Counter Strike

Turn on the power switch to the pololu module in order to power the servos.

Now to get to the next step.

Did you attach the camera

Start the software

The software should immediately recognize the servo controller , if it doesn’t select if from the dropdown box, if it doesn’t show than check connections otherwise still no connection, then look for a problem or you broke the shit

Adjust the baud rate to the pololu module, mine still works fine at the highest rating but if you have a usb 1 laptop you will have to settle for less.

Now select the servo speed, perhaps you should start slow around 20, the fastest is 127. The maestro controller has a build in speed adjustment, the pololu usb 16 does not.

Now select a camera from the top right hand source, the camera window area should say connecting and afterwards show the camera feed.

To move the sentry manually just click anywhere camera window to move it, doubleclick and it will move and fire. Now this is an important part (in the older versions), the calibration is done in this grey area as well. Using the left mouse button move your targeting laser (which you obviously installed on your dispenser as it otherwise wouldn’t be as cool) to top left hand corner you can still see in the camera. Leave your mouse in this position. Now press the right hand mouse button and move it to the most bottom right hand position you can see in the camera screen. Now the servos relate the movement in the video screen to the relative position in the grey area. Obviously if you opted for a infra red camera you have a problem as lasers don’t show in infra red. Now if that is true obviously you still have a laser… so you eyeball it.

Some might say “dude your calibration could be a lot better”, yes it could. However in our design the camera is not necessarily attached to the dispenser part. This means that you can put the camera in a different place than were the sentry is. This is an advantage: imagine you are playing airsoft/paintball for example. When the other team comes up to the sentry it will be quite evident were the sentry is. In most other designs it means where the sentry is the camera will be as well. A couple of well placed shots, the camera is out and there goes the sentry.

In our design this is not the case, they can shoot the sentry all they want but never hit the camera as it will be somewhere in a tree (choose a branch that doesn’t move) or disguised somewhere between the rocks.

This is also why the calibration is the way it is. If you attach the camera to a fixed position on the sentry you don’t really need to calibrate anything at all. If that is your wish,  go for that, it will reduce your setup time.  

To turn on the motion detection select a motion detection algorithm from the dropdown box, the only one that is working now is the counting algorithm. If you feel like you want to change them check out the references to see where they came from.

After selecting the counting algorithm, you will see the motion detection in the camera view. Now this is an important point. you need to adjust the difference filter setting. This filter is basically the setting for the sensitivity of the motion detection algorithm. I would not recommend going under 15 because then the machine would go nuts, even inside, it because of the noise in the camera due to light changes and so on. For outside usage I would recommend to start at 30 or so and move up till acceptable levels for you. As long as the detector doesn’t recognize the natural movement of the environment as a target, such as leaves in the wind etc.

Once the motionregions selection part of the software is also full incorporated in the project you will also have the possibility to select certain parts in the view of the camera that you don’t want to take into account with regard to motion detection and also targeting. This could be useful for moving shadows from trees or branches moving in the wind. This is an addition to the difference filter that should take the majority of this stuff for its account, there is of course a personal preference that you could apply.

Now this is done you can check the autofire checkbox.

And then give it a try.

Perhaps you will have to adjust the max min settings of the servos in order to properly calibrate the system.

To troubleshoot you will most likely have to adjust camera settings, horizontal or vertical image flip and so on, perhaps the difference filter is set too high just check everything. Change only one thing at a time and start with the easy stuff.

Now setup your machine in a covert location and get yourself some targets, siblings or rc-cars do well.