Adds `distance_to_camera` datatype in `TiledCamera` (#889)

# Description

Added the data type "distance_to_camera" in the `TiledCamera` class to
be consistent with all other cameras. This data type is equal to the
"depth" datatype.

## Type of change

- New feature (non-breaking change which adds functionality)

## Checklist

- [x] I have run the [`pre-commit` checks](https://pre-commit.com/) with
`./isaaclab.sh --format`
- [x] I have made corresponding changes to the documentation
- [x] My changes generate no new warnings
- [ ] I have added tests that prove my fix is effective or that my
feature works
- [x] I have updated the changelog and the corresponding version in the
extension's `config/extension.toml` file
- [x] I have added my name to the `CONTRIBUTORS.md` or my name already
exists there

source/extensions/omni.isaac.lab/config/extension.toml

 [package]
 
 # Note: Semantic Versioning is used: https://semver.org/
-version = "0.22.4"
+version = "0.22.6"
 
 # Description
 title = "Isaac Lab framework for Robot Learning"

source/extensions/omni.isaac.lab/docs/CHANGELOG.rst

+Changelog
+---------
+
+0.22.6 (2024-08-29)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Added
+^^^^^
+
+* Added alternative data type "distance_to_camera" in :class:`omni.isaac.lab.sensors.TiledCamera` class to be
+  consistent with all other cameras (equal to type "depth").
+
+
+0.22.5 (2024-08-29)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
 Fixed
 ^^^^^
 
@@ -6,9 +22,6 @@ Fixed
 * Added test to check :attr:`omni.isaac.lab.sensors.RayCasterCamera.set_intrinsic_matrices`
 
 
-Changelog
----------
-
 0.22.4 (2024-08-29)
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

source/extensions/omni.isaac.lab/omni/isaac/lab/sensors/camera/tiled_camera.py

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ from collections.abc import Sequence
 from tensordict import TensorDict
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any
 
+import carb
 import omni.usd
 import warp as wp
 from omni.isaac.core.prims import XFormPrimView
@@ -37,7 +38,8 @@ class TiledCamera(Camera):
     The following sensor types are supported:
 
     - ``"rgb"``: A rendered color image.
-    - ``"depth"``: An image containing the distance to camera optical center.
+    - ``"distance_to_camera"``: An image containing the distance to camera optical center.
+    - ``"depth"``: An alias for ``"distance_to_camera"``.
 
     .. attention::
         Please note that the fidelity of RGB images may be lower than the standard camera sensor due to the
@@ -54,8 +56,12 @@ class TiledCamera(Camera):
     cfg: TiledCameraCfg
     """The configuration parameters."""
 
-    SUPPORTED_TYPES: set[str] = {"rgb", "depth"}
-    """The set of sensor types that are supported."""
+    SUPPORTED_TYPES: set[str] = {"rgb", "distance_to_camera", "depth"}
+    """The set of sensor types that are supported.
+
+    .. note::
+        The ``"depth"`` type is an alias for ``"distance_to_camera"``.
+    """
 
     def __init__(self, cfg: TiledCameraCfg):
         """Initializes the tiled camera sensor.
@@ -157,12 +163,23 @@ class TiledCamera(Camera):
 
