Overview
The TopCode computer vision library is designed to quickly and easily
identify and track tangible objects on a flat surface. Just tag any
physical object with a TopCode (a circular black and white symbol) and
the system will return:
- An ID number
- Location of the tag
- Angular orientation of the tag
- Diameter of the tag
The TopCode library will identify 99 unique codes and can accurately recognize codes as
small as 25 x 25 pixels. The image processing algorithms work in a
variety of lighting conditions without the need for human
calibration. The core TopCode library is 100% Java (with a C++ port
now available). An additional library is provided to grab high-resolution images from a webcam using
Microsoft's DirectShow API. This library is written in C++ but
contains native hooks to Java.
Pros
- Free and open source
- Fast and accurate
- 100% Java
- Will work in a variety of lighting conditions
- Can recognize up to 99 unique codes in a single image.
Cons
- The camera must be orthogonal to the interaction surface.
- Requires Java programming knowledge
Downloads
Quick Start Guide
To get started with the TopCode library:
- Download and install the Java JDK
(http://download.java.net/jdk6)
- Extract the TopCode library on your local machine.
- An easy way to get started is to use the TopCode debugger
app. Start by opening a shell and changing to the directory where you
installed the library. Then run this command:
$ java -cp lib/topcodes.jar topcodes.DebugWindow
This allows you to test the library on an image. If there are any
JPEG images in your working directory, they will be loaded
automatically. The basic key commands are:
CTRL-o |
Open a JPEG file |
+ |
Zoom in |
- |
Zoom out |
b |
See the image after thresholding |
t |
Show / hide topcode highlighting |
Page Up |
Load the next image in the directory |
Page Dn |
Load the previous image in the directory |
Clicking and dragging with the mouse will pan the image.
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All of the TopCode ID numbers will be printed on the command
line each time an image is loaded.
- Another option is to run the webcam sample code. This is a sample
application that integrates the webcam library with the TopCode
scanner. (Note: this code will only work on windows machines). To run
this sample, you will need a webcamera with VGA (640x480) resolution.
A Logitech QuickCam is a good choice. Plug in your camera, and then
use this command to launch the demo:
$ java -cp
lib/topcodes.jar WebCamSample
To Compile The Library
To compile the topcode library on your machine:
- If you want to be able to compile the library, download and install
Apache Ant (http://ant.apache.org)
- To compile the library, open a shell and go do the directory where
you extracted the library. Then run the ant build script:
$ ant build
After about 10 seconds, you should see a message that says
BUILD SUCCESSFUL .
Other Links
Other computer vision libraries you might try:
- ARToolKit from the HITLab at the University of Washington
- reacTIVision from the Music Technology Group at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona
- CanTag and TinyTag from the University of Cambridge in the U.K.
References
The TopCode library was developed at the Tufts University Human Computer Interaction Lab in
Medford, Massachusetts. The library is based on TRIP from the
University of Cambridge in the U.K. and on adaptive thresholding
techniques developed by Pierre Wellner.
Comments & Feedback
Please send comments, suggestions, and bug fixes to Michael Horn
(michael-horn <at> northwestern dot edu).
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