Exoskeletal platform for controlling multi-directional avatar kinetics in a virtual environment

• US 6,270,414 B2
• Filed: 12/31/1997
• Issued: 08/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Roelofs, Gregory Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin-Wallace, Valencia
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, BINH AN DUC
• Application Number:
  US09/002,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20010003712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 463/36, 463/37, 463/38, 463/39, 463/30, 463/31, 463/34, 472/59, 472/60, 345/156, 345/167, 345/157, 345/164, 345/163, 345/165, 345/166, 434/34, 434/55
• US Class Current: 463/36
• 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

Abstract

A system, apparatus and method enabling a participant to control the multi-dimensional kinetics of their avatar in a virtual environment. The participant accomplishes this control by selectably transitioning among various movements (“motion states”) from which are derived avatar motions and motion-related positions. The participant'"'"'s motion states not only comprise interaction data and are correlated to avatar motion, but also are associated with selected, minimal actual motion in the participant'"'"'s physical surroundings. The apparatus comprises a mount, a motion base and a support: the mount interfaces with the participant, enabling the participant to have a selected range of motion; the motion base is disposed relative to the mount so as to enable contact with the participant and, associated with such contact, provides for detection of the motion states; and the support couples the mount and the motion base so as to provide the relative disposition thereof. The system comprises a network system, a computing station and a kinetic control device coupled to the computing station, wherein (i) the kinetic control device comprises a mount, a motion base and a support, as previously described and (ii) the network system has a selected topology, the computing station being coupled to the network system in accordance with the topology.

Claims

1. An apparatus for participant control of a multi-dimensional avatar representation in a virtual environment, the apparatus comprising:

a mount, interfacing with the participant and enabling the participant to have a selected range of motion while restraining the participant from selected undesirable motions in the participant'"'"'s physical environment;

a motion base, disposed relative to the mount so as to enable contact with the participant and, associated with such contact, providing for detection of motion states of the participant, said detection of motion states creating interaction data; and

a support, the support coupling the mount and the motion base and providing the relative disposition of the mount and the motion bases;

wherein said multi-dimensional avatar representation is a projection of the participant into the virtual environment;

whereby the participant, when generating interaction data by moving within the physical environment, moves a location of the multi-dimensional avatar representation within the virtual environment.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mount is implemented to carry a selected amount of the participant'"'"'s body weight.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mount comprises an annulus having an interior opening, the participant being selectably restrained in motion by the interior opening.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the mount further comprises a saddle, the saddle being wearable by the participant and being coupled to the annulus.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a rotation mechanism associated with the annulus, the rotation mechanism coupling the saddle to the annulus so that the participant can rotate with respect to the annulus.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, further comprising at least one of a rotation sensor and a rotation drive, the rotation sensor detecting interaction data as to the participant'"'"'s rotation with respect to the annulus, and the rotation drive providing rotational forces respecting the participant'"'"'s rotation with respect to the annulus.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, comprising both of the rotation sensor and the rotation drive, the rotation sensor and rotation drive being implemented so as to provide a closed feedback loop.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the motion base comprises one or more movement transducers.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the movement transducers are arranged in a selected array pattern.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the movement transducers enable detection of parametric phenomena associated with motion states, as imparted by the participant, at any time and from time to time.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the movement transducers comprise track-ball-type technology, the track-ball-type technology comprising track balls, the track balls providing at least one of (i) a relatively low-profile, (ii) a selected form factor, (iii) a selected precision, (iii) an adjustable or controllable dampening factor so as to set/control the freedom of rolling, (iv) a reasonable unit cost, and (v) support for haptic feedback.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the movement transducers provide for selected haptic feedback.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the motion base comprises a plurality of movement transducers, the movement transducers being implemented so as to enable their calibration, participant-by-participant, motion-state-by-motion-state.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support couples the mount and the motion base indirectly through the employ of selected physical surroundings.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support provides for relative disposition of the mount and the motion base responsive to selected physical parameters of the participant so as to place the participant at an elevation, relative to the motion base, substantially appropriate to selected motion states.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the support provides for dynamically adjusting the relative disposition of the mount and the motion base responsive to the virtual environment and the interaction of the participant therewith.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the support enables said dynamic adjustment, while continually accounting for selected physical parameters of the participant.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the support provides for rectilinear adjustment, relative to the physical surroundings, of at least one of the mount and the motion base.

19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the support provides at least one of (i) rectilinear adjustment in multiple, relative dimensions and (ii) independent rotational adjustment of at least one of the mount and the motion base.

20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support comprises a selected number of jacks, the respective jacks having associated therewith at least one of a vertical adjuster and a horizontal adjuster.

