3D Camera Control & Calibration Toolkit

A comprehensive RealSense camera control system with calibration, IR emitter management, and image processing capabilities.

Workflow Overview

1. Image Capture → 2. Calibration → 3. Calibrated Usage → 4. IR Control

Step-by-Step Usage

Step 1: Capture Images & Videos

Use: realsense_r200_capture_image.py

• Take pictures and record videos
• Save camera intrinsics data
• Basic camera functionality testing

Step 2: Camera Calibration

Use: camera_calibration.py

• Calibrate camera using checkerboard pattern
• Generates high-quality calibration data
• Outputs:
  • output/calibration_data.pkl - Complete calibration data
  • output/calibration_summary.json - Human-readable summary
  • output/camera_matrix.txt - Camera matrix
  • calibrated_images/ - Undistorted images

Step 3: Use Calibrated Camera

Use: use_calibrated_camera.py

• Load calibration data automatically
• Apply undistortion to live camera feed
• Note: Shows purple IR dots when camera device = 0, normal when device = 1

Step 4: IR Emitter Control

Choose your IR control method:

IR Emitter Control Scripts

ir_emitter_control.py

• Shows purple IR dots from emitter
• Basic IR visibility control
• Device switching (0 = dots, 1 = normal)

realsense_r200_native.py

• Runs both normal and dotted modes
• Save options:
  • Color images
  • Depth images
  • Both color + depth
• Native R200 camera control

realsense_emitter_control.py

• Runs both normal and colorful depth windows
• Full IR Control:

=== REALSENSE IR EMITTER CONTROL ===
Controls:
  '1' - Turn IR emitter OFF
  '2' - Turn IR emitter ON
  '3' - Decrease laser power
  '4' - Increase laser power
  'c' - Show color stream only
  'd' - Show depth stream
  'b' - Show both streams
  's' - Save current frames
  'q' - Quit

realsense_universal_control.py (Advanced)

• Laser Power Control: Available
• Enhanced Controls:

Controls:
  '1' - Turn IR emitter OFF
  '2' - Turn IR emitter ON
  '3' - Decrease laser power
  '4' - Increase laser power
  '5' - Adjust exposure (reduce IR visibility)
  '6' - Reset exposure
  'c' - Color stream only
  'd' - Depth stream only
  'b' - Both streams
  's' - Save frames
  'q' - Quit

• Features: Brightness control + dual window display (normal + colorful depth)

Output Structure

├── saved_images/           # Captured images
├── saved_videos/          # Recorded videos
├── calibration_images/    # Checkerboard calibration images
├── calibrated_images/     # Undistorted output images
├── output/               # Calibration data files
│   ├── calibration_data.pkl
│   ├── calibration_summary.json
│   └── camera_matrix.txt
└── realsense_captures/   # IR control captures

Key Controls Summary

Action	Key	Available In
Save image/frame	s	All scripts
Start/stop video	r	Capture scripts
IR emitter OFF	1	IR control scripts
IR emitter ON	2	IR control scripts
Decrease laser power	3	Advanced IR scripts
Increase laser power	4	Advanced IR scripts
Adjust exposure	5	Universal control
Color stream only	c	Multi-stream scripts
Depth stream only	d	Multi-stream scripts
Both streams	b	Multi-stream scripts
Quit	q	All scripts

Understanding IR Dots

The purple dots you see are infrared structured light patterns:

• Purpose: Enable depth sensing and 3D reconstruction
• Control: Can be turned ON/OFF or power adjusted
• Device behavior:
  • Device 0 = Shows IR dots
  • Device 1 = Normal view (no visible dots)

Quick Start

1. Capture test images:

   python realsense_r200_capture_image.py

2. Calibrate your camera:

   python camera_calibration.py

3. Use calibrated camera:

   python use_calibrated_camera.py

4. Control IR emitter:

   python realsense_universal_control.py

Requirements

opencv-python>=4.5.0
pyrealsense2>=2.50.0
numpy>=1.21.0

Notes

• IR dots are normal behavior for depth cameras
• Different scripts offer varying levels of IR control
• Calibration significantly improves image quality
• Save options vary by script (color, depth, or both)