Ouster Studio: SLAM/GPS/.PCAP to LAS conversion?

DMAPS

Thanks so much for initiating Ouster Studio, it's so much user-friendlier than RVIS/ROS for my purpose of short recordings for utility mapping purposes. I am a non-programer and limited to step-by-step copy/paste installation guides and configurations, please take this into account when answering questions.😉

Just three questions below:

Is there any "easy" way to record/add/create/display a SLAM in Ouster Studio?
I am also wanting to add an accurate GPS (Seen Absolute Geolocation in TAB).
Lastly, any easy way to convert .PCAP files to .LAS files.

Any help will be much appreciated...

emzhang

Hi there,

We're glad you like Ouster Studio! Stay tuned as we improve the software and add in more features.

No -- you'll have to use a separate SLAM algorithm to turn the data into a SLAM map. There are a number of open source SLAM tools such as Google Cartographer, LOAM, BLAM, and others you can try.
GPS integration is not yet available on the current distribution of Ouster Studio
You'll need IMU data to create a .las file. In this version of Ouster Studio, we don't process IMU data and therefore don't have the capability to out a .las file. Look for this in a future release of Ouster Studio!

Mohit

Hi @DMAPS
You can also use RTK GNSS receivers like Emlid´s to collect the GNSS and IMU data. The receivers you can use are Reach RS2, Reach RS+ or Reach M+.
You can then process/merge the GNSS and IMU data in a software like Inertial Explorer. We are working in a similar way, however we do not have a complete work flow yet.

DMAPS

Thanks, for the answers guys... I now know I need to move on and find and employ a developer (Hint Hint to developers out there). Side Note: Not sure if it is legal to procure developers on this forum, just let me know and I will take the hint hint part down. I have been researching several applications options but seem to be ending up back at ROS/RVIS where Ouster is concerned. Due to my lack of expertise, I have spent several hours with Google Cartographer with no results which I am seeing a common theme of dead ends for other users... Unfortunately, I do not have the time to keep going....

Mohit: The Reach RS2 looks very impressive and I am considering getting a unit. I currently have a Trimble Catalyst RTK, can this be used? https://catalyst.trimble.com/index.html might have to build a third-party app for this hardware but it's so much lighter than the other units.

I need a solution ASAP to my original questions (Any platform: ROS/RVIS or WYH)... and a "plugin and Play" module or node would be handy. Initially, if I can get this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koYBqeBdBec (Partly why I chose the OS 1 64 lidar) and be able to do measurements off it, I will be very happy. I got the new manuals and Lidar is updated to the latest version but currently still only have .bag files to do my measurements off.

Mohit

Hi @DMAPS
here are some open source SLAM possibilities:
https://github.com/googlecartographer/cartographer
https://github.com/laboshinl/loam_velodyne
https://github.com/erik-nelson/blam
https://github.com/simondlevy/BreezySLAM
https://github.com/OpenSLAM-org

Reed034

Any update as to when IMU integration will be introduced to Ouster Studio? I would be very interested in this feature.