Accomplishment
Set up and validated the initial camera capture pipeline for the software/imaging side of the project, using my laptop’s built-in webcam as a stand-in for the C922 (borrowed but not yet in hand — same UVC standard, so the code transfers directly with no changes once it arrives).
- Set up a Python + OpenCV development environment
- Wrote and debugged capture.py: opens a camera device, streams live video, and displays a real-time preview window
- Implemented frame-rate logging (prints live fps to console every 2 seconds) to verify capture stability
- Implemented automatic and manual frame-saving to disk for later inspection and testing
- Verified stable capture performance: ~29–30 fps sustained after initial camera warm-up, confirmed via console logs and saved frame inspection
- Structured the code with a single configurable camera source parameter so switching from the laptop webcam to the C922 next week requires no code changes
I am on schedule. While I wait for camera to come, I can start working on other things.
Next Week
- Receive and test with the actual C922 camera, confirming capture parameters (resolution, fps) match or need adjustment
- Build the heatmap-rendering logic using simulated/mock acoustic energy data (angle + intensity values standing in for the eventual FPGA output), including color-mapping and alpha-blended overlay onto live video frames
- Combine the camera capture pipeline and mock heatmap overlay into a single end-to-end demo
- Begin coordinating with the RTL/hardware team on the exact data interface format (value range, update rate, number of angle bins) the FPGA will send, so the mock data generator matches the real interface