         # start the orchestrator (if not already started)
         rep.orchestrator._orchestrator._is_started = True
+        # check the data_types and remove "depth" if "distance_to_camera" is requested too
+        if "depth" in self.cfg.data_types and "distance_to_camera" in self.cfg.data_types:
+            carb.log_warn(
+                "Both 'depth' and 'distance_to_camera' are requested which are the same. 'depth' will be ignored."
+            )
+            self.cfg.data_types.remove("depth")
+        # NOTE: internally, "distance_to_camera" is named "depth", name is adjusted here
+        data_type = self.cfg.data_types.copy()
+        if "distance_to_camera" in data_type:
+            data_type.remove("distance_to_camera")
+            data_type.append("depth")
         # Create a tiled sensor from the camera prims
         rep_sensor = rep.create.tiled_sensor(
             cameras=self._view.prim_paths,
             camera_resolution=[self.image_shape[1], self.image_shape[0]],
             tiled_resolution=self._tiled_image_shape(),
-            output_types=self.cfg.data_types,
+            output_types=data_type,
         )
         # Get render product
         render_prod_path = rep.create.render_product(camera=rep_sensor, resolution=self._tiled_image_shape())
@@ -198,7 +215,7 @@ class TiledCamera(Camera):
                     wp.from_torch(self._data.output[data_type]),  # zero-copy alias
                     *list(self._data.output[data_type].shape[1:]),  # height, width, num_channels
                     self._tiling_grid_shape()[0],  # num_tiles_x
-                    offset if data_type == "depth" else 0,
+                    offset if data_type == "distance_to_camera" or data_type == "depth" else 0,
                 ],
                 device=self.device,
             )
@@ -232,8 +249,9 @@ class TiledCamera(Camera):
             data_dict["rgb"] = torch.zeros(
                 (self._view.count, self.cfg.height, self.cfg.width, 3), device=self.device
             ).contiguous()
-        if "depth" in self.cfg.data_types:
-            data_dict["depth"] = torch.zeros(
+        for data_type in ["distance_to_camera", "depth"]:
+            if data_type in self.cfg.data_types:
+                data_dict[data_type] = torch.zeros(
                     (self._view.count, self.cfg.height, self.cfg.width, 1), device=self.device
                 ).contiguous()
         self._data.output = TensorDict(data_dict, batch_size=self._view.count, device=self.device)

source/extensions/omni.isaac.lab/test/sensors/test_tiled_camera.py

@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class TestTiledCamera(unittest.TestCase):
             offset=TiledCameraCfg.OffsetCfg(pos=(0.0, 0.0, 4.0), rot=(0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0), convention="ros"),
             prim_path="/World/Camera",
             update_period=0,
-            data_types=["rgb", "depth"],
+            data_types=["rgb", "distance_to_camera"],
             spawn=sim_utils.PinholeCameraCfg(
                 focal_length=24.0, focus_distance=400.0, horizontal_aperture=20.955, clipping_range=(0.1, 1.0e5)
             ),
@@ -217,6 +217,33 @@ class TestTiledCamera(unittest.TestCase):
                 self.assertGreater(im_data[1].mean().item(), 0.0)
         del camera
 
+    def test_data_types(self):
+        """Test single camera initialization."""
+        # Create camera
+        camera_cfg_distance = copy.deepcopy(self.camera_cfg)
+        camera_cfg_distance.data_types = ["distance_to_camera"]
+        camera_cfg_distance.prim_path = "/World/CameraDistance"
+        camera_distance = TiledCamera(camera_cfg_distance)
+        camera_cfg_depth = copy.deepcopy(self.camera_cfg)
+        camera_cfg_depth.data_types = ["depth"]
+        camera_cfg_depth.prim_path = "/World/CameraDepth"
+        camera_depth = TiledCamera(camera_cfg_depth)
+        camera_cfg_both = copy.deepcopy(self.camera_cfg)
+        camera_cfg_both.data_types = ["distance_to_camera", "depth"]
+        camera_cfg_both.prim_path = "/World/CameraBoth"
+        camera_both = TiledCamera(camera_cfg_both)
+        # Play sim
+        self.sim.reset()
+        # Check if camera is initialized
+        self.assertTrue(camera_distance.is_initialized)
+        self.assertTrue(camera_depth.is_initialized)
+        self.assertTrue(camera_both.is_initialized)
+        self.assertListEqual(list(camera_distance.data.output.keys()), ["distance_to_camera"])
+        self.assertListEqual(list(camera_depth.data.output.keys()), ["depth"])
+        self.assertListEqual(list(camera_both.data.output.keys()), ["distance_to_camera"])
+
+        del camera_distance, camera_depth, camera_both
+
     def test_depth_only_camera(self):
         """Test initialization with only depth."""
 
