Ladybug5 ROS Driver

ROS driver for the FLIR Ladybug5 360° camera. Supports both native Ubuntu 20.04 installation and Docker deployment.

Repository Structure

catkin_ladybug_ws/
├── src/
│   └── ladybug_driver/     # ROS package
├── docker/                 # Docker support files
├── Dockerfile             # Docker build definition
└── docker-compose.yml     # Docker compose config

Installation Options

Option 1: Native Installation (Ubuntu 20.04)

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/Ali-Rizvi-1/catkin_ladybug_ws.git
cd catkin_ladybug_ws

2. Install ROS Noetic (if not already installed):

# Follow instructions at: http://wiki.ros.org/noetic/Installation/Ubuntu

3. Install Ladybug SDK:

# Obtain ladybug-1.20.0.79_amd64.deb from FLIR
sudo dpkg -i ladybug-1.20.0.79_amd64.deb

4. Setup udev rules:

sudo groupadd -f flirimaging
sudo usermod -aG flirimaging $USER
sudo bash -c 'echo "ATTRS{idVendor}==\"1e10\", ATTRS{idProduct}==\"3800\", MODE=\"0664\", GROUP=\"flirimaging\"" > /etc/udev/rules.d/40-pgr-ladybug.rules'
sudo udevadm control --reload-rules && sudo udevadm trigger

5. Build the workspace:

catkin_make
source devel/setup.bash

Usage

6. Launch the camera node:

roslaunch ladybug_driver ladybug.launch

Option 2: Docker Installation and Setup

1. Build and enter the container:

docker-compose run --rm ladybug /bin/bash

2. Inside the container, install the SDK:

cd /ladybug_sdk
sudo dpkg -i ladybug-1.20.0.79_modified.deb

3. Setup udev rules and groups:

# Create flirimaging group
sudo groupadd -f flirimaging
sudo usermod -aG flirimaging ladybug_user

# Create udev rules
sudo bash -c 'echo "ATTRS{idVendor}==\"1e10\", ATTRS{idProduct}==\"3800\", MODE=\"0664\", GROUP=\"flirimaging\"" > /etc/udev/rules.d/40-pgr-ladybug.rules'
sudo bash -c 'echo "KERNEL==\"raw1394\", MODE=\"0664\", GROUP=\"flirimaging\"" >> /etc/udev/rules.d/40-pgr-ladybug.rules'
sudo bash -c 'echo "KERNEL==\"video1394*\", MODE=\"0664\", GROUP=\"flirimaging\"" >> /etc/udev/rules.d/40-pgr-ladybug.rules'
sudo bash -c 'echo "SUBSYSTEM==\"firewire\", GROUP=\"flirimaging\"" >> /etc/udev/rules.d/40-pgr-ladybug.rules'

# Reload udev rules
sudo service udev restart

4. Build the ROS package:

cd ~/catkin_ws
catkin_make
source devel/setup.bash

5. Launch the node:

roslaunch ladybug_driver ladybug.launch

Opening Additional Terminals

To open additional terminals for the running container:

1. Find the container ID:

docker ps

2. Open a new terminal in the running container:

docker exec -it <container_id> /bin/bash

Published Topics

The driver publishes images to:

• /ladybug/camera0/image_raw
• /ladybug/camera1/image_raw
• /ladybug/camera2/image_raw
• /ladybug/camera3/image_raw
• /ladybug/camera4/image_raw
• /ladybug/camera5/image_raw

Launch Parameters

Parameter	Default	Description
scale	100	Image scale percentage
jpeg_percent	80	JPEG quality
framerate	10	Camera framerate
use_auto_framerate	false	Enable auto framerate
shutter_time	0.5	Shutter time (seconds)
use_auto_shutter_time	true	Enable auto shutter
gain_amount	10	Gain amount
use_auto_gain	true	Enable auto gain
trigger_enabled	false	Enable external trigger mode
trigger_delay	0.0	Trigger delay in milliseconds
trigger_polarity	true	Trigger polarity (true=rising edge, false=falling edge)
trigger_timeout	5000	Timeout for triggered capture (milliseconds)

External Triggering

The Ladybug5 camera supports external triggering through its GPIO interface. To use the trigger functionality:

1. Enable trigger mode in the launch file:

<param name="trigger_enabled" value="true" />

2. Configure trigger parameters:

• trigger_polarity: Set to true for rising edge, false for falling edge
• trigger_delay: Add delay between trigger signal and capture (milliseconds)
• trigger_timeout: Maximum time to wait for trigger signal

3. Connect your trigger source to the camera's GPIO pins
   • Use GPIO 0 for trigger input
   • Ensure correct voltage levels (compatible with 3.3V/5V TTL)

Example launch file with triggering enabled:

<launch>
    <node name="ladybug_node" pkg="ladybug_driver" type="ladybug_node" output="screen">
        <param name="scale" value="100" />
        <param name="framerate" value="10" />
        <param name="jpeg_percent" value="80" />
        <!-- Trigger configuration -->
        <param name="trigger_enabled" value="true" />
        <param name="trigger_delay" value="0.0" />
        <param name="trigger_polarity" value="true" />
        <param name="trigger_timeout" value="5000" />
    </node>
</launch>

Troubleshooting

1. Camera Not Detected

   • Check USB connection
   • Verify udev rules are loaded
   • Ensure user is in flirimaging group

2. Permission Issues

   • Log out and back in after group changes
   • Check device permissions: ls -l /dev/bus/usb

3. Docker Issues

   • Ensure Docker service is running
   • Check USB device visibility: lsusb

License

MIT License

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch
3. Commit your changes
4. Push to the branch
5. Create a Pull Request