OpenCV Android UVC

1. Introduction

OpenCV is an open-source computer vision library that provides a set of programming functions for real-time computer vision. It is widely used in various applications such as robotics, augmented reality, and image processing. In this article, we will explore how to use OpenCV on Android devices with UVC (USB Video Class) cameras.

2. UVC Cameras

UVC is a standard protocol for USB video devices, which allows them to be recognized and used by operating systems without the need for additional drivers. UVC cameras are commonly used in webcams, surveillance cameras, and other video devices.

3. Setting Up the Project

To get started with OpenCV on Android with UVC cameras, we need to set up the project correctly. Here are the steps:

  1. Install Android Studio: Download and install the latest version of Android Studio from the official website.

  2. Create a new project: Open Android Studio and create a new project with an empty activity.

  3. Add OpenCV library: Download the OpenCV library for Android from the official website. Extract the downloaded file and locate the OpenCV library folder. Copy the folder into your project's "libs" directory.

  4. Configure the project: Open the "build.gradle" file of your project and add the following lines inside the "dependencies" section:

implementation project(':opencv')
  1. Sync the project: Click on the "Sync Now" button to sync the project with the added dependencies.

4. Camera Initialization

To use the UVC camera with OpenCV on Android, we need to initialize the camera and set up the preview surface. Here is an example code snippet:

// Declare the camera and surface variables
private Camera mCamera;
private SurfaceView mPreview;

// Initialize the camera
private void initCamera() {
    // Create an instance of the camera
    mCamera = Camera.open();

    // Set the preview display
    try {
        mCamera.setPreviewDisplay(mPreview.getHolder());
    } catch (IOException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    }

    // Start the preview
    mCamera.startPreview();
}

In the above code, we first declare the camera and surface variables. Then, we initialize the camera by creating an instance of it and setting the preview display using a SurfaceView. Finally, we start the preview.

5. OpenCV Integration

To integrate OpenCV with the UVC camera on Android, we need to initialize OpenCV and process the camera frames. Here is an example code snippet:

// Initialize OpenCV
private void initOpenCV() {
    // Load the OpenCV library
    if (!OpenCVLoader.initDebug()) {
        OpenCVLoader.initAsync(OpenCVLoader.OPENCV_VERSION_3_4_0, this, mLoaderCallback);
    } else {
        mLoaderCallback.onManagerConnected(LoaderCallbackInterface.SUCCESS);
    }
}

// OpenCV loader callback
private BaseLoaderCallback mLoaderCallback = new BaseLoaderCallback(this) {
    @Override
    public void onManagerConnected(int status) {
        if (status == LoaderCallbackInterface.SUCCESS) {
            // Enable the camera callback
            mCamera.setPreviewCallback(mPreviewCallback);
        } else {
            super.onManagerConnected(status);
        }
    }
};

// Camera preview callback
private Camera.PreviewCallback mPreviewCallback = new Camera.PreviewCallback() {
    @Override
    public void onPreviewFrame(byte[] data, Camera camera) {
        // Process the camera frame using OpenCV
        // Code for frame processing goes here
    }
};

In the above code, we first initialize OpenCV by loading the library. If the library fails to load, we initialize it asynchronously. Once the OpenCV library is loaded, we enable the camera callback to receive the camera frames. The camera frames can then be processed using OpenCV.

6. Conclusion

In this article, we have explored how to use OpenCV on Android with UVC cameras. We have discussed the steps to set up the project, initialize the camera, and integrate OpenCV. With this knowledge, you can now start developing your own computer vision applications on Android using OpenCV and UVC cameras.


Appendix

Pie Chart

pie
    title UVC Cameras Usage
    "Webcams" : 60
    "Surveillance Cameras" : 30
    "Other Video Devices" : 10

Gantt Chart

gantt
    title OpenCV Android UVC Project Timeline
    dateFormat  YYYY-MM-DD
    section Project Setup
    Android Studio Setup     :done, 2022-01-01, 2022-01-02
    Create New Project       :done, 2022-01-03, 2022-01-04
    Add OpenCV Library       :done, 2022-01-05, 2022-01-06
    Configure the Project    :done, 2022-01-07, 2022-01-08
    Sync the Project         :done, 2022-01-09, 2022-01-10
    section Camera Initialization
    Initialize Camera        :done,