Sensors in AirSim

AirSim currently supports the following sensors.
Each sensor is associated with a integer enum specifying its sensor type.

• Camera
• Barometer = 1
• Imu = 2
• Gps = 3
• Magnetometer = 4
• Distance Sensor = 5
• LiDAR = 6
• Echo = 7
• GPULiDAR = 8

Note : Cameras are configured differently than the other sensors and do not have an enum associated with them. Look at general settings and image API for camera config and API.

Default sensors

If no sensors are specified in the settings json, the the following sensors are enabled by default based on the sim mode.

Multirotor

• Imu
• Magnetometer
• Gps
• Barometer

Car

• Gps

ComputerVision

• None

Behind the scenes, 'createDefaultSensorSettings' method in AirSimSettings.hpp which sets up the above sensors with their default parameters, depending on the sim mode specified in the settings.json file.

Configuring the default sensor list

The default sensor list can be configured in settings json:

"DefaultSensors": {
    "Barometer": {
         "SensorType": 1,
         "Enabled" : true
    },
    "Imu": {
         "SensorType": 2,
         "Enabled" : true
    },
    "Gps": {
         "SensorType": 3,
         "Enabled" : true
    },
    "Magnetometer": {
         "SensorType": 4,
         "Enabled" : true
    },
    "Distance": {
         "SensorType": 5,
         "Enabled" : true
    },
    "Lidar": { 
         "SensorType": 6,
         "Enabled" : true,
         "NumberOfChannels": 4,
         "PointsPerSecond": 10000
    },
    "Echo": { 
         "SensorType": 7,
         "Enabled" : true,
         "NumberOfChannels": 4,
         "PointsPerSecond": 10000
    },
    "GPULidar": { 
         "SensorType": 8,
         "Enabled" : true,
         "NumberOfChannels": 4
    }
},

Configuring vehicle-specific sensor list

If a vehicle provides its sensor list, it must provide the whole list. Selective add/remove/update of the default sensor list is NOT supported.
A (vehicle specific) sensor list can be specified in the vehicle settings part of the json. e.g.,

    "Vehicles": {

        "Drone1": {
            "VehicleType": "SimpleFlight",
            "AutoCreate": true,
            ...
            "Sensors": {
                "MyLidar1": { 
                    "SensorType": 6,
                    "Enabled" : true,
                    "NumberOfChannels": 16,
                    "PointsPerSecond": 10000,
                    "X": 0, "Y": 0, "Z": -1,
                    "DrawDebugPoints": true
                },
                "MyLidar2": { 
                    "SensorType": 6,
                    "Enabled" : true,
                    "NumberOfChannels": 4,
                    "PointsPerSecond": 10000,
                    "X": 0, "Y": 0, "Z": -1,
                    "DrawDebugPoints": true
                }
            }
        }
   }

Sensor specific settings

Each sensor-type has its own set of settings as well.
Please see LiDAR for example of LiDAR specific settings. Please see echo for example of Echo specific settings. Please see GPU LiDAR for example of GPU LiDAR specific settings.

Sensor APIs

• Barometer python barometer_data = getBarometerData(barometer_name = "", vehicle_name = "")

• IMU python imu_data = getImuData(imu_name = "", vehicle_name = "")

• GPS python gps_data = getGpsData(gps_name = "", vehicle_name = "")

• Magnetometer python magnetometer_data = getMagnetometerData(magnetometer_name = "", vehicle_name = "")

• Distance sensor python distance_sensor_name = getDistanceSensorData(distance_sensor_name = "", vehicle_name = "")

• LiDAR
  See LiDAR for LiDAR API.

• Echo
  See echo for Echo API.

• GPU LiDAR
  See GPU Lidar for GPU LiDAR API.