We demonstrated the detection of a real metal tripwire in the lab using a new camera (GoPro HERO 6 Black) with a modified version of the code used for the August 2023 demonstration.
Here is a short video of this lab demo.
We used a Canon Rebel T7 DSLR camera connected to a raspberry pi for our field experiments.
The raspberry pi collected and processed continuous frames from the Canon at a rate of about 2.5 frames per second. Each frame was run through a python algorithm running on the pi that had been developed to quickly detect linear features in the frame. The processed frames were displayed in real time on a remote laptop that was connected through a WiFi hotspot to the mounted pi.
For the field test, the camera and pi were mounted on a Clearpath jackal robotic platform which was steered into the test field toward a mounted tripwire. The three wires used were nylon fishing string, metal picture hanger wire spray painted light green, and military grade green metal wire that is used in real minefields.
The system was able to clearly detect three different wires at a distance of about 50 cm against a background of tall, wild grass. All of the wires were positioned horizontally at a height of about 35 cm off the ground.
Here is a short video showing the detection of a wire during a test conducted for NATO.
Photo showing the tripwire detection system (pointing away from the tripwires).