Tensorflow and ROS

This guide targets Ubuntu 16.04 and ROS Kinetic

To run Default SSD (Single Shot Detection) algorithm:

1. Install ROS: http://wiki.ros.org/kinetic/Installation/Ubuntu

2. Install vision_msgs Dependency sudo apt install ros-kinetic-vision-msgs

3. Install any one of the following camera dependencies

   sudo apt install ros-kinetic-openni2-launch (for openni2 supported camera)

            OR
   

   sudo apt install ros-kinetic-usb-cam (usb camera / webcam)

            OR
   

   sudo apt install ros-kinetic-cv-camera (usb camera / webcam)

4. Install tensorflow into python virtualenv: https://www.tensorflow.org/install/install_linux

   sudo apt-get install python-pip python-dev python-virtualenv

   virtualenv --system-site-packages ~/tensorflow

   source ~/tensorflow/bin/activate

   easy_install -U pip

   pip install --upgrade tensorflow

5. mkdir ~/catkin_ws/ && mkdir ~/catkin_ws/src/

6. Clone standard Vision messages repository and this repository into catkin_ws/src:

   cd ~/catkin_ws/src

   git clone https://github.com/osrf/tensorflow_object_detector.git

7. Build tensorflow_object_detector and Vision message

   cd ~/catkin_ws && catkin_make

8. Source catkin workspace's setup.bash:

   source ~/catkin_ws/devel/setup.bash

9. Plug in camera and launch Single Shot Detector (varies per camera, NOTE: object_detect.launch also launches the openni2.launch file for the camera. If you are using any other camera, please change the camera topic in the launch file before launching the file)

   roslaunch tensorflow_object_detector object_detect.launch

   OR

   roslaunch tensorflow_object_detector usb_cam_detector.launch

   OR

   roslaunch tensorflow_object_detector cv_camera_detector.launch

If you want to try any other ML model:

1. Download any Object Detection Models from the Tensorflow Object detection API. You can find the models in tensorflow Object Detection Model Zoo: https://github.com/tensorflow/models/blob/master/object_detection/g3doc/detection_model_zoo.md. Extract the tar.gz file.

2. Edit the parameters in any of the launch file. If no parameters are provided then, ssd_mobilenet_v2_coco_2018_03_29 is downloaded and stored in ~/data/models.