Software

Monocular 3D Tracker System

3D printed visual target with
16 retroreflective markers
Visual marker mounted
on the head of a rat
Experimental setup with
a single camera

Coming soon…

We are introducing an open-source, monocular optical tracker system for animal research that consists of a small size, compact, and lightweight visual marker and software capable of tracking the target real-time, at high framerate on camera images. Our solution improves upon the state of the art by providing accurate 3D pose (position and orientation) at a wider range of orientations than other tracking systems. Performance evaluations using synthetic tests and laboratory rats demonstrated high accuracy and robustness. The system uses a single camera and the 3D printable target to keep implementation requirements and costs reasonable. 


The open-source software package includes:

  • Tracking software
  • Camera calibration software
  • 3D printable CAD drawings of visual target
  • Assembly and setup instructions
  • Tools for registering camera to other coordinate frames
  • Documentation

System requirements:

  • Computer with Intel Core i7 CPU or better
  • Camera with LED ring light
  • Linux Ubuntu 18.04+ operating system & ROS (Robot Operating System)
Presented at 2019 Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting