Add Camera and Sensors

Learning Objectives

After completing this tutorial, you will have learned:

• How to add a camera to the stage
• How to inspect camera output using Camera Inspector
• How to attach a camera to robot geometry
• How to display camera feed in dual viewports

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Complete Tutorial 3: Articulate a Basic Robot before starting this tutorial.

Starting from a Checkpoint Asset

If you have not completed the previous tutorial, you can start from this tutorial by loading the mock_robot_rigged asset from the Samples > Rigging > MockRobot folder in the Content tab at the bottom right of the screen. When loading, open it as a File (not as a reference).

Estimated Time

Approximately 10-15 minutes.

Overview

In this tutorial, you will learn how to create camera sensors in Isaac Sim and attach them to a robot. The camera attachment process introduced here can also be applied when attaching other sensors (such as LiDAR).

Adding a Camera

Creating a Camera

1. Select Create > Camera from the menu bar to create a camera.
2. A Camera is added to the stage tree, and a wireframe indicating the camera's Field of View is displayed in the viewport.
3. To make the wireframe easier to see, change the Translate of the added Camera to (0, 0, 2.0) in the Property tab.

Displaying the Camera Icon

By default, the camera icon is hidden. To display it, click the at the top of the viewport and select Show By Type > Cameras.

Creating a Camera from the Current View

Position the viewport camera to the desired angle and location, then select Camera > Create from View from the Camera button dropdown at the top left of the viewport. This creates a camera from the current viewport perspective, which is more intuitive than manually setting transforms.

Camera Properties

When you select the Camera, you can view and edit the following properties in the Property tab:

Property	Description
Focal Length	Focal length (mm). Larger values produce telephoto effects, smaller values produce wide-angle effects
Focus Distance	Focus distance. Used when autofocus is disabled
fStop	Aperture value. Affects depth of field
Clipping Range	Rendering distance range (Near / Far). Objects outside this range are not rendered

Inspecting Camera Output

You can use the Camera Inspector extension to inspect camera video output in real time.

1. Select Tools > Sensors > Camera Inspector from the menu bar.
2. The Camera Inspector window opens.
3. Select the camera you want to inspect (Camera) from the dropdown at the top of the window.
4. Check the Camera State to verify that the camera position and orientation are correct.

5. Click the CREATE VIEWPORT button to generate a new viewport window and inspect the camera output.

   

Attaching the Camera to the Robot

Renaming the Camera

1. Right-click Camera in the stage tree, select Rename, and rename it to car_camera.

Setting Up Dual Viewports

Open a second viewport to simultaneously view the robot's appearance and camera feed.

1. Select Window > Viewports > Viewport 2 from the menu bar.
2. A second viewport is added to the screen.
3. Click the Camera button at the top left of the added viewport (Viewport 2) and select car_camera from the dropdown.
4. The car_camera perspective feed is displayed in Viewport 2.

Setting Up Camera Parent-Child Relationship

Attach the camera to the robot body so that it follows the robot's movement.

1. Drag and drop car_camera into the robot's body Xform in the stage tree.
2. car_camera becomes a child element of body and will move in sync with the robot.

Adjusting Camera Transform

Adjust the position and orientation so that the camera faces the front of the robot.

1. Select car_camera in the stage tree.
2. Set the following values in Transform in the Property tab:
   • Translate: (-6, 0, 2.2)
   • Orient: (0, -80, -90)
   • Scale: (1, 1, 1)
3. Verify that the camera position and orientation are correct in both viewports.

Caution: Viewport Interaction Changes Camera Properties

Performing mouse operations (pan, rotate, etc.) in the viewport displaying the car_camera view will directly change the camera's transform. Be careful with mouse operations in Viewport 2 while inspecting the camera feed.

Testing in Simulation

1. Press Play to start the simulation.
2. In Viewport 1 (main viewport) you can observe the robot's appearance, while Viewport 2 shows the car_camera feed in real time.
3. Use the Velocity Controller configured in the previous tutorial to move the robot and verify that the camera feed follows the robot's movement.

Best Practice

Rather than moving the camera directly, place it as a child element of the robot body with the correct offset. This prevents accidental position changes and provides stable camera feed during simulation.

Summary

This tutorial covered the following topics:

1. Adding a camera to the stage and inspecting basic properties
2. Real-time inspection of camera output using Camera Inspector
3. Setting up dual viewports for multi-angle display
4. Attaching a camera to the robot body (parent-child relationship)
5. Adjusting transforms for camera position and orientation

Next Steps

Proceed to the next tutorial, "Rig a Mobile Robot", to learn how to convert a real robot asset into a fully articulated mobile robot.