Question about increasing detection volume on a fixed stage

[heeyokim]

We recently installed Optitrack Motive for drone and robotics experiment. It consists of 2 layers of 20 Prime 41 cameras on each floor, for a total of 40 cameras in a 20 cube meter with a height of 6 meters (the first floor is located on a line of 2 meters, the second floor on a line of 4.5 meters). The detection range seems to be smaller than I thought before implementing it (and I think the detection volume presented by Motive is different from the actual measurement). Especially near the cameras, the coverage was not very good, as if there were blind spots. I could not detect about 4 meters from the edge to the center. To address this, we angled the heads of the 20 cameras on the ground floor a little further downward, did a calibration, and increased the exposure. This helped increase coverage somewhat, but we found that there were areas where equipment like drones could not be detected above 4 meters, especially at the top center of the stage. What can we do to get more height?

During the process, we zigzagged the cameras during calibration to increase the coverage of the ground area, which made it difficult to get an optimal calibration. In MOTIVE, we found that increasing the exposure of all cameras increased the overall coverage, but it also detected unnecessary areas that were not markers.

1. How could we adjust the cameras to increase the overall detection volume range?
2. How can we effectively calibrate in an environment like ours?
3. Do all the cameras need to share the same spot a little bit to calibrate correctly?
4. Is there any way to increase the exposure and then filter out what is not in the detection range (off-stage area)?
5. Does it usually help to put more markers?
6. Any other camera setup and calibration tips, tweaks to the Motive options, etc. that you can share with us would be great.

Thank you.
H

[bsteagal]

HI H:

There are multiple ways you could get better coverage, but would need some specifics on your setup, you can contact me at bryan@kkstudio.us

[Davids]

Hi there! Dealing with Optitrack Motive challenges? Try adjusting camera angles, optimize calibration in smaller sections, consider common points for calibration, filter out unnecessary areas post-exposure increase, strategically place more markers, and reach out to Optitrack support for tailored advice. Good luck with your drone and robotics experiments!

[Davids]

Hey H,

Impressive setup with Optitrack Motive! To boost your detection range:

Experiment with camera angles for better coverage.
Simplify calibration—try separate calibrations for each floor.
Some overlap during calibration can be helpful.
Adjust exposure and fine-tune filtering for precise detection.
Consider adding more markers for enhanced tracking.
Check for interference, sync cameras, and explore Motive's advanced settings.
For tailored advice, reach out to Optitrack support. Best of luck with your experiments!