21. An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the each vertical adjuster is operable independently and selectably cooperatively with one or more of the other vertical and horizontal adjusters, and each horizontal adjuster is operable independently and selectably cooperatively with one or more of the other vertical and horizontal adjusters.

22. An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein a jack comprises one or more selected elastomeric materials.

23. An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the support further comprises one or more standards, each said standard being coupled to the motion base and having associated therewith a translation mechanism, and each said translation mechanism being operable independently and selectably cooperatively with one or more of the other vertical and horizontal adjusters and translation mechanisms.

24. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support comprises a selected number of standards, each said standard being coupled to the motion base and having associated therewith a translation mechanism.

25. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein each translation mechanism is operable independently and selectably cooperatively with one or more of the other translation mechanisms.

26. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support comprises a selected number of terrain cells, each such cell comprising a terrain actuator, each terrain actuator being operable independently and selectably cooperatively with one or more of the other terrain actuators, the terrain actuators providing for adjusting the relative positions of the respective terrain cells in and about one or more coordinates so as to impart to the motion base terrain-like features correlative to terrain of the virtual environment.

27. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one of a motion detect control and a haptic control, the respective motion detect and haptic controls being coupled to one or more of the mount, the motion base and the support.

28. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an authentication control.

29. A system for enabling a participant to control the multi-dimensional kinetics of their avatar representation, wherein the avatar representation is a projection of the participant into a virtual environment, the system comprising:

a computing station, and

a kinetic control device coupled to the computing station, the kinetic control device comprising

mount, interfacing with the participant and enabling the participant to have a selected range of motion while restraining the participant from selected undesirable motions in the participant'"'"'s physical environment;

a motion base, disposed relative to the mount so as to enable contact between the motion base and the participant and, associated with such contact, providing for detection of one or more motion states of the participant, said detection creating interaction data; and

a support, the support coupling the mount and the motion base and providing the relative disposition of the mount and the motion base;

whereby the participant, when generating interaction data by moving within the physical environment, moves a location of the avatar representation within the virtual environment.

30. A system as claimed in claim 29, further comprising a network system, the network system having a selected topology and the computing station being coupled to the network system in accordance with the topology.

31. A system as claimed in claim 29, further comprising a selected number of input/output devices for providing interaction data to the system, the input/output devices operating in cooperation with the kinetic control device.

32. A system as claimed in claim 29, wherein the kinetic control device has associated therewith a confinement space by and to which the participant is physically constrained.

33. A method for enabling a participant to control the multi-dimensional kinetics of an avatar representation, wherein the avatar representation is a projection of the participant into a virtual environment, the method comprising the steps of:

physically linking the participant to a kinetic control device;

enabling the participant to interact with a virtual environment via one or more senses;

constraining the participant'"'"'s movements and motion to a confinement space, thereby restraining the participant from selected undesirable motions in the participant'"'"'s physical environment;

enabling the participant to transition substantially among a plurality of motion states;

detecting the motion states; and

providing interaction data representative of the detected motion states to at least one of a computing station and a network system;

whereby the participant, when generating interaction data by moving within the physical environment, moves a location of the avatar representation within the virtual environment.

34. A method as claimed in claim 33, further comprising adjusting at least one of (i) the virtual environment as to the participant'"'"'s avatar and (ii) selected physical parameters of the kinetic control device.

35. A method as claimed in claim 34, wherein the kinetic control device is adjusted in accordance with at least one of:

(i) haptic feedback;

(ii) terrain adjustments of a motion base;

(iii) adjustment of the relative disposition of a mount and a motion base responsive to selected physical parameters of the participant so as to place the participant at an elevation, relative to the motion base, substantially appropriate to a selected motion state, the mount and the motion base comprising components of the kinetic control device; and

(iv) dynamic adjustment of the relative disposition of the mount and the motion base responsive to the virtual environment and the interaction of the participant therewith, while continually accounting for selected physical parameters of the participant.

36. An apparatus for the input of interaction data concerning lower body movements of a participant in a virtual environment, the apparatus comprising:

an annulus, within which the participant is located such that a plane of the annulus is normal to a longitudinal axis of the participant, said annulus allowing the participant to have a selected range of motion while restraining the participant from selected undesirable motions in the participant'"'"'s physical environment;

a motion base, located underneath the participant and in contact with the lower body of the participant, said motion base comprising at least one motion base sensor that detects a location of the lower body of the participant; and

a support maintaining a position of the annulus;

wherein the interaction data comprises the location detection of the at least one motion base sensor, and the interaction data is input to a computer system running the virtual environment;

whereby the participant moves a multi-dimensional avatar representation of the participant in an virtual environment.