SoftBank Robotics documentation What's new in NAOqi 2.8?

NAOqi API & SDks 2.1

Addendum - 23 September 2014

ALFaceDetection: OMRON solution instead of OKI

ALFaceDetection is now based on a face detection/recognition solution provided by OMRON.

As the two technologies, OMRON and OKI, do not provide the same set of data, and for backward-compatibility, the structure of the data returned has not been modified, but the pieces of data formerly provided by OKI have been replaced by null values.

For further details, see: FaceDetected Event.

Few steps toward human behavior

New module: ALDialog

The ALDialog module allows you to endow your robot with conversational skills by using a list of “rules” written and categorized in an appropriate way.

For further details, see: ALDialog.

New module: ALAnimatedSpeech

The ALAnimatedSpeech module allows you to make the robot talk in an expressive way.

For further details, see: ALAnimatedSpeech.

New tracking system

New module: ALTracker

ALFaceTracker and ALRedBallTracker are now deprecated. They are replaced by a new and more generic module: ALTracker.

ALTracker module allows the robot to track different targets (red ball, face, landmark, etc) using different means (head only, whole body, move, etc).

The main goal of this module is to establish a bridge between target detection and motion in order to make the robot keep in view the target in the middle of the camera.

For further details, see: ALTracker.

New extractors - Basics

New module: ALVisualSpaceHistory

ALVisualSpaceHistory keeps track of the head movements of the robot to build a timestamped map of the head positions. This can be useful when exploring the environment to make the robot look in every directions.

For further details, see: ALVisualSpaceHistory.

New module: ALSegmentation3D

3d This module requires a robot with a 3D sensor.

ALSegmentation3D extracts the objects present in the field of view of the robot by doing a segmentation of the depth image (returned by the 3D sensor) in blobs of similar depth.

It also allows you to track, with the head of the robot, a blob at a specified distance or simply track the nearest blob with respect to the camera.

For further details, see: alsegmentation3D.

New extractors - For People Perception

New module: ALBasicAwareness

ALBasicAwareness is a simple way to make the robot establish and keep eye contact with people.

For further details, see: ALBasicAwareness.

New module: ALPeoplePerception

ALPeoplePerception is an extractor which keeps track of the people around the robot and provides basic information about them. It gathers visual information from RGB cameras and a 3D sensor if available.

For further details, see: ALPeoplePerception.

New module: ALEngagementZones

ALEngagementZones allows you to detect if someone is approaching the robot, or moving away, using the concept of engagement zones.

For further details, see: ALEngagementZones.

New module: ALFaceCharacteristics

ALFaceCharacteristics updates every person with some additional information such as an estimation of age and gender. It also tries and detects whether the person is smiling.

For further details, see: ALFaceCharacteristics.

New module: ALGazeAnalysis

ALGazeAnalysis allows you to analyze the direction of the gaze of a detected person, in order to know if he/she is looking at the robot.

For further details, see: ALGazeAnalysis.

New module: ALSittingPeopleDetection

3d This module requires a robot with a 3D sensor.

ALSittingPeopleDetection updates every person with the information of whether he or she is sitting (on a chair for example) or standing.

For further details, see: ALSittingPeopleDetection.

New module: ALWavingDetection

3d This module requires a robot with a 3D sensor.

ALWavingDetection allows you to detect if a person is moving in order to catch the robot’s attention (for example waving at the robot).

For further details, see: ALWavingDetection.

Core - New modules

New module: ALAutonomousLife

Autonomous Life facilitates the autonomous launching of Activities, and keeps the robot visually alive at all times.

For further details, see: ALAutonomousLife.

New module: ALAutonomousMoves

ALAutonomousMoves enables subtle movements that the robot does autonomously.

For further details, see: ALAutonomousMoves.

New module: ALTabletService

ALTabletService allows tablet operations. It can be used to:

  • load web application,
  • play videos, and
  • manage the tablet itself (WiFi, brightness).

For further details, see: ALTabletService.

New module: ALUserSession

ALUserSession manages the state of active users, and the bindings to their data.

For further details, see: ALUserSession.

New module: ALWorldRepresentation

ALWorldRepresentation is a module dedicated to the long term storage of data about generic objects. It allows you to persistently store some data, but also to make some generic queries on the stored data with intelligent criterions.

For further details, see: ALWorldRepresentation.

Note that the Robot View displays the stored objects.

New module: ALSystem

ALSystem provides primitives that can be used to configure the system and perform operations such as shutting down or rebooting.

For further details, see: ALSystem.

New module: PackageManager

PackageManager lets you install packages on the robot.

For further details, see: PackageManager.

New module: ALPreferenceManager

ALPreferenceManager allows managing the robot preferences. Preferences are used to store, among other, all the settings for the applications running in the robot.

For further details, see: ALPreferenceManager.

