sensors.md

Sensors in AirSim

AirSim currently supports the following sensors.
Each sensor is associated with a integer enum specifying its sensor type.

• Camera
• Barometer = 1
• Imu = 2
• Gps = 3
• Magnetometer = 4
• Distance Sensor = 5
• Lidar = 6

Note : Cameras are configured differently than the other sensors and do not have an enum associated with them. Look at general settings and image API for camera config and API.

Default sensors

If no sensors are specified in the settings json, the the following sensors are enabled by default based on the sim mode.

Multirotor

• Imu
• Magnetometer
• Gps
• Barometer

Car

• Gps

ComputerVision

• None

Behind the scenes, 'createDefaultSensorSettings' method in AirSimSettings.hpp which sets up the above sensors with their default parameters, depending on the sim mode specified in the settings.json file.

Configuring the default sensor list

The default sensor list can be configured in settings json:

"DefaultSensors": {
    "Barometer": {
         "SensorType": 1,
         "Enabled" : true
    },
    "Imu": {
         "SensorType": 2,
         "Enabled" : true
    },
    "Gps": {
         "SensorType": 3,
         "Enabled" : true
    },
    "Magnetometer": {
         "SensorType": 4,
         "Enabled" : true
    },
    "Distance": {
         "SensorType": 5,
         "Enabled" : true
    },
    "Lidar2": { 
         "SensorType": 6,
         "Enabled" : true,
         "NumberOfChannels": 4,
         "PointsPerSecond": 10000
    }
},

Configuring vehicle-specific sensor list

If a vehicle provides its sensor list, it must provide the whole list. Selective add/remove/update of the default sensor list is NOT supported.
A vehicle specific sensor list can be specified in the vehicle settings part of the json. e.g.,

    "Vehicles": {

        "Drone1": {
            "VehicleType": "SimpleFlight",
            "AutoCreate": true,
            ...
            "Sensors": {
                "MyLidar1": { 
                    "SensorType": 6,
                    "Enabled" : true,
                    "NumberOfChannels": 16,
                    "PointsPerSecond": 10000,
                    "X": 0, "Y": 0, "Z": -1,
                    "DrawDebugPoints": true
                },
                "MyLidar2": { 
                    "SensorType": 6,
                    "Enabled" : true,
                    "NumberOfChannels": 4,
                    "PointsPerSecond": 10000,
                    "X": 0, "Y": 0, "Z": -1,
                    "DrawDebugPoints": true
                }
            }
        }
   }

Sensor specific settings

Each sensor-type has its own set of settings as well.
Please see lidar for example of Lidar specific settings.

Sensor APIs

Jump straight to hello_drone.py or hello_drone.cpp for example usage, or see follow below for the full API.

• Barometer

  C++

  msr::airlib::BarometerBase::Output getBarometerData(const std::string& barometer_name, const std::string& vehicle_name);

  Python

  barometer_data = getBarometerData(barometer_name = "", vehicle_name = "")

• IMU

C++ cpp msr::airlib::ImuBase::Output getImuData(const std::string& imu_name = "", const std::string& vehicle_name = "");

Python
```python
imu_data = getImuData(imu_name = "", vehicle_name = "")
```

• GPS

  C++

  msr::airlib::GpsBase::Output getGpsData(const std::string& gps_name = "", const std::string& vehicle_name = "");

  Python

  gps_data = getGpsData(gps_name = "", vehicle_name = "")

• Magnetometer

  C++

  msr::airlib::MagnetometerBase::Output getMagnetometerData(const std::string& magnetometer_name = "", const std::string& vehicle_name = "");

  Python

  magnetometer_data = getMagnetometerData(magnetometer_name = "", vehicle_name = "")

• Distance sensor

  C++

  msr::airlib::DistanceBase::Output getDistanceSensorData(const std::string& distance_sensor_name = "", const std::string& vehicle_name = "");

  Python

  distance_sensor_name = getDistanceSensorData(distance_sensor_name = "", vehicle_name = "")

• Lidar
  See lidar for Lidar API.