@@ -225,7 +252,7 @@ class TestTiledCamera(unittest.TestCase):
 
         # Create camera
         camera_cfg = copy.deepcopy(self.camera_cfg)
-        camera_cfg.data_types = ["depth"]
+        camera_cfg.data_types = ["distance_to_camera"]
         camera_cfg.prim_path = "/World/Origin_.*/CameraSensor"
         camera = TiledCamera(camera_cfg)
         # Check simulation parameter is set correctly
@@ -237,7 +264,7 @@ class TestTiledCamera(unittest.TestCase):
         # Check if camera prim is set correctly and that it is a camera prim
         self.assertEqual(camera._sensor_prims[1].GetPath().pathString, "/World/Origin_01/CameraSensor")
         self.assertIsInstance(camera._sensor_prims[0], UsdGeom.Camera)
-        self.assertListEqual(list(camera.data.output.keys()), ["depth"])
+        self.assertListEqual(list(camera.data.output.keys()), ["distance_to_camera"])
 
         # Simulate for a few steps
         # note: This is a workaround to ensure that the textures are loaded.

source/extensions/omni.isaac.lab_tasks/omni/isaac/lab_tasks/direct/cartpole/cartpole_camera_env.py

@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ class CartpoleDepthCameraEnvCfg(CartpoleRGBCameraEnvCfg):
     tiled_camera: TiledCameraCfg = TiledCameraCfg(
         prim_path="/World/envs/env_.*/Camera",
         offset=TiledCameraCfg.OffsetCfg(pos=(-7.0, 0.0, 3.0), rot=(0.9945, 0.0, 0.1045, 0.0), convention="world"),
-        data_types=["depth"],
+        data_types=["distance_to_camera"],
         spawn=sim_utils.PinholeCameraCfg(
             focal_length=24.0, focus_distance=400.0, horizontal_aperture=20.955, clipping_range=(0.1, 20.0)
         ),
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ class CartpoleCameraEnv(DirectRLEnv):
         self._cartpole.set_joint_effort_target(self.actions, joint_ids=self._cart_dof_idx)
 
     def _get_observations(self) -> dict:
-        data_type = "rgb" if "rgb" in self.cfg.tiled_camera.data_types else "depth"
+        data_type = "rgb" if "rgb" in self.cfg.tiled_camera.data_types else "distance_to_camera"
         observations = {"policy": self._tiled_camera.data.output[data_type].clone()}
 
         if self.cfg.write_image_to_file:

source/standalone/demos/cameras.py

@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ class SensorsSceneCfg(InteractiveSceneCfg):
         update_period=0.1,
         height=480,
         width=640,
-        data_types=["rgb", "depth"],
+        data_types=["rgb", "distance_to_camera"],
         spawn=None,  # the camera is already spawned in the scene
         offset=TiledCameraCfg.OffsetCfg(pos=(0.510, 0.0, 0.015), rot=(0.5, -0.5, 0.5, -0.5), convention="ros"),
     )
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ def run_simulator(sim: sim_utils.SimulationContext, scene: InteractiveScene):
         print("-------------------------------")
         print(scene["tiled_camera"])
         print("Received shape of rgb   image: ", scene["tiled_camera"].data.output["rgb"].shape)
-        print("Received shape of depth image: ", scene["tiled_camera"].data.output["depth"].shape)
+        print("Received shape of depth image: ", scene["tiled_camera"].data.output["distance_to_camera"].shape)
         print("-------------------------------")
         print(scene["raycast_camera"])
         print("Received shape of depth: ", scene["raycast_camera"].data.output["distance_to_image_plane"].shape)
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ def run_simulator(sim: sim_utils.SimulationContext, scene: InteractiveScene):
             # compare generated Depth images across different cameras
             depth_images = [
                 scene["camera"].data.output["distance_to_image_plane"][0],
-                scene["tiled_camera"].data.output["depth"][0, ..., 0],
+                scene["tiled_camera"].data.output["distance_to_camera"][0, ..., 0],
                 scene["raycast_camera"].data.output["distance_to_image_plane"][0],
             ]
             save_images_grid(
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ def run_simulator(sim: sim_utils.SimulationContext, scene: InteractiveScene):
                 cmap="turbo",
                 subtitles=["Camera", "TiledCamera", "RaycasterCamera"],
                 title="Depth Image: Cam0",
-                filename=os.path.join(output_dir, "depth", f"{count:04d}.jpg"),
+                filename=os.path.join(output_dir, "distance_to_camera", f"{count:04d}.jpg"),
             )
 
             # save all tiled RGB images