Determination of kinematically constrained multi-articulated structures

• US 5,676,157 A
• Filed: 11/26/1993
• Issued: 10/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Virtual Technologies, Inc. (Immersion Corporation)
• Inventors: Kramer, James Frederick
• Primary Examiner(s): Tucker, Guy V.
• Application Number:
  US08/172,868
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 128/782, 128/781, 128/774, 364/413.02, 364/400, 364/559, 364/815, 364/816, 342/450, 342/451, 342/463, 342/464, 342/465, 901/14, 901/15, 901/16, 901/46
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/043 in a linear array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1071 measuring angles, e.g. using goniometers A61B5/1123 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6806 Gloves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6807 Footwear
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6825 Hand
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/02 Hand grip control means handles or pedals for crane control B66C13/56; for measuring the force applied to control members G01L5/22; hand-held casings for switching devices, e.g. joy-sticks H01H9/0214
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/088 with position, velocity or acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/753 using frequency selective elements, e.g. resonator
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/874 Combination of several systems for attitude determination in general G01C, control of attitude G05D1/49
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

A prescription is provided which specifies constraints, and the number of joints which may be included between any two position-sensing elements (PSEs), where the joints connect the links of a kinematically constrained multi-articulated structure, whereby the defining parameters of the structure may be determined using the spatial placement of the two PSEs and the kinematic constraints of the multi-articulated structure, and where at least the spatial placement of one link is not directly measured. Also provided are preferred placements of PSEs and goniometers on a kinematically constrained multi-articulated structure which will allow determinatin of the spatial placement of the links, where at least the spatial placement of one link is not directly measured. Revolute joint models of the articulations of the entire human body, as well as preferred PSE and goniometer locations, are provided. An algorithm is provided for determining the joint angles for a finger modeled as a 4-link planar manipulator with one PSE affixed to the fingertip and one PSE affixed to the metacarpus.

Claims

1. A system for determining the spatial position and orientation of a plurality of body parts of a living being, said body parts being individual articulated elements of a kinematically-constrained, multi-articulated structure of at least three links joined by at least two revolute joints where two of the joints are separated by a single link, the system comprising:

a plurality of position-sensing elements for disposition about links of said multi-articulated structure;

means for securing each of said position-sensing elements on a respective link;

first processing means for determining the spatial position and orientation of each of said position-sensing elements and thereby determining the spatial position and orientation of the respective links each position-sensing element is attached to, said first processing means generating an output indicative of the determination; and

second processing means for determining the spatial position and orientation of a link located between the links on which a position-sensing element is placed utilizing the output of the first processing means and the kinematic constraints of the articulated elements of said multi-articulated structure, whereby the spatial position and orientation of at least n+1 links can be determined, where n equals the number of links on which a position-sensing element is disposed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the kinematically-constrained, multi-articulated structure is a finger and wherein one position-sensing element is adapted to be positioned on a finger phalanx at other than the proximal phalanx and one position-sensing element is adapted to be positioned on the metacarpus.

3. The system of claim 1, further including a reference element.

4. A system for determining the spatial position and orientation of a plurality of body parts of a living being, said body parts being individual articulated elements of a kinematically-constrained, multi-articulated structure of at least four links joined by at least three revolute joints where two of the joints are separated by a single link, the system comprising:

a plurality of position-sensing elements for disposition about links of said multi-articulated structure;

at least one goniometer for disposition about at least one of the revolute joints;

means for securing each of said position-sensing elements on a respective link;

means for securing the at least one goniometer in functional relationship to at least one revolute joint;

first processing means for determining the spatial position and orientation of each of said position-sensing elements and thereby determining the spatial position and orientation of the respective links each position-sensing element is attached to and for determining the angular orientation of the revolute joint about which the goniometer is disposed, said first processing means generating outputs indicative of the determinations; and

second processing means for determining the spatial position and orientation of a link located between the links on which a position-sensing element is placed and between joints without a goniometer disposed thereon utilizing the outputs of the first processing means and the kinematic constraints of the articulated elements of said multi-articulated structure, whereby the spatial position and orientation of at least n+1 links can be determined, where n equals the number of links on which a position-sensing element is disposed plus the number of revolute joints on which a goniometer is disposed.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the kinematically-constrained, multi-articulated structure is a linger and wherein one position-sensing element is adapted to be positioned on a finger phalanx at other than the proximal phalanx and wherein the at least one goniometer is adapted to be disposed about a fingerjoint and one position-sensing element is adapted to be positioned on the metacarpus.

6. The system of claim 4, further including a reference element.