R200 Bright Light Performance

[Alexander_M_6]

I can't find any info on how the R200 performs in environments with a large amount of IR. I'm particularly interested in the depth performance outdoors in direct sunlight and indirect sunlight (in the shade).

Does anybody have any experience with use in these environments that they could share? Numbers and examples would be very useful.

[Xusheng_L_Intel]

For R200, more IR such as outdoors environment will help the depth image and can get longer distance over 10 meter. 

[Alexander_M_6]

So I find this confusing, my experience is that both structured light and ToF depth cameras see degraded performance in environments with strong IR and that stereo cameras are typically unaffected. Are you saying that the depth sensing is better outdoors than indoors for the R200?

[samontab]

You are right Alexander, the main difference is being an active or passive sensor.

It seems that R200 is a combination of both (I don't have one so I'm speculating):

When it is indoors, it acts as an active IR stereo camera, and when it is outside, it acts as a passive IR stereo camera. The sun, being much more powerful than the IR emitter, would allow the stereo camera to see longer ranges, but with the typical stereo problems in low feature areas(i.e. plain walls).

[SMali10]

@David

In my experience the gain on the R200 infrared cameras is locked on high. While the exposure time can be adjusted, it still cannot expose for exterior scenes in direct sunlight.

Is there currently to use the R200 outside? Or do we have to wait for a future SDK release?

Thanks!

[Tim_T_]

I've tried the R200 outdoors in bright sunlight, and it doesn't seem to work for me at all - I don't get anything in the depth image.  In shaded areas outdoors, I see some depth information.

Should I be expecting to get valid depth information in bright sunlight?   Are there some settings I need to adjust (e.g. when using Camera Viewer in the sample programs) in order to see valid depth information in sunlight?

     ...Tim...

[samontab]

Hey Tim, have you tried disabling the IR projector? maybe if it is disabled it will trigger the passive mode...

[Xusheng_L_Intel]

R200 used the different technology called Stereoscopic technology. 

Alexander M. wrote:

So I find this confusing, my experience is that both structured light and ToF depth cameras see degraded performance in environments with strong IR and that stereo cameras are typically unaffected. Are you saying that the depth sensing is better outdoors than indoors for the R200?

[SMali10]

@David

Is the R200 (in it's current form and with the current SDK) capable of working outside? It does not seem to work in direct sunlight.

[SMali10]

@Tim

Likely David means that the R200 will be able to detect depth at longer ranges, since it doesn't rely on the strength of the IR projector (which stops illuminating objects at 3-4 meters away). Whether or not the quality of the depth data is better or not, depends on how detailed the object itself is. Like samontab says, a blank wall has no detail and the stereo cameras won't really be able to get depth data from it. However something like a tree trunk, with a lot of detail both cameras can recognize would provide good depth data.

[Xusheng_L_Intel]

R200 is good for outdoor and the working distance will be around 10 meters. You can try app using Enhanced Photography module. Please do not use it in direct sunlight. 

[SMali10]

Thanks David! Not using it in direct sunlight is essential information.