ZED Isaac Sim Extension Overview

The ZED Camera extension for NVIDIA® Isaac Sim enables developers to connect the ZED SDK to their virtual ZED Cameras in Isaac Sim, allowing them to seamlessly simulate ZED-based robotics applications.

Some examples of applications:

  • Smart navigation, where mobile robots autonomously navigate in a virtual environment using the ZED SDK, the ZED ROS 2 wrapper, and any virtual robot rigged with the ZED X Camera
  • Repeatable testing environment that makes it easier to debug and optimize applications.

ZED Camera extension #

The extension will be available through the community (or third-party) tab in the NVIDIA® Isaac sim extension manager. It includes the Omnigraph node needed to stream data and the USD model of the ZED X camera.

The extension can also be found on the official Stereolabs GitHub repository.

Get started #

To connect your virtual ZED camera to the ZED SDK you have to complete the following:

  1. Install NVIDIA® Isaac Sim.
  2. Install the ZED SDK on the machine running Isaac Sim and on the machine receiving the virtual data.
  3. Add the virtual camera to your simulation.

Step 1: Install NVIDIA® Isaac Sim #

The recommended way to install Isaac Sim is to use the Omniverse launcher. If you are installing it on Linux it is recommended to stick to the recommended NVIDIA® GPU Driver version shown in the Isaac Sim requirements. The Omniverse launcher allows the installation of Omniverse applications. At least installing Nucleus, Cache, and Isaac Sim is recommended for the best experience.

  • Nucleus allows you to save and share assets in Omniverse applications.
  • Cache is a very useful application that allows you to speed up asset imports by caching data.
  • Isaac Sim is the simulator you will be using. Read the Isaac Sim documentation to get started.

For more information follow the Official NVIDIA® guide.

Step 2: Install the ZED SDK #

The ZED SDK must be installed on the machine running Isaac Sim. You can find the installation instructions here.

Step 3: Add the virtual camera to your simulation #

If you haven’t already, familiarize yourself with Isaac Sim by reading the Isaac Sim Main Concepts. Then, get started with the ZED camera in Isaac Sim!