the link in the banner above, to get started with posting a topic in our forums. Our technical support team will do their best to assist you.

      You would need to import/install the Qwiic package for the created instance of the pipenv shell to utilize the sensor in the shell environment. However, if I remember correctly, please be aware that all work will be lost once the shell environment is closed.

  • Member #1578731 / about 5 years ago / 1

    Some sample python to update VL53L1X (ToF) sensors for dual reads in addition to the manual steps in the GIF's.

    • santaimpersonator / about 5 years ago / 1

      I am not quite sure that I understand what you are asking for... as you stated, there already is an example in the Examples section to read from both sensors.

      • Member #1578731 / about 5 years ago / 1

        The sensor example doesn't work with drive example. The camera movement is standalone example. The GPS example is only during the hardware assembly. They isn't an integrated example that uses all of them at once. This would be expected in a kit containing all these components..

        • santaimpersonator / about 5 years ago / 1

          The examples, are provided to get customers started with the individual components. However, we have not included a "complete integration" example in order to challenge users to develop their own code. That being said, here are a few tips to get you pointed in the right direction:

          • You will probably need to install the Qwiic Python package in the pipenv to run all the code in single script.
          • Otherwise, like the servo controls you can run a script for the distance sensors and GPS as a "background service"; then overlay the data on the webpage. (It would be advisable to run all I2C devices in the same script to avoid bus contention.)

          Note: You can use the link in the banner above, to get started with posting a topic in our forums. Maybe someone in the community has posted their example or is looking to collaborate. (Be aware, our technical support team will do their best to assist you, but we do not offer consultation services on custom code).

          • Member #1578731 / about 5 years ago / 1

            Thanks. I had a hunch it was an "integration is left to user" situation. It became frustrating after a few days. I installed spartan-qwiic in pipenv but it led to other errors. Sometimes a solution is needed to get past a wall. I'm not seeing something for sure. The kit is on the 'oh well' shelf.

            • santaimpersonator / about 5 years ago / 1

              You could try to ping Sphero to see if there is a way to operate their SDK outside of the pipenv environment or to ask for help using pipenv. Otherwise, I'm not really familiar with how pipenv exactly works (Sphero implemented that with their SDK); however, I think you need to call pipenv install [package]. There are a bunch of documentation and tutorial resources online for how to use pipenv and install packages.

              However, I would probably tie in the GPS and ToF sensors' readouts to the servo control for the web interface (runs in the background when you execute start.sh). Specifically, to run all the I2C devicess together (servo controller is an I2C device), so that you don't have bus contention issue between separate scripts running simultaneously.

              From there, you would need to overlay your data on the video feed. I thought I remember seeing some information in the web camera interface wiki. You can also check the GitHub repository and project page. for more details.

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