BenchBot V3.1 Image Collection Protocols and Checklist

Supplies

batteries
Camera with attached lens (handle with care)
Flash
measuring tape
Color checker chart
Stool

1. Setup Bbot and Camera

Attach camera and lens
Turn on BenchBot

2. Thin and Weed Potting Area

Discard weeds or overlapping plants by placing them in a bucket or bag. Do not leave removed weeds or plants on pots or on the landscape fabric. This is to avoid detecting them in the images that we collect.

remove overlapping target weeds in all pots
remove non-target weeds from pots and from the background area
1. check inside the pots for non-target weeds
2. check and remove weeds growing from underneath the pots
3. check for and remove weeds growing on the landscape fabric

3. Check Camera and Flash Settings

Make sure that the camera settings match what is listed in the camera settings table

Check aperture is correct
check that the focus is correct
Check the flash power
Check height of the lens from the potting soil surface using a measuring tape
Place the colorchecker next to the pot
Take a test images

Camera and Flash Settings Table

Lens height above potting soil surface	Aperture	Focus	Flash Power
1.66 m

4. Check Bbot App settings

BenchBot App Programmed settings table

	Semi-Field Potting Area Dimensions		Semi-Field Physical Pot Layout			BB App Programmed Settings						Notes
Site	Width	length	Num Pots Per Row	Number of Rows	On Center pot spacing	Programmed Number of Rows	Pots Per Row	Pot Spacing	Row spacing	X-axis starting	Z-axis height
NC	7.0m	33.5m	15		1.5 ft	15	15	43 cm	43 cm	58 cm	1.7 m	updated 11/12/2024
MD (BARC)	6.1m	39.0m					11	45cm	30cm			Updated 10/19/2024
MD (BARC)	6.1m	39.0m				77	12	50 cm	43 cm
BARC Test 1 7/8/24	6.1m	39.0m						40 cm	25 cm			Amiga not removed from FOV. Successful reconstruction (MD_2024-07-08)
BARC Test 2 7/9/24	6.1m	39m				102	11	50	38			Amiga removed from FOV. Failed reconstruction (only 40 unaligned images)
BARC Test 3 7/11/24	6.1m	39m					12	45	30			Amiga removed from FOV.
NCSU	7.0m	33.5m				79	8	53 cm	38 cm
NCSU Test 1 7/9/24	7.0m	33.5m				40	19	39	25			Start with 3cm offset from home on X axis. Failed reconstruction, however significant improvement. Amiga not removed from FOV
NCSU Test 2 7/11/24						40	17	39	25			Start with 54cm offset Amiga should not appear in pics
NCSU 7/15/24 to Present						Variable	15	45 cm	30 cm			Start with 73cm offset Amiga should not appear in pics (but will if the camera is tilted).
NCSU 10/30/24			15	21	46cm	25	15	46 cm	46 cm			this is the start of the collection season. this is the first setting to try
TX

5. Collect images

Initiate bbot collection