Elastic sensor mesh system for 3-dimensional measurement, mapping and kinematics applications

• US 6,957,164 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2003
• Issued: 10/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Malik, Nadeem, Dietz, Timothy Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, HIEN XUAN
• Application Number:
  US10/387,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20030139896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 702/153, 702/167, 702/161, 702/104, 702/150, 702/94, 338/210, 600/595, 128/925, 340/524, 340/573.7, 340/619, 340/686.1, 342/118, 342/126, 342/146, 704/271, 379/52, 382/100
• US Class Current: 702/155
• CPC Class Codes: A41H 1/02 Devices for taking measurements on the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0261 Strain gauges
• 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 5/6805 Vests
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/20 for measuring contours or curvatures, e.g. determining profile

Abstract

An apparatus, method, and system for determining the shape of a three dimensional object. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus includes an array of sensors and elastic connections between the sensors within the array. When placed over a three dimensional object, the array of sensors deforms to conform to the surface topology of the three dimensional object. The sensors are connected to a data processor in which the data from the sensors is taken to construct a three-dimensional representation of the actual physical three dimensional object.

Claims

1. A method of translating physical movements into other media, the method comprising:

placing a plurality of sensors on an object;

each sensor of the plurality of sensors determining a corresponding position relative to at least one other sensor of said plurality of sensors;

receiving a first plurality of position data, wherein the first plurality of position data is based on a first set of positions of the plurality of sensors, and wherein the first plurality of position data corresponds to a first point in time;

determining a first shape of the object for the first point in time; and

mapping the shape to an alternate media.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the alternate media is acoustical vibrations.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the acoustical vibrations produce speech.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the acoustical vibrations produce musical tones.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the alternate media is light.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the alternate media is a video display.

7. A computer program product in a computer readable medium, said computer program product for translating physical movements of an object into other media, wherein a mesh is disposed on the object, said mesh having a plurality of sensors distributed on nodes of the mesh, and wherein the computer program product comprises:

first instructions for a first sensor to emit a first radio-frequency signal and a second sensor to emit a second radio-frequency signal, wherein the first radio-frequency signal contains first identification information and the second radio-frequency signal contains second identification information, and wherein an initial distance between the first sensor and the second sensor is known;

second instructions for detecting the second signal with the first sensor;

third instructions for determining a change in position of the first sensor relative to a second position of the second sensor by using the second identification information, the strength of the second signal, and the initial distance between the first sensor and the second sensor;

fourth instructions for repeating the first instructions, the second instructions, and the third instructions for at least one other sensor of the plurality of sensors;

fifth instructions for determining a first plurality of position data regarding positions of at least two of the plurality of sensors, wherein the first plurality of position data corresponds to a first point in time;

sixth instructions for determining a first shape of the object for the first point in time using the first plurality of position data; and

seventh instructions for mapping the first shape to an alternate media.

8. The computer program product as recited in claim 7, wherein the alternate media is acoustical vibrations.

9. The computer program product as recited in claim 8, wherein the acoustical vibrations produce speech.

10. The computer program product a recited in claim 8, wherein the acoustical vibrations produce musical tones.

11. The computer program product as recited in claim 7, wherein the alternate media is light.

12. The computer program product as recited in claim 7, wherein the alternate media is a video display.

13. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising:

eight instruction, for determining a second plurality of position data regarding positions of at least two of the plurality of sensors, wherein the second plurality of position data corresponds to a second point in time;

ninth instructions for determining a second shape of the object for the second point in time using the second plurality of position data; and

tenth instructions for mapping the second shape to an alternate media.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising:

eleventh instructions for correlating the first shape of the object and the second shape of the object to translate a change in shape of the object into physical movements of the object; and

twelfth instructions for translating the physical movements of the object into American Sign Language; and

translating the American Sign Language translated from the physical movements into a spoken language equivalent, wherein the alternate media is one of a text display of the spoken language equivalent and an audio output of the spoken language equivalent.

15. An apparatus for translating physical movements into other media, the method comprising:

a first sensor diseased on a first node of a mesh, a second sensor disposed on a second node of the mesh, and a third sensor disposed an a third node of the mesh, wherein a first initial distance between the first sensor and the second sensor is predetermined, a second initial distance between the second sensor and the third sensor is predetermined, wherein the mesh is adapted to be disposed on an object;

a first radio-frequency transmitter, a first radio-frequency receiver, and a first processor operably connected to the first sensor, said first processor containing first instructions to cause the first radio-frequency transmitter to emit a first identification signal;

a second radio-frequency transmitter, a second radio-frequency receiver, and a second processor operably connected to the second sensor, said second processor containing second instructions to cause the second radio-frequency transmitter to emit a second identification signal;

a third radio-frequency transmitter, a third radio-frequency receiver, and a third processor operably connected to the third sensor, said third processor containing third instructions to cause the third radio-frequency transmitter to emit a third identification signal;

wherein the first processor contains a fourth set of instructions to determine an identity of the second sensor using the second radio-frequency signal and a fifth set of instructions to determine a change in position of the first sensor relative to a position of the second sensor using the identity of the second sensor, a strength of the second identification signal, and the first initial distance;

means for determining a shape of the object at a first point in time based on the change in position of the first sensor when the mesh is disposed on the object; and

means for mapping the shape to an alternate media.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein the alternate media is acoustical vibrations.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the acoustical vibrations produce speech.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the acoustical vibrations produce musical tones.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein the alternate media is light.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein the alternate media is a video display.

21. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

means for determining the shape of the object at a second point in time based on a second change in position of one of the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor, when the mesh is disposed on the object; and

means for translating a change in the shape of the object between the first point in time and the second point in time into physical movements;

means for translating the physical movements into American Sign Language; and

means for translating the American Sign Language translated from the physical movements into a spoken language equivalent, wherein the alternate media is one of a text display of the spoken language equivalent and an audio output of the spoken language equivalent.

22. A method for translating physical movements into other media, the method comprising the steps of:

emitting a plurality of identification radio-frequency signals from a corresponding plurality of sensors, wherein each corresponding identification radio-frequency signal is adapted to uniquely identify a corresponding sensor in the plurality of sensors, and wherein each corresponding sensor further includes a processor adapted to determine an identity of at least one other sensor a the plurality of sensors based on a corresponding radio-frequency signal, emitted by the at least one other sensor, and wherein each corresponding processor is further adapted to determine a position of each corresponding sensor relative to at least one other sensor in the plurality of sensors based on the identity of the at least one other sensor, the strength of the corresponding identification radio-frequency signal of the at least one other sensor, and initial distances between each sensor in the plurality of sensors;

placing the plurality of sensors on an object;

determining a plurality of position data corresponding to a position of the object, said position data based on changes in positions of the plurality of sensors relative to the initial distances between each sensor in the plurality of sensors;

determining a shape of the object using the plurality of position data; and

mapping the shape to an alternate media.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises an elastic sensor mesh.

24. An apparatus for translating physical movements into other media, comprising:

a plurality of sensors, wherein initial distances between each sensor of the plurality of sensors is known;

a corresponding plurality of transmitters operably connected to the plurality of sensors, wherein each transmitter is adapted to emit a radio-frequency signal;

a corresponding plurality of receivers operably connected to the plurality of sensors, wherein each receive is adapted to receive a radio-frequency signal;

a corresponding plurality of processors operably connected to the plurality of sensors, wherein each processor is adapted to cause a corresponding transmitter to transmit a corresponding identification signal that uniquely identifies a corresponding sensor, wherein each processor is further adapted to determine a corresponding identity of a corresponding sensor based on a corresponding identification signal, and wherein each processor is further adapted to determine changes in position of the corresponding sensors relative to at least one other sensor based on the identity of the at least one other sensor, the strength of the identification signal of the at least one other sensor, and the initial distance between a corresponding sensor and the at least one other sensor;

means for determining a plurality of position data of an object when the plurality of sensors are disposed on the object, wherein the plurality of position, data are based on changes in position of at least one of the plurality of sensors;

means for determining a shape of the object using the plurality of position data; and

means for mapping the shape to an alternate media.

25. The apparatus as recited in claim 24, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises an elastic sensor mesh.

26. A method of translating physical movements into other media, the method comprising:

placing a mesh on an object, said mesh having a baseline shape and a plurality of nodes, wherein a plurality of sensors is distributed on the plurality of nodes, said plurality of sensors including a first sensor and a second sensor, and wherein an initial distance between the first sensor and the second sensor is predetermined;

emitting a first signal from the first sensor and a second signal from the second sensor, wherein the first signal and the second signal are radio frequency signals, and wherein the first signal contains first identification information and wherein the second signal contains second identification information;

detecting the second signal with the first sensor;

determining a change in position of the first sensor relative to a second position of the second sensor by using the second identification information, the strength of the second signal, and the initial distance between the first sensor and the second sensor;

for at least one other sensor in the plurality of sensors, repeating the emitting step, repeating the detecting step, and repeating the determining a change in position step;

determining a first plurality of position data regarding positions of at least two of the plurality of sensors, wherein the first plurality of position data corresponds to a first point in time, and wherein the first plurality of position data is determined by triangulation relative to the baseline shape of the mesh;

transferring the first plurality of position data through a central collection device;

transferring the first plurality of position data to an external processor;

determining, in the external processor, a first shape of the object for the first point in time using the first plurality of position data; and

mapping the first shape to an alternate media.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

determining a second plurality of position data regarding positions of at least two of the plurality of sensors, wherein the second plurality of position data corresponds to a second point in time, and wherein the second plurality of position data is determined by triangulation relative to the baseline shape of the mesh;

transferring the second plurality of position data through the central collection device;

transferring the second plurality of position data to the external processor;

determining a second shape of the object for the second point in time using the second plurality of position data; and

mapping the second shape to an alternate media.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

correlating the first shape of the object and the second shape of the object to translate a change in shape of the object into physical movements of the object;

translating the physical movements of the object into American Sign Language; and

translating the American Sign Language translated from the physical movements into a spoken language equivalent, wherein the alternate media is one of a text display of the spoken language equivalent and an audio output of the spoken language equivalent.