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Update v2
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98 changes: 59 additions & 39 deletions README.md
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# SkyScan
Automatically photograph planes that fly by!
-----
Follow allowing as we build, [here](https://iqtlabs.github.io/SkyScan/)

![Airbus A321](media/a321.jpg)
<img src="assets/a321.jpg" alt="A321" title="A321" width="800" />

*Airbus A321 at 32,000 feet*

## Overview
Building image datasets for machine learning applications can be slow and expensive. SkyScan demonstrates a low-cost system that uses sensors to automate the building of datasets appropriate for computer vision models. SkyScan uses a ground-based camera and software-defined radio to capture images and correlated identity information of commercial aircraft. The SkyScan field kit software runs on a Raspberry Pi and all devices are low-power, allowing the system to run for several hours off of a portable battery.

## Table of Contents
1. [How it Works](#how-it-works)
2. [Hardware](#hardware)
3. [Software Architecture](#software-architecture)
4. [ML Pipeline](#ml-pipeline)
5. [Setup and Operation](#setup-and-operation)
6. [Additional Information](#additional-information)

## How it Works
To enable better tracking, most planes broadcast a signal known as [Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_Dependent_Surveillance–Broadcast) or ADS-B. This signal is at 1090MHz and can be easily received using a low cost Software Defined Radio (SDR), like the [RTL-SDR](https://learn.adafruit.com/getting-started-with-rtl-sdr-and-sdr-sharp) which repurposes a digital TV chip.

From the ADS-B transmissions, you can get a plane's location and altitude. If you know where a plane is and where you are, you can do some math and point a camera at the plane and take a picture. If you have a Pan/Tilt camera lying around, you can have it automatically track a plane as it flies by and snap photos.
From the ADS-B transmissions, you can get a plane's location and altitude. If you know where a plane is and where you are, you can do some math, point a camera at the plane and take a picture. If you have a Pan/Tilt camera lying around, you can have it automatically track a plane as it flies by and snap photos.

After a dataset has been collected, a model can be trained to build a plane detector and classifier using the labeled plane data.

<img src="assets/diagram.jpg" alt="System Diagram" title="System Diagram" width="800" />

## Hardware
The project works with the following hardware. It should be easy to extended to work with other SDRs or cameras... but that is on you.
- Raspberry Pi 4
- [Axis m5525](https://www.axis.com/en-us/products/axis-m5525-e) Axis has a great API for their network cameras, and it should work with any of there PTZ cameras. The m5525 is nice because it supports continuous 360 degree rotation. You can literally have it spin around in circles, giving you complete coverage. It also has 10x optical zoom. Any Axis PTZ camera should be supported. The code has also been tested with the [Axis p5655](https://www.axis.com/en-us/products/axis-p5655-e) camera.
- [Pan Tilt Hat](https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/pan-tilt-hat?variant=22408353287) & Raspberry Pi Camera - This is the budget option. It is a small kit that uses servo motors to move the Raspberry Pi Cam around. It only has about 170 degrees of panning and the positioning is not that accurate. Since the Pi Cam is used, it is not zoomed in much. If you are in a spot where planes are flying low overhead, this could be a perfect solution.
- [RTL-SDR](https://www.nooelec.com/store/sdr/nesdr-smart-sdr.html) This is nice and stable RTL-SDR. It is compact and doesn't block all the other ports on a Pi. Since you are just trying to capture local planes, you can get away with using any antenna you have lying around.
This project is built around the RaspberryPi 4, an RTL-SDR, and an Axis PTZ security camera. It could be extended to work with other SDRs or cameras.

Axis has a great API for their network cameras, and it should work with any of their PTZ cameras. The m5525 is nice because it supports continuous 360 degree rotation. You can literally have it spin around in circles, giving you complete coverage. The code has been tested with the 10x zoom [Axis m5525](https://www.axis.com/en-us/products/axis-m5525-e) and the 30x zoom [Axis p5655](https://www.axis.com/en-us/products/axis-p5655-e) cameras.

We are using the [Nooelec NESDR SMArt v4 SDR](https://www.nooelec.com/store/sdr/nesdr-smart-sdr.html). This is a nice and stable RTL-SDR. It is compact and doesn't block all the other ports on a Pi. Since you are just trying to capture local planes, you can get away with using any antenna you have lying around.

### Field System Configurations
Two configurations were developed for this project, one with AC and one with DC power input.

![configurations](assets/hardware1-small.JPG)

### CAD Files
The major components of the system were modelled in CAD software. A few 3D printed parts were designed to house and mount the things together. These files can be found in the [hardware STL directory](hardware/README.md).

