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Creating a world-class research environment and providing support for researchers to carry out multidisciplinary and collaborative research across the university and bring state-of-the-art laboratory research to the classroom are key components of Strategy 2030 of Queen Mary University of London.
The aim
Dr Ketao Zhang, Lecturer in Robotics, identified the need to add tracking and a motion capture system into the existing Robotics lab within the universities’ East London site.
By building a multipurpose research platform, he wanted to create an interactive lab for robotics and autonomous systems research, mobile manipulators and aerial robots tests and VR simulation. Dr Zhang also sought two immersive tech solutions for tracking multiple robotics during his teams’ research studies; a VR backpack to facilitate immersive VR and a stereoscopic display solution.
The solution
Target3D recommended a rig of 16 x PrimeX 22's, a Barco F50 Stereo projector and three computers with a Vive Pro VR Kit, HP Backpack PC and Stereoscopic Display solution.
The Queen Mary team are developing customized robotic systems to explore bi-directional communication between the robot platforms and the tracking system.
Alongside installing the new rig within the Centre for Advanced Robotics @ QMUL (ARQ), Target3D worked with Dr Zhang and the ARQ team, training them on the new technology and providing set up support.
The result
The new multidisciplinary experimental space, called Q-Arena, which will support research into human-centred robotics and interactive engineering. The OptiTrack cameras work at a sufficiently high frame rate and ensure high-accuracy tracking with a full six-DoF pose for multiple objects including ground and aerial robots and human supervisors in the scene. The stereo VR projector can be used for visualisation to re-create various human-robot interaction environments.
Following the installation, Dr Zhang commented “The low latency and high precision 6DoF tracking system and VR stereo-projection PowerWall will allow our researchers to carry out comprehensive experimental investigation and tests, which are essential to boost our research in the field of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence.” Contact Target3D for tracking and motion capture solutions, installation, training and support.