Getting Started

To begin recording data on any Linux-based computer, follow the steps below:

1. Install Docker: First, make sure you have Docker installed on your system. Docker is a platform that allows you to package and distribute applications in lightweight, isolated containers. You can download Docker from the official website here and follow the installation instructions specific to your operating system.

2. Download the Repository: Next, download the repository containing the necessary files for recording. You can do this by cloning the repository using Git or by downloading the repository as a ZIP file and extracting it to a local directory on your computer.

3. Initialize Git Submodules: Within the downloaded repository, there may be Git submodules that need to be initialized. Git submodules are separate Git repositories embedded within a parent repository. To initialize the submodules, navigate to the repository's root directory using a terminal or command prompt and execute the following command:

   git submodule init
   git submodule update

4. Configure Topic Selection: Create a .env file in the docker/ directory of the repository. This file will specify the topic names you want to record. Open the .env file in a text editor and define the topics using the following format:

   USER=username
   
   TOPICS="
       /imu/data
       /imu/mag
       /imu/temperature
       /livox/lidar
       /mynteye/left_rect/image_rect/compressed
       /mynteye/left_rect/camera_info
       /mynteye/right_rect/image_rect/compressed
       /mynteye/right_rect/camera_info
       /mynteye/depth/image_raw
       /realsense/color/image_raw/compressed
       /realsense/color/camera_info
       /realsense/aligned_depth_to_color/image_raw/compressedDepth
       /realsense/aligned_depth_to_color/camera_info
       /realsense/accel/sample
       /realsense/gyro/sample
       /mimix3/gps/assisted
   "

   In the above example, we have provided a list of example topics that you may want to record. You can customize this list based on your specific requirements.

5. Connect the Sensors: Connect the required sensors to your computer, making sure they are properly powered. This may involve connecting devices such as the Mynt Eye s1030 camera, Xsens IMU, Intel Realsense D435i camera, Livox LiDAR, and any other sensors you wish to use.

6. Launch the Recording System: Open a terminal or command prompt and navigate to the fruc_dataset_apparatus/docker directory within the downloaded repository. Run the following command to start the recording system using Docker Compose:

   docker-compose up

   Docker Compose will read the configuration from the docker-compose.yml file and launch the required containers with the specified settings. You will see the output and logs from each container in the terminal window.

   The recording system is now up and running, capturing data from the selected topics and storing it in a rosbag file under fruc_dataset_apparatus/docker. You can customize the behavior and settings of the recording system by modifying the docker-compose.yml file or other relevant configuration files within the repository.

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For more details, please check the Apparatus Wiki!