Spotter v1.1 : LED based real-time video tracking software (and hardware) system for behavioural experiments developed by Nora Gaspar

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Spotter version 1.1 can track LEDs in real-time video stream--either from a webcam, or a video file--and simultaneously write encoded video to disk, while outputs the tracked variables as analog and digital signals. It is based on the OpenCV library and interfaces with Arduino Mega

Spotter v1.0 developed by Ronny Eichler is available here

For more detailed documentation, please refer to: full documentation.

Tested on Windows 7

• Python 2.7 (Python 3.x is not supported)

• numpy 1.6+

• OpenCV 2.4+

• pyOpenGL

• pyQt4

• pySerial

• Arduino Mega

-recommended hardware: 4 digital to analog converters MCP4921 , additional buffering and filtering circuitry

Windows

Python installation:

Download and install Python 2.7 Add python to the PATH variable by appending the lines below under MyComputer->Properties->Advanced->Env Variables->Path

;C:\Python27\;C:\Python27\Scripts

Installing packages:

Install required packages by downlaoding and innstalling following binaries through pip or through the links below: numpy, scipy, matplotlib, pyopengl, pyserial

http://www.lfd.uci.edu/~gohlke/pythonlibs/#pip
http://www.lfd.uci.edu/~gohlke/pythonlibs/#numpy
http://www.lfd.uci.edu/~gohlke/pythonlibs/#pyopengl
http://www.lfd.uci.edu/~gohlke/pythonlibs/#pyserial

OpenCV

Install OpenCV 2.4+ with prebuilt libraries, and follow the relevant installation steps Go to opencv/build/python/2.7/x86 or x64 folder. Copy cv2.pyd to C:/Python27/lib/site-packages.

PyQt4

Download prebuilt PyQt4 (PyQt4-4.10-gpl-Py2.7-Qt4.8.4-x32.exe or x64 respectively) from here

Video Codec

Download and install XVID codec from here

MaxOSX

Currently OSX is not compatible with some of our libraries. Please after cloning the repository, use the MAC_compatible branch.

Install XCode install MacPorts.

sudo port -v selfupdate

cp /usr/local/opt/opencv@2/lib/python2.7/site-packages/cv2.so /usr/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/

Install py27- packages.

sudo port install py27-opengl
sudo port install py27-numpy
sudo port install py27-scipy
sudo port install py27-serial
sudo port install opencv +python27
sudo port install py27-pyqt4

LINUX

apt-get install the following packages:

python-numpy
python-scipy
python-qt4-gl
python-serial
python-opencv
python-matplotlib
python-opengl

With git

git clone https://github.com/gasparnori/spotterupdated.git

Without git

Download and extract the zip file

Starting the program

On Windows run the Spotter.bat file. This will update the newest version, convert the UI and run the software itself.

On MAC Checkout the MAC_compatible branch in git

git checkout MAC_compatible
git pull origin MAC_compatible

If you are using an Arduino Mega for analog output, update the newest arduino file. Each time you use the system, make sure that the right port is connected, and that the Arduino software is up-to-date.

/arduino/Spotter_MC_v2.0

The custom PCB files and the schematics are available in the /arduino/hardware folders.

Windows

Run the following file:

/lib/ui/build_windows.bat

Linux

Download and install PyQt4 development tools

sudo apt-get install pyqt4-dev-tools qt4-designer

Run the build_linux.sh file

chmod +x lib/ui/build_linux.sh
cd lib/ui
./build_linux.sh

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.