Topological and motion measuring tool
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A measuring tool for providing data corresponding to a geometric configuration in space comprising:
- (1) a longitudinally extending, flexible substrate having a compliant reference surface and being capable of bending in at least two degrees of freedom so as to be configurable in three dimensional space;
(2) a plurality of spaced bend sensor means and a plurality of spaced twist sensor means each of said plurality of sensor means being respectively coupled to and positioned at specific discrete locations, on and at known respective bend sensor and twist sensor spacing intervals along the longitudinal extent of the substrate to provide flexure signals indicating the respective local state of bend and twist present in the substrate at the respective locations where the respective bend sensor means and twist sensor means are coupled to the substrate; and
(3) sensor data processing means coupled to the bend sensor means and twist sensor means for receiving flexure signals therefrom and for presenting data on the geometric configuration of the reference surface of the substrate in three dimensional space,wherein the sensor data processing means operates by determining the geometric configuration of the substrate from bend and twist signals derived from the flexure signals provided by the bend sensor means and twist sensor means at their specific locations and from the spacings intervals for such sensors.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A position, orientation, shape and motion measuring tool is provided in the form of a flexible substrate with bend and twist sensors distributed along its surface at known intervals. A ribbon-type substrate is preferred. The geometric configuration of the substrate is calculated from inter-referencing the locations and orientations of the sensors based upon the detected bend and twist values. Suitable applications include motion capture for humans for use in animation, six degree of freedom input to a computer, profile measurement and location tracking within a large, singularity-free working space.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A measuring tool for providing data corresponding to a geometric configuration in space comprising:
-
(1) a longitudinally extending, flexible substrate having a compliant reference surface and being capable of bending in at least two degrees of freedom so as to be configurable in three dimensional space; (2) a plurality of spaced bend sensor means and a plurality of spaced twist sensor means each of said plurality of sensor means being respectively coupled to and positioned at specific discrete locations, on and at known respective bend sensor and twist sensor spacing intervals along the longitudinal extent of the substrate to provide flexure signals indicating the respective local state of bend and twist present in the substrate at the respective locations where the respective bend sensor means and twist sensor means are coupled to the substrate; and (3) sensor data processing means coupled to the bend sensor means and twist sensor means for receiving flexure signals therefrom and for presenting data on the geometric configuration of the reference surface of the substrate in three dimensional space, wherein the sensor data processing means operates by determining the geometric configuration of the substrate from bend and twist signals derived from the flexure signals provided by the bend sensor means and twist sensor means at their specific locations and from the spacings intervals for such sensors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A geometric configuration monitoring tool with a configuration monitoring reference surface for measuring the relative location and orientation in three dimensional space of a surface to be measured with respect to a reference location comprising:
-
(1) a flexible, longitudinally extending substrate capable of flexure in three dimensional space and compliance with the shape of a surface to be measured, said substrate carrying said configuration monitoring reference surface and reference location; and (2) a plurality of bend sensor means and a plurality of twist sensor means serving as angular displacement sensors and respectively spaced at known intervals along the longitudinal extent of said substrate whereby the position and orientation in three dimensional space of said configuration monitoring reference surface with respect to the said reference location is determinable geometrically from the values for angular displacement provided by said angular displacement sensors at their respective locations along said substrate, combined with the values for the intervals separating such sensors, and the spacing of at least one bend sensor means or twist sensor means from the reference location. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
- 18. A method of providing data defining the spatial configuration of a path extending in three dimensional space, comprising conforming a substrate in the form of a flexible sheet into a spatial configuration along the path to be defined, providing multiple bend sensor means and multiple twist sensor means attached to said substrate at predetermined intervals along and proximate to the path to be defined, collecting bend signals and twist signals from said respective sensor means, and processing said signals to produce data on the spatial configuration of the path along its extent in three dimensional space, said processing of said signals operating by combining bend signals and twist signals from said bend sensor means and twist sensor means together with the spacing intervals therebetween to produce such data.
Specification