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Vision: Mavis

Mavis is a computer-vision package for mobile robots. It originated as part of a larger, group robotics project, called Leaf. Its API is task oriented, and the vision tasks it performs are specifically designed to be useful for mobile robots: locate homebase, detect obstacles, and so on. The current alpha release also includes face detection.

Mavis runs on Windows XP. Its interface is implemented as a separate dll, so mavis users can develop in any language that links to dlls, including C/C++, VisualBasic, Java, Lisp, Prolog, or Forth.

Mavis is implemented as a C++ class. It requires a program to load and run it. A Windows program for running mavis is included. It's called MavisCtl -- Mavis Control Program. MavisCtl displays visual feedback from mavis as a picture on its GUI. It can also "talk" directly to mavis by loading the interface dll and using mavis' API. When the dll is loaded, MavisCtl displays a GUI for controlling mavis directly.

 

More Information

Capabilities

Architecture

API

 

System Requirements

  • Microsoft Windows and Microsoft's DirectX. Windows XP comes with DirectX built in. Mavis may also work on other Windows versions if DirectX is installed. It's been successfully installed and used on WIndows 2000, for example.

  • A video input device, such as a webcam, that's compatible with DirectX.

  • There are some physical restrictions. These are described under Configuration.

  • Mavis uses framecap to capture video frames. A copy of the framecap executable is included in the download package.

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    License and Download

    Mavis is available for free use and distribution under the BSD license. This is a less restrictive license than GNU. It's also much shorter.

    1. Read the license.

    2. Download mavis.

    3. Install mavis and configure it for your setup.

     

    Acknowledgements

    Thanks to

  • Arthur Ed LeBouthillier for contributions to the initial version of mavis

  • Gordon McComb for suggesting the circular navigation target as a homebase marker

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