Nokov Indoor Optical Tracking System

This article will introduce how to transmit pose information to copter through Nokov motion capture system. Contact: https://www.nokov.com/en/

Required hardware

You will need a low-latency network link from your GCS computer to the copter, and from the GCS to your Nokov motion capture system.

Nokov System Setup

  • Nokov includes two coordinate calibration systems, namely Z-axis up and Y-axis up.

  • When Z-axis up,the forward direction is aligned with the Y-axis.

  • When Y-axis up,the forward direction is aligned with the X-axis.

    Place markers on the copter

    calibration systems of Z-axis up
    nokov_axis_z

    calibration systems of Y-axis up
    nokov_axis_y

Configuration the copter

  • AHRS_EKF_TYPE=3
  • EK3_ENABLE=1
  • EK2_ENABLE=0
  • COMPASS_USE=0
  • COMPASS_USE2=0
  • COMPASS_USE3=0
  • VISO_TYPE=1
  • EK3_SRC1_POSXY=6
  • EK3_SRC1_POSZ=6
  • EK3_SRC1_YAW=6
  • EK3_SRC1_VELXY=0
  • EK3_SRC1_VELZ=0

Starting Nokov module

  • Start connect to copter with MAVProxy. Inside MAVProxy load optitrack module with:

    module load nokov

  • Set host to the motion capture system:

    nokov set host HOST_IP_ADDRESS

  • Set axis calibration systems(“z"or"y”):

    nokov set axis “z”

  • Set tracker_name to track from the motion capture system:

    nokov set tracker_name TRACK_NAME

MAVProxy Prepare

From Nokov get the nokvo-sdk and put it in “MAVProxy/modules/mavproxy_nokov”,modify the setup.py file:zip_safe=True.

Test The Flight

Connect the ground station to the copter, then make sure the Nokov SDK is enabled and there is data streaming, set host,axis and tracker_name correctly.Once you’ve done that, you can test flight.

3 Likes

Why do you refer to this as optitrack rather than nokov module?

I am trying to use the optitrack module but it is not provided by default; whereas, the nokov module is. Are they interchangable? Or do I need to follow a similar process using the optitrack sdk.

Thanks,
Matt

you will need to discuss with @nokov …this is his information, not mine…