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usbkinectinfraredpsychopy

Use PsychPy to activate MS Kinect (or other IR devices)


Is there a way to activate the MS Kinect out of PsychoPy?

I am using PsychoPy for an experiment and I am using infrared (IR) cameras to capture participants movements. I want to automatically send a marker that is visible to the IR cameras out of the PsychPy environment. The idea is to use the Kinect or another USB IR device (e.g., asus Primesence, or a simple USB mounted IR LED) to send markers for certain events in my experiments (meaning whenever event X is happening in PsychoPy, and IR signal should be emitted from the kinect or another IR Device).

(I cannot use the sound jack to trigger an IR LED since I need the audio exit for the experiment.)

Thanks!


Solution

  • PsychoPy can send signals over the serial or parallel ports or connect to specific equipment like LabJack. See the API docs here: http://www.psychopy.org/api/serial.html, http://www.psychopy.org/api/parallel.html, http://www.psychopy.org/api/hardware.html.

    If you can find or build a piece of hardware with LEDs that can respond to one of the ways in which PsychoPy can communicate, then yes, you could control LED IR pulses as required.