Virtual Mapping of Data Centers with Robots

Microsoft owns and operates over 50 data centers around the world. The size of these facilities makes it difficult for operators to monitor and maintain them securely while still being able to give tours to prospective customers. This project integrates a camera system that can take 360-degree stitched images and send back live footage through an interactive graphical user interface via a robot designed and built by a previous senior design team. With this camera system, a user can step through data centers virtually, giving a similar experience to Google Street View. The camera system operates in two modes. In the first, the processor takes raw images from the eight Go Pro cameras mounted on the robot, and then uses OpenCV programming libraries to stitch them together. These stitched images are stored with Azure, allowing them to be referenced at a later date. In the second, a live video feed comes from one of the eight cameras, and allows the user to move the robot to the desired viewpoint. These two system capabilities allow the operators to easily give a prospective customer an immersive experience of the data center, and ensure its safety and security.