Core - Improvements

Deprecated: ALPreferences

Use ALPreferenceManager instead.

ALBehaviorManager partially deprecated

  • Installation/removal of Behaviors is now managed by the Package Manager, so ALBehaviorManagerProxy::installBehavior, ALBehaviorManagerProxy::removeBehavior and ALBehaviorManagerProxy::getSystemBehaviorNames are deprecated.
  • Referring to behaviors with the User or System prefix when using ALBehaviorManager is also deprecated.

For further details, see: ALBehaviorManager API.

ALLauncher: removal of deprecated methods

  • ALLauncherProxy::getGlobalModuleList
  • ALLauncherProxy::isModulePresent
  • ALLauncherProxy::launchExecutable
  • ALLauncherProxy::launchPythonModule
  • ALLauncherProxy::launchScript

ALResourceManager: removal of deprecated methods

  • ALResourceManagerProxy::releaseLocalResource
  • ALResourceManagerProxy::waitForLocalResource
  • ALResourceManagerProxy::waitForLocalResources
  • ALResourceManagerProxy::waitForLocalResourcesTree
  • ALResourceManagerProxy::declareEvent
  • ALResourceManagerProxy::getData
  • ALResourceManagerProxy::getDataList
  • ALResourceManagerProxy::getDataListName

Motion - Improvements

New reflex: Diagnosis effect

Diagnosis effect is a reflex designed to protect the robot and the user in case of a malfunctioning actuator or sensor.

For further details, see: Diagnosis effect.

New reflex: External-collision avoidance

The aim of External-collision avoidance is to avoid damaging the robot, its environment, and first of all avoid hurting people.

For further details, see: External-collision avoidance.

ALMotion: new event

NAO Kinematics models updated

The Masses as well as the Center of Mass positions taken in account in the robot models have been updated in order to remove the slight dissymmetry between left and right limbs.

For further details, see: robot_masses.

ALMotion: new methods

  • ALMotionProxy::areNotificationsEnabled
  • ALMotionProxy::setEnableNotifications

ALRobotPosture: new method

A new methods, getPosture allows knowing the name of the current posture.

For further details, see: ALRobotPostureProxy::getPosture.

ALRobotPosture: new events

ALRobotPosture: new predefined posture

A new predefined posture has been defined: SittingOnChair.

For further details, see: Predefined postures.

Stiffness Control: new method and events

Stiffness control API has a new method and a new event:

**Method**

Events

ALNavigation: deprecated methods and events

In a first step, safe displacements were created outside ALMotion module in order to fully test and qualify the concept. We are now in the process of integrating this safety mechanism in the main ALMotion module, so ALNavigation is progressively deprecated.

Deprecated Methods Instead, use ...
ALNavigationProxy::move ALMotionProxy::move
ALNavigationProxy::moveToward ALMotionProxy::moveToward
ALNavigationProxy::moveTo ALMotionProxy::moveTo
Deprecated Events Instead, use ...
Navigation/SafeNavigator/Status()  
Navigation/SafeNavigator/BlockingObstacle() ALMotion/MoveFailed()
Navigation/SafeNavigator/AlreadyAtTarget()  
Navigation/SafeNavigator/DangerousObstacleDetected()  

Audio - new module

New module: ALVoiceEmotionAnalysis

ALVoiceEmotionAnalysis identifies the emotion expressed by the speaker’s voice, independently of what is being said.

For further details, see: ALVoiceEmotionAnalysis.

Audio - Improvements

ALAudioPlayer on a virtual robot

AlAudioPlayer can now run on a virtual robot, but with limited functionalities:

For further details, see: ALAudioPlayer.

ALSpeechRecognition: event updated

When the Word Spotting option is activated, WordRecognized() may now contain the following chain: <...>.

ALSpeechRecognition: new parameter

ALSpeechRecognitionProxy::setParameter and ALSpeechRecognitionProxy::getParameter support a new parameter: NbHypotheses Number of hypotheses returned by the engine.

ALTextToSpeech: new event

ALTextToSpeech: deprecated method

Due to technical improvements, there is no point to generate a file and playing it after, so ALTextToSpeechProxy::sayToFileAndPlay has been deprecated.

ALAudioSourceLocalization changed name to ALSoundLocalization

Module name ALAudioSourceLocalization is deprecated, please use ALSoundLocalization instead (same API).

For further details, see: ALSoundLocalization.

ALSoundLocalization and ALSoundDetection: parameter change

The ‘Sensibility’ parameter has been deprecated and replaced by a ‘Sensitivity’ parameter with a more usable scale.

ALAudioDevice removal of deprecated methods

  • ALAudioDeviceProxy::subscribeRemoteModule (deprecated in 1.12)
  • ALAudioDeviceProxy::unSubscribeRemoteModule (deprecated in 1.12)

ALAudioDevice: deprecated parameter

Due to technical improvements, inputBufferSize parameter has no effect anymore.

