IGT:ToolKit/Navigation-with-Aurora

Back to IGT:ToolKit

The general navigation system consists of the following components:

• Slicer3: the base platform for navigation
• IGT loadable modules: Software modules, pluginned into Slicer3, for supporting IGT specific functionality
• IGSTK: An interfacing tool for common commercial tracking devices
• Tracking device: e.g. NDI Aurora tracking system

This tutorial explains how to set up these components to build and use a general purpose navigation system.

Step 1: Install Slicer3

Follow the instructions here to install Slicer3:
http://wiki.na-mic.org/Wiki/index.php/IGT:ToolKit/Install-Slicer3

Step 2: Install OpenIGTLink module

OpenIGTLink protocol handles data communication between Slicer3 and tracking device (Click here for details). As a loadable module in Slicer3, OpenIGTLink will receive tracking data from the NDI Aurora system.

• If you can find a proper binary here for your computer, download it and unzip the file:
  • For your Linux box, click here.
  • For your Windows box, click here.
  • For your Mac box, click here.
• Unzip the file.
• Copy the binary into igt-tutorial/Slicer3-3.0.2008-05-21-linux-x86/lib/Slicer3/Modules.

If you want to build OpenIGTLink module by yourself, find the instructions here.

Step 3: Install IGSTK

• Download the binary of IGSTK:
  • For your Linux box, click here.
  • For your Windows box, click here.
  • For your Mac box, click here.
• Unzip the file to igt-tutorial.

Step 4: Connect NDI Aurora tracking device

• Set up your NDI Aurora tracking device
• Connect it to the computer where IGSTK will be run.
  • By default, Aurora has only serial port connection.
  • If your computer doesn't have a serial port, you need to have a serial-to-USB converter.