### BOM
See the [Hardware README](hardware/README.md) for additional component details including a BOM.

## Software Architecture

The different components for this project have been made into Docker containers. This modularity makes it easier to add in new data sources or cameras down the road. We have found containers to work really well on the Pi and the help enforce that you have properly documented all of the software requirements.
The different components for this project have been made into Docker containers. This modularity makes it easier to add in new data sources or cameras down the road. We have found that containers work really well on the Pi and help enforce that you have properly documented all of the software requirements.

````
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Expand All @@ -47,47 +72,42 @@ The different components for this project have been made into Docker containers.

Here is a brief overview of each component. There are additional details in the component's subdirectory

- [mikenye/piaware](https://github.com/mikenye/docker-piaware) - This is a dockerized version of FlightAware's [PiAware](https://flightaware.com/adsb/piaware/) program. PiAware is actually just a wrapper around [dump1090](https://flightaware.com/adsb/piaware/). Dump1090 is a small program that can use an RTL-SDR to receive an ADS-B transmission. The program uses these transmission to track where nearby planes are and display then on a webpage. It also output all of the messages it receives on a TCP port, for other programs to use. We use this connection to get the plane information. PiAware adds the ability to send the information to FlightAware. You could probably just switch this to only use Dump1090.

- [ADSB-MQTT](adsb-mqtt) Is a small python program that reads in information collected by Dump1090 over a TCP port and publishes all the messages it receives onto the MQTT bus.

- [tracker](tracker) Receives all of the plane's location, determines how far away from the camera each one is and then finds the closest plane. The location and relative position of the closest plane is periodically published as an MQTT messages. Tracker needs to know the location and altitude of the camera in order to determine the planes relative position.
- [mikenye/piaware](https://github.com/mikenye/docker-piaware) - This is a dockerized version of FlightAware's [PiAware](https://flightaware.com/adsb/piaware/) program. PiAware is actually just a wrapper around [dump1090](https://flightaware.com/adsb/piaware/). Dump1090 is a small program that can use an RTL-SDR to receive an ADS-B transmission. The program uses these transmission to track where nearby planes are and display them on a webpage. It also outputs all of the messages it receives on a TCP port for other programs to use. We use this connection to get the plane information. PiAware adds the ability to send the information to FlightAware. You could probably just switch this to only use Dump1090.

- [axis-ptz](axis-ptz) Receives updates on which plane to track over MQTT and then directs the PTZ camera towards the plane and takes a picture.
- [ADSB-MQTT](adsb-mqtt) is a small Python program that reads in information collected by Dump1090 over a TCP port and publishes all the messages it receives onto the MQTT bus.

- [tracker](tracker) receives all of the plane's location, determines how far away from the camera each one is and then finds the closest plane. The location and relative position of the closest plane is periodically published as an MQTT messages. Tracker needs to know the location and altitude of the camera in order to determine the plane's relative position.

- [axis-ptz](axis-ptz) receives updates on which plane to track over MQTT and then directs the PTZ camera towards the plane and takes a picture.

### Configure
In order to start PiAware, you need to register with Flight Aware and request a Feed ID. There are directions on how to do that [here](https://github.com/mikenye/docker-piaware#new-to-piaware).
## ML Pipelines

Copy the **env-example** file to **.env**. Edit the **.env** file to include the correct values.
There are currently three different machine learning pipelines.

### Operations
Launch the application using docker-compose:
```bash
docker-compose up
```
The first pipeline uses a series of Jupyter notebooks to prepare the image dataset, train object detection and classification models, and then evaluate those models. These notebooks can be found [here](ml-model/notebooks). Instructions for using these notebooks can be found [here](ml-model/readme.md).

A web interface will be available on **port 8080**. As pictures of planes are captured they will be saved in folders in the **./capture** directory.
The second pipeline re-packages much of the functionality found in the Jupyter notebooks into a Python script that can be run from the command line. The scripts and directions can be found [here](ml-model/scripts).

The third pipeline uses the [YOLTv4 model](https://github.com/avanetten/yoltv4) to also perform object detection. The relevant notebooks can be found [here](ml-model/yoltv4).

### Enable Raspi-camera
## Setup and Operation

If you are using the Pan Tilt hat, you will need to make sure the Pi Camera has been configured correctly:
In the base OS on the Pi make sure the Camera is enabled:
```bash
sudo raspi-config
```
- Interfacing Options
- Camera
- Enable
### Installation
Follow the steps below for installing the edge software.

### Testing with pytest
1. [Install and Configure Raspberry Pi](./configure-pi.md)
2. [Configure PiAware](configure-piaware.md)
3. [Configure Camera](./configure-camera.md)

To run tests with pytest, run:
## System Operation
After the system has been installed, follow the steps below to set up the hardware and start the software.

```bash
pytest
```
- [Hardware](hardware.md)
- [Software](software.md)

## Additional Information
Other helpful information about this project:

- [Setting up dev containers in VS Code](devcontainers.md)
- [System design notes](design.md)
- [Utilities for testing](utils)
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