Where to download USB driver for Theta V and for windows 7?

ming · June 9, 2019, 8:41pm

Android Studio on my windows7 does not see the Theta V that is well connected through USB cable.
Under windows 7 Device Manager, each time I plug in the USB cable of Theta V, a “adb interface” appears in Other Device category, which means that Windows 7 has not found the proper driver for Theta V.

Theta V as USB mass storge works fine, I can see pictures and transfer them from ThetaV to windows 7 computer. But what I need is the USB driver that interface with adb.exe on windows 7, so that I can download and debug plugin onto Theta V from Android Studio that runs on windows 7.

Thank you for any help !
Ming

jcasman · June 10, 2019, 6:55am

@ming Welcome to the community! I have a machine with Windows 10 that works just fine with adb and with THETA in general. So I can’t recreate your issue. But I’m wondering if reinstalling adb might help.

Here’s a webpage with instructions for Windows 7: https://appuals.com/install-adb-windows-7-8-10/

Again, this is just a guess. I have not done this myself. It may be worth waiting for other suggestions from the community.

codetricity · June 11, 2019, 3:03pm

Please confirm that you joined the free RICOH THETA Partner Program and that your device is in “Developer Mode”.

Post the screenshot of the desktop app showing the selection of Developer Mode.

ming · June 12, 2019, 10:27pm

Thank you for the response!
I put below detailed information about the issue I’m having, hope the copy-paste works:

My current environment

My currently installed “Android SDK Platform-Tools” is of version 28.0.2 as shown above in
SDK Manager>SDK Tools>
This matches the adb.exe that I’m actually using:
C:>adb
Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.40
Version 28.0.2-5303910
Installed as C:\Users\sager\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\platform-tools\adb.exe

Put cam in dev mode again:

With the current version of adb, my cam is not detected:
C:>adb devices -l
List of devices attached

C:\>

Where only two blank lines show under “List of devices attached”.

Upgrade to the latest Android SDK Platform-Tools

I upgrade my SDK platform tools from version 28.0.2 to the latest 29.0.1

Run adb again, same result, no devices detected:
C:>adb devices -l
* daemon not running; starting now at tcp:5037
* daemon started successfully
List of devices attached

C:\>adb
Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.41
Version 29.0.1-5644136
Installed as C:\Users\sager\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\platform-tools\adb.exe

The running adb.exe is the just installed newer one.

Compare Theta V cam with a Android smartphone

Now I connect an old Motorola in the place of Ricoh Theta V, with that phone using the same microUSB cable of Theta V, then the phone is very well detected:

C:\>adb devices -l
adb server version (31) doesn't match this client (41); killing...
* daemon started successfully
List of devices attached
TA8830CL51  device product:falcon_retfr model:XT1032 device:falcon_umts transport_id:1

In windows 7 Device Manager, the Motorola phone shows up as a portable device:

But when Theta V is connect to PC, a driver failed to install itsef:

The “bad” driver must be a USB driver, because when no device at all (no Theta V or phone), Windows7 Device Manager looks like this:

When Moto phone is connected, one extra USB driver appears:

But Theta V does not add a “USB Composite Device”, instead, the driver corresponds to the “ADB Interface” hardware is missing, making a the “ADB Interface” entry in Other Devices.

ming · June 12, 2019, 10:28pm

Thanks for your response!
Yes I confirm I have joined the free RICOH THETA Partner Program, it was the first thing I have done following the dev guide.

codetricity · June 13, 2019, 12:27am

RICOH THETA V is Android 7.1.1 Nougat

I don’t know if it matters.

Note that Android 9.0 is used for my Google Pixel. I used Android 7.1.1 with THETA V.

On Windows 7

Does not work in my tests.

Does not find driver.

Not working on Windows 7 at this point.

ming · June 16, 2019, 3:37pm

I moved to Windows 10 on another PC, my Theta V cam is detected, no issue at all. Thanks a lot !
I remember that in earlier days of Android (4.1), I had to install a manufacturer USB driver in order for the Android SDK (Still Eclipse) to detect the phone; it was the case with HTC One, Samsung Prime, Motorola G. Even today, Android Studio’s SDK Manager still lists a Google USB driver for Pixel. It looks like windows 10 takes care of the driver part.

codetricity · June 16, 2019, 4:47pm

Thanks for reporting back that you were able to get things working with Windows 10. Curious to learn what type of plug-in you’re working on.

Are you entering the Dream and Build plug-in contest?

ming · June 16, 2019, 6:57pm

Yes I’m entering the Dream and Build plug-in contest, though a little behind schedule. I’m targeting the depth capture with two pictures by displacing the Theta V cam at a predefined distance. This is commonly done with two normal cams, for example Intel Realsense integrates two (normal) cams and they do the depth calculation by integrated hardware. OpenCV already offers functions and example code to do the calculation. But with a 360 cam, what can be the result? I’m hoping it at least works somehow with still scene and with multiple pictures at different positions. What can depth information be really used for is yet to be confirmed in practice. During one presentation by Intel (RealSense cam), I noted several use cases 1) face identity spoofing - while a person is correctly identified, his flat photo on a piece of paper is rejected because the photo is flat. 2) dimension measurement - given the depth, the size in pixels of a volume can be estimated in its actual physical dimension, this has industrial application ( box size estimation and even weight estimation for postal/transportation service). 3) VR/AR - insertion of a virtual object between real objects at different plans ( foreground, background,…) is possible because the depth information of real objects are known. Of course these are things to be tried out, not sure how they work. It seems that depth information so calculated is far far from as accurate as the color we see in a photo.

jcasman · June 16, 2019, 10:59pm

@ming Nice summary of some of the concepts you’re working with around 3D still scene capture. Cool that you’re exploring what’s possible. Since time for submitting to the THETA Store is getting short, I’d suggest simplifying your contest entry is key to success.

You need to aim to finish an apk and start the submission process by July 1, latest.

Yes, focusing on still images and multiple pictures at different positions is best.

#2 seems exciting to me because of the probable industrial applications. I can’t make a good estimate how much effort it would take.

However, my personal opinion is that #3, adding AR objects, may be the easiest path in a short amount of time. As a reference, RICOH in the past released a special version of their mobile app that would place a popular AR character (“Hatsune Miku”) in a 360 degree image, and it would relate to the depth of objects in the image. For example, placing the character standing partially behind a plant. I’m forwarding the site as an example:

By all means, make your own decision on what you want to build. But please submit an apk by July 1. Meeting the deadline with something simpler is better than being too ambitious and not having anything to show for it!

If we can help with any questions or even testing, please don’t hesitate to ask!

codetricity · June 17, 2019, 3:33pm

hands-on review of the Hatsune Miku app.

There’s a hack to use the app without a Hatsune Mike special edition camera. If someone wants to test the app with THETA V images, send me a DM.

jcasman · July 10, 2019, 3:40am

@ming, just sent email as well with the same questions, but checking in on status. Hope you’re making progress. Please let me know your status and if we can help!