A set of Python classes that transport OpenCV images

imagezmq: Transporting OpenCV images

imagezmq is a set of Python classes that transport OpenCV images from one computer to another using PyZMQ messaging. For example, here is a screen on a Mac computer showing simultaneous video streams from 8 Raspberry Pi cameras:

Using imagezmq, this is possible with 11 lines of Python on each Raspberry
Pi and with 8 lines of Python on the Mac.

First, run this code on the Mac (or other display computer):

.. code-block:: python
:number-lines:

# run this program on the Mac to display image streams from multiple RPis
import cv2
import imagezmq
image_hub = imagezmq.ImageHub()
while True:  # show streamed images until Ctrl-C
    rpi_name, image = image_hub.recv_image()
    cv2.imshow(rpi_name, image) # 1 window for each RPi
    cv2.waitKey(1)
    image_hub.send_reply(b'OK')

Then, on each Raspberry Pi, run:

.. code-block:: python
:number-lines:

# run this program on each RPi to send a labelled image stream
import socket
import time
from imutils.video import VideoStream
import imagezmq

sender = imagezmq.ImageSender(connect_to='tcp://jeff-macbook:5555')

rpi_name = socket.gethostname() # send RPi hostname with each image
picam = VideoStream(usePiCamera=True).start()
time.sleep(2.0)  # allow camera sensor to warm up
while True:  # send images as stream until Ctrl-C
    image = picam.read()
    sender.send_image(rpi_name, image)

Wow! A video surveillance system with 8 (or more!) Raspberry Pi cameras in
19 lines of Python.

See About the multiple RPi video streaming example <docs/more-details.rst>_
for more details about this example.

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