ALSoundDetection removal of deprecated methods

  • ALSoundDetection::getDescription (deprecated in 1.12)
  • ALSoundDetection::getEvents (deprecated in 1.12)

Vision - new modules

New module: ALBarcodeReader

ALBarcodeReader scans an image from the camera and looks for a barcode. If a barcode is found in the image, the module tries to decipher it.

For further details, see: ALBarcodeReader.

New module: ALCloseObjectDetection

3d This module requires a robot with a 3D sensor.

ALCloseObjectDetection allows you to detect objects that are too close to the robot to be directly detected by the 3D sensor.

For further details, see: alcloseobjectdetection.

New module: ALColorBlobDetection

ALColorBlobDetection is a module that provides a fast 2D vision-based color blob detector.

For further details, see: ALColorBlobDetection.

New module: ALLocalization

ALLocalization is a module dedicated to the localization of the robot in an indoor environment.

For further details, see: ALLocalization.

Vision - Improvements

ALMovementDetection: fully reshaped

ALMovementDetection allows you to detect movement in the field of view of the robot.

The detection uses the best available camera:

  1. a depth camera, if the robot has one, or if not,
  2. an RGB camera.

Two new methods have been added to ALMovementDetection:

For further details, see: ALMovementDetection.

ALPhotoCapture: new methods

Two new methods have been added to ALPhotoCapture:

ALVideoDevice re-factored

The complete refactoring of ALVideoDevice module has been continued.

For further details, see: ALVideoDevice and ALVideoDevice API.

ALVisualCompass: removal of deprecated methods

  • ALVisualCompassProxy::getCurrentImage
  • ALVisualCompassProxy::getReferenceQuality

ALVisionRecognition: new method

ALVisionRecognition: deprecated method

Sensors - New modules

New module: ALTouch

The ALTouch module is responsible for raising events when the robot is touched.

For further details, see: ALTouch.

New module: ALChestButton

Former ALSentinel events: SimpleClickOccured, :DoubleClickOccured and TripleClickOccured are now ALChestButton events:

For further details, see: ALChestButton.

Sensors - Improvements

ALBodyTemperature: Actuators monitored

Additionally to Joints and CPU, ALBodyTemperature now monitors Actuators temperature.

For further details, see: ALBodyTemperature.

ALBodyTemperature: new and deprecated events

New event

Deprecated event

Deprecated Events Instead, use ...
HotJointDetected() HotDeviceDetected()

ALBattery: new methods

New methods have been added to ALBattery:

ALLeds: new method

ALLeds: method improved

ALLedsProxy::rotateEyes: eyes animation smoother with a better timing.

Diagnosis - New module

New module: ALDiagnosis

ALDiagnosis module allows the robot to detect if there is an hardware trouble (mainly electrical connection).

For further details, see: ALDiagnosis.

SDKs, Bindings

Control NAO from your web browser - QiMessaging JavaScript

QiMessaging provides JavaScript bindings to use QiMessaging services (modules) in a web browser. It allows you to build HTML5 application for your robot.

For further details, see: QiMessaging JavaScript 1.0.

Python SDK: Python2.7 only

Python 2.6 is not anymore supported.

Moreover, Choregraphe uses now Python 2.7 to interpret its scripts.

C++ SDK: end of VS2008 support

Support for Visual Studio 2008 is gone. This will let us focus on supporting new compilers (Visual Studio 2012), and new architectures (windows 64 bits) in the future.

C++ SDK: end of Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (Lucid) support

Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (Lucid) is not anymore supported.

This release only supports Ubuntu 12.04 LTS (Precise) and later.

For further details, see: compatible-platforms.

C++ SDK: change in qiBuild numbering

qiBuild has now its own release cycle. This means:

  • qiBuild now has its own version number (2.5 at the moment of writing), distinct from the version number of the SDK.
  • There are now new qiBuild releases every months or so: follow the project on github (https://github.com/aldebaran/qibuild) to be informed of new releases.

This should not change anything because the latest qiBuild release will always be retro-compatible with the latest Aldebaran C++ SDK.

C++ SDK: breaking changes

During the re-factoring of the framework libraries, some minor incompatible changes were introduced.

  • BIND_METHOD macro call must now be followed by a colon:

    // old:
BIND_METHOD("myMethod", "MyModule", "Documentation for myMethod")

// new
BIND_METHOD("myMethod", "MyModule", "Documentation for myMethod");

  • ALCOMMON no longer depends on ALTHREAD, so if you are using it, you must patch the CMake code

    # Old:
qi_use_lib(my_module ALCOMMON)

# New:
qi_use_lib(my_module ALTHREAD ALCOMMON)

Simulator SDK: multiple robot Models

Support for multiple robot models was added.

Simulator SDK: NAOqi automatic Launch

NAOqi is now automatically launched at startup.