Beta testers wanted for iPhone/iPad with LiDAR

[matlabbe]

I am searching some people willing to test a beta version of RTAB-Map for iOS to make sure the App is working on all devices with LiDAR. The App is also working on iOS without LiDAR, with quite limited capabilities, but you could also test it if you want.

Click on my username here and send email with your Apple ID. You will then have to install TestFlight and wait for my link. Provide feedback by replying to this post.

EDIT:
New issues can be opened on Github with "iOS beta" in the title. See some issues so far: https://github.com/introlab/rtabmap/milestone/3

EDIT2:
The beta test has closed, the app is officially released on App Store: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/rtab-map-3d-lidar-scanner/id1564774365

Regards,
Mathieu

[matlabbe]

I noticed that for public beta testing, the build requires a review from Apple. It is under review now, not sure when it will be available. You would receive an email automatically when reviewed. :)

Update: Latest build has been reviewed by apple and now available for all Beta testers!

[matlabbe]

Update

A new build 0.20.11 will appear soon on TestFlight. Those issues/features have been added/fixed.

Regards,
Mathieu

[dineshrampalli]

I'm having iphone 7 and iphone 6 and iphone 5s can I join for beta tester I can give you more information regarding app.

[matlabbe]

iPhone 7-6-5s are not the targets for the App as they don't have LiDAR camera. If they spport ARKit, you would have limited scanning capabilities though. To get the app, see my first post:

matlabbe wrote

Click on my username here and send email with your Apple ID. You will then have to install TestFlight and wait for my link. Provide feedback by replying to this post.

[dineshrampalli]

Yeah I saw limited capabilities that's why I sent from my iphone 7 plus pls
give me access

[dineshrampalli]

I have a suggestion too. As the android device has android sensors app and pointcloud visualization apps as well if you give rtabmapping feature to the compatable mobiles will surely help a lot of users as we get live image , gps , imu from mobile itself.

[matlabbe]

Hi, you can make a map with an iPad with LiDAR and share it to an iPhone without LiDAR, so you can visualize the map in iPhone without LiDAR. Also, with the help of apriltags, the iPhone can localize on the map created with the iPad.

The beta test has closed, the app is officially released on App Store: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/rtab-map-3d-lidar-scanner/id1564774365

Thanks all for your comments.

Regards,
Mathieu

[dify1492]

Hi Matlabbe,
The iphone / ipad app seems like it is working much better than the ubuntu desktop rtabmap or rtabmap_ros packages.
I'm curious to know what drawbacks there are with the iphone / ipad rtabmap app?
Are the desktop version with extra rgbd hardware style of mapping not needed any longer?

Thanks.

[matlabbe]

Hi,

It depends on the application. For 3D hand-held scanning, this is indeed recommended to use the iOS app or the Google Tango app. The downside is that you need a supported phone with LiDAR or TOF camera, and it is not also ROS integrated.

Why rtabmap is working so well on those phones is because they have a good visual inertial odometry approach AND synchronized (or correctly timestamped for Tango) depth camera AND depth camera is a LiDAR or TOF, not stereo. On ubuntu/ros side, it is possible to find an open source visual Inertial odometry approach with the right compatible hardware (e.g., T265), then afterwards you need to find synchronized RGB and TOF cameras.

Note also Tango/iOS visual inertial odometry won't work in the dark (will lso drift in textureless environments), so wheel odometry / lidar odometry could be an advantage in some cases using rtabmap on ros.

cheers,
Mathieu

[dify1492]

Hi Matlabbe,
Thank you for your detailed reply. Appreciated it.

Just adding onto your feedback about how Tango/iOS visual odometry won't work in the dark and drift in textureless environments, have you done any testings to find out the minimum amount of light intensity is required for the odometry to work properly?

And with that would you say that the performance of the visual inertial odometry on iOS/Tango is better than that of using a t265? I don't think t265 loses tracking when lighting condition changes.

I have a system set up using t265 for d455 stereo and the 3D mapping result is not as clean with point cloud noises and outliers. I am trying to do a handheld indoor mapping with it. I'm thinking I should change the depth camera to l515 instead because d400 series are all stereo based depth sensing. Would you recommend that as well?

Thank you!

[chinwh]

Hi Dr. Mathieu, I have been using the ios version of RTABMAP. It works great!
 I would like to ask will the iOS source code be released to the public for further research development? Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thank you.

Best,
Chin

[matlabbe]

Hi,

yes the ios code is open source, see there: https://github.com/introlab/rtabmap/tree/master/app/ios

It is a Xcode project. However, the hardest part is to get the dependencies compiled. There is a script here to install them (I only tested on Apple Silicon, Mac mini M1).

cheers,
Mathieu

[alibama]

Dear Dr. Labbé,
I work in the University of Virginia's Health Science Library and am have a grant to buy 5 more ipads to use for lidar scanning.  my goal is to map the public parts of our hospital, as well as some local libraries.  we are working on another grant to then start scanning the sidewalks and parks to make sure that they are accessible for people in wheelchairs.  I am writing documentation for your app and will post it here https://www.codeforcville.org/lidardb when we move forward.  I would be more than glad to coordinate our research to benefit you in any way possible.  Our data should be freely available and i think our storage and analysis approach may at least be useful for a discussion?

All the best,
Anson Parker

[matlabbe]

Hi Anson,

We could have a discussion on what you want to do, contact me on my email here.

cheers,
Mathieu

[chinchinpp2]

Hi,

I am new to RTAB-Map. It’s kinda stupid to ask. Are there any tutorial on the ios version of RTAB-Map. I would like to create some model on iPad.

[matlabbe]

Hi,

there is no tutorial, except this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVpIcrgD5c0

cheers,
Mathieu

[wcui]

Is it possible to stream iPhone sensor feed to replicate the same results on a laptop as in the iOS app?  Thank you.  

[matlabbe]

You can replay the database in rtabmap desktop.

[aninath93]

Hi Mathieu,

If still needing, I have iPhone 12 and 14 with iPad Pro, they do have ToF cameras. Please let me know and happy to share data/review with you.

Thanks
Ani