5. Occupancy Map Generation

5.1. Learning Objectives

This tutorial demonstrates how to create an occupancy map Omniverse Isaac Sim. After this tutorial, you will know how to use the occupancy map generation extension to generate a 2d occupancy map for an environment.

5-10 Minute Tutorial

5.2. Getting Started

The occupancy grid map extension uses physics collision geometry in the stage to determine if a location is occupied or not. If you are generating an occupancy map for a custom environment make sure that any geometry you want to appear in the final map has collision enabled.

For the purposes of this tutorial we will use the warehouse environment:

  • Open a new stage via File -> New

  • Create -> Isaac -> Environments -> Warehouse Multiple Shelves to load the warehouse into this new empty stage.

5.3. Generating an Occupancy Map

  • In the Occupancy Map Generator UI set the origin to an empty location in the stage (200, 0, 120)

  • You will see a wireframe rectangle appear in the stage showing the bounds of area used to create the map

  • The center of this rectangle must be in unoccupied space

Setting origin of map generation
  • Select the Warehouse prim in the stage. In the Occupancy Map extension, click on BOUND SELECTION.

  • For the Upper Bound set the Z height to 300.0

Setting bounds for map generation
  • Press CALCULATE followed by VISUALIZE IMAGE. A window showing the map will appear

  • Visualization Window:
    • Occupied/Freespace/Unknown Colors: These colors are used in the final generated image

    • Rotation: Rotates the output image by the specified amount

    • Coordinate Type: Selects the type of configuration output for the generated occupancy map

    • Occupancy Map: Pressing RE-GENERATE IMAGE will create a new image and display the updated configuration output

Generating the image
  • Press the Save Image button and select the location where you wish to save the image

  • The final stored image will look like the following:

Sample Occupancy Map generated from warehouse stage

5.4. Summary

This tutorial covered the following topics:

  1. Using the occupancy map generator extension

  2. Generating a 2d occupancy map image for the warehouse environment

5.5. Further Learning

See the Occupancy Map Generator extension manual for more information about the UI element and python bindings.