PixyMon is a program for Windows that runs on your personal computer and allows you to configure Pixy2 cameras and train them to recognize objects. The utility provides a special display that shows what the device is looking at, and the possibility to monitor and debug your tasks.

General notes

The first time you link a Pixy2 to your PC and start the application you may be prompted to download and install required firmware updates for your camera. The main interface launches in the Color Connected Components mode to present the video image from the Pixy2 along with outlines and coordinates of any objects it has been taught to detect.

Aside from the display screen, the tool has a number of features accessible using the menu at the top. These selections change depending upon which Program Mode that the software is currently running. You can choose from the following:

Color Connected Components;
Line Tracking;
Pan and Tilt Demo;
Video.

Object recognition

The main advantage of the Pixy2 is its ability to recognize and track objects. The program relies on a hue or color-based filtering to detect items in the environment. Thus the object you wish to find needs to have a distinct color.

It is possible to fine-tune the setting to some degree but it is difficult to distinguish two entities that share the same appearance. In addition to the hue, the utility utilizes a region-growing algorithm to perceive an object. To further adapt the camera to your microcontroller setup, you may use another tool called Arduino.

Features

free to download and use;
compatible with modern Windows versions;
gives you the ability to set up Pixy2 cameras;
you can train your device to detect objects;
it is possible to install official firmware.