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Starting Raspberry Pi 4 RoadTest using OpenCV

fmilburn

UPDATE 31 August 2019:  See my RoadTest of the Raspberry Pi 4B using OpenCV to do face recognition here

UPDATE 23 August 2019:  This is an update of an earlier post about a RoadTest of the Raspberry Pi 4B with a comparison to the Raspberry Pi 3B+ using OpenCV to do facial recognition.  Issues were identified in that post that held up the RoadTest.  The issues have now been resolved and the solution posted at the bottom of this post.

 

I am one of the fortunate persons chosen to RoadTest the new Raspberry Pi 4B and I have received it all bright and shiny and in good shape.  Time was set aside this past week to make a start but unfortunately there are RoadBlocks described below and for a change they are not of my own doing...

 

Proposed RoadTest

 

In my Picasso Art Deluxe project the Pi Model 3B+ was stretched to the limit (and maybe past it) doing facial recognition using OpenCV.  My proposal was to perform a head to head comparison of the Pi Model 3B+ to the Pi Model 4 while doing the same tasks.  The Raspberry Pi 4B RoadTest proposal had the following outline:

 

  • Brief Unboxing and Contents Description
  • Python 3.7 Software Compatibility in Rasbian Buster Vs. Python 3.5
  • Frame rate (frames / second) recognition Raspberry Pi 4 Vs. Raspberry Pi 3B+
  • Influence of the following will be explored:
    • Number of different faces in dataset
    • Number of training photos
    • Training photo size
    • Other variables testing uncovers
  • Observations on differences and issues, if any, in modifying the project to use the Raspberry Pi 4
  • Summary

 

The RoadBlocks

 

Notice that possible incompatibilities between the 3B+ and the Model 4 were recognized.  Well, they are more difficult than I imagined at least for the moment and here they are:

 

  • As is well known the Pi 4 only runs the Rasbian Buster distro
  • The latest version of OpenCV, and the version used in the Picasso Art Deluxe using Stretch will not link and make on Buster
  • After some searching, there is an older version of OpenCV in the Rasbian Repository that will install on Buster
  • Facial recognition uses piwheels to install some modules.  It does not support Buster yet but the site states they “plan to add Raspian Buster (Python 3.7) in due course” so even the older version of OpenCV won't work.
  • Trying to resolve the module problem on my own led to so many issues I have set it aside.  Smarter people than me are working on it.

 

Separately I checked into RetroPie since the completion prize for the PiCasso contest was a very nice Picade arcade kit and found that they have as of this date not released a version of RetroPie that works with Buster (but are working on it).

 

Next Steps

 

Be aware that there are some incompatibilities with the Pi 4 currently.  As of now I don't have a good project that I can get working on the Pi 4 although it is a near certainty these issues will be resolved in the future.  I plan to check again on status of OpenCV regularly in the coming weeks but will also be thinking about alternates in the event that is not done in a timely fashion.

 

A proper RoadTest in the proper form will be forthcoming...

 

Issues Resolved (23 August 2019)

 

After more searching and failures I found this site with a recipe that allowed me to install facial recognition on the Raspberry Pi 4B using Buster, Python 3.7 and OpenCV 4.1.0:

 

Building OpenCV 4.1.0 on Rasbian Buster and Raspberry PI4

 

I did not pursue what changes were made to allow it to work but many thanks to the author!  It is clear, relatively easy to follow and worked first time.  Be prepared to spend several hours downloading, compiling, linking, and installing.  Now on to the RoadTest itself...

Parents

  • Hello Frank, I should thank you for this fresh update of the issues. I am approaching in roadtesting the PI4 too, but first of all one of my tasks is just to make a full checkup to see what works and what don't. Then I will go ahead. I too plan of using the OpenCV but not immediately. As well as OpenCV, there also some other stuff I delayed to test just for the reason you pointed in this post, the fact that the new Raspbian version of the OS is roo early to be 100% compatible with everything.

     

    I will start posting the first reports to collect together in the final road test very soon, next week because instead from Belgium I had different issues. After I received the PI4B I also received another from the Element14 giveaway and luckily for another reason again a PI4 4Gb RAM directly from the Raspberry foundation. To complete all the tests I have in my plan I need again another third PI4B with 2Gb and another 4Gb. Unfortunately, the second 4Gb is in order from Farnell that has not yet started the distribution. In the meantime, I bought four power supply for the PI4 as the previous versions seem not working at all (using a micro USB to "C" adapter). I tried to start up the PI 4 with my bench power supply but it is not a solution that I can use.

    Finally yesterday the four power supply arrived and today I received the four high speed 32Gb micro SD cards I ordered on Amazon and now it seems that the basic hardware platform is ready for starting.

    By next week I will start blogging too with the first project trying to stretch the PI4B as a real Linux workstation with relatively heavy programs to see how it is an alternative.

     

    I'll keep all updated.

    Enrico

  • in reply to balearicdynamics

    Hi Enrico,

     

    Your project sounds very interesting and quite a bit more complicated than what I will be doing.  I look forward to reading about it.  My initial experience after getting past the Raspbian Buster issues has been good. I still haven't actually tested facial recognition but hope to do the benchmarking this weekend.

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