Error on trying to use openni_tracker with Kinect (different type of error than previous posting)

[kf7...@gmail.com]

Hi Patrick,

I am very new to Robotics and ROS.  I am working through your book and am on Vol 1 of ROS BY EXAMPLE INDIGO on Chapter 10.10.....OpenNI and Skeleton Tracking.

I am using ROS Indigo, Ubuntu Version 14.04.  (My OS is 64-bit)
My camera is the Kinect for Windows (not XBox 360)

I was able to all the examples in the Chapter using the Kinect for Windows until the OpenNI and Skeleton Tracking.

I followed the directions and downloaded the 64-bit binary and extracted it to a tmp folder.  I used the uninstall.sh, then the install.sh, and then added the license per the book. I then cloned the github ros-drivers/openni_tracker.git in my catkin_ws and ran both catkin_make and rospack profile.

When I launch roscore and in a separate terminal type rosrun openni_tracker openni_tracker, I get the following error:

baxter@baxter-XPS-L412Z:~$ rosrun openni_tracker openni_tracker
[ERROR] [1447106287.639136534]: InitFromXml failed: Can't create any node of the requested type!

(Please note that if I do not use roscore, then I get an error: [registerPublisher] Failed to contact master at [localhost:11311].  Retrying...

I reviewed the Error in openni tracker https://groups.google.com/forum/#!search/error$20in$20openni$20tracker/ros-by-example/_gmLhfWNbBo/fVpotRdX72kJ

In that  topic, you asked Francis what the command $ locate libXnVNite returns.  Here is what it returns for me.

/usr/lib/libXnVNite_1_3_0.so
/usr/lib/libXnVNite_1_3_1.so
/usr/lib/libXnVNite_1_4_1.so
/usr/lib/libXnVNite_1_4_2.so
/usr/lib/libXnVNite_1_5_2.so

I also tried installing the 32-bit version of NITE like Francis did but got the same outcome.

I have tried googling for advice on what I can do.
Some note that Kinect for Windows may be the issue vs using XBox 360. 

Do I need to make a change to the openni_tracker.xml file since the error says: " InitFromXml failed: Can't create any node of the requested type!"

Any suggestions or insights you can give me will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Debbie

[Patrick Goebel]

Hi Debbie,

I just spent a couple of hours trying to get this to work again with my Kinect (XBox 360) and I get the same error as you do.  However, everything works fine if I switch to my Asus Xtion Pro camera.  So I'm afraid I don't have an answer for you.  And as I'm sure you have discovered, Googling the error brings up several threads discussing similar issues but no solutions that work in every case.

It seems that the openni_tracker code really isn't maintained or updated much any more.  There is no Indigo branch on Github and no issues describing a fix for the "InitFromXml failed" error.

If you can get your hands on an Asus Xtion Pro, you might at least get skeleton tracking working with that hardware.

--patrick

[Patrick Goebel]

Hi again Debbie,

I think I might have a solution for you--at least it worked for me.  It occurred to me that the problem might not be with the openni_tracker package but with the Kinect driver.  After some more Googling, I found these instructions for installing a Kinect driver for Ubuntu 14.04 and ROS Indigo:

http://blog.justsophie.com/installing-kinect-nite-drivers-on-ubuntu-14-04-and-ros-indigo/

You should be able to skip the instructions for installing the openni_launch package from source since the Debian version works for me.  So simply install the Kinect driver.  You do not need to do this under your catkin_ws folder since this isn't a ROS package.  I have a ~/src folder for installing generic source so I ran the following commands:

$ cd ~/src
$ git clone https://github.com/avin2/SensorKinect
$ cd Bin
$ tar xjf SensorKinect093-Bin-Linux-x64-v5.1.2.1.tar.bz2
$ cd Sensor-Bin-Linux-x64-v5.1.2.1
$ sudo ./install.sh

Then plug in your Kinect and run:

$ rosrun openni_tracker openni_tracker

followed by:

$ rosrun rviz rviz -d `rospack find rbx1_vision`/skeleton_frames.rviz

as described in Section 10.10.2 in the book.

--patrick

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[Debbie Kretzschmar]

Hi Patrick,

Thank you so much.  I implemented your solution and my Kinect is working fine. I can see the Skeleton Frames in rViz and I am now continuing to work through chapter 10.

Thanks again for all your help.

Debbie

[Patrick Goebel]

Hi Debbie,

That's great!  Nice to know we now have a work around.

--patrick

[William Wanghui]

I just joined this group to say "thank you" to you.

It took me 3 hrs before i saw your solution here.

Thank you very very much!

[Patrick Goebel]

Hi William,

Glad we could help! :)

--patrick