GB2175729A

GB2175729A - Manikin or animal representation

Info

Publication number: GB2175729A
Application number: GB8608719A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Hamilton Frazer; Kenneth Malcolm Agnew
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-04-11
Filing date: 1986-04-10
Publication date: 1986-12-03
Also published as: GB8509227D0; GB8608719D0

Abstract

A jointed manikin or animal representation comprises sensors 2, such as variable rheostats, in the joints which may be accessed through a multiplexer 4 and respective analogue to digital convertors 3 by a processor 5 which is operative to output a computer model of the manikin to a monitor screen 8 using a program relating to manikin data and a data bank 7. The manikin acts as an input device to control the manipulation of the computer model 7. The manikin may be two or three dimensional. Instead of a using a manikin, the sensors may be attached to limbs of the human anatomy. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A manikin for and method of data manipulation The present invention relates to a manikin for and method of data manipulation particularly, but not exclusively, anthropometric data manipulation.

The use of dummy figures, lay figures or manikins by designers as a design aid is a common technique. These figures may be full size as often used in the automative industry or they may be scaled down for more convenient use at a drawing board. The figures may be fully three dimensional or frequently merely two dimensional representations in plan, side and front elevations respectively. Relative ranges of different figures represent the different sizes of male and female figures and children.

The use of computer representations for such figures is also known art, similarly there are figures available in two and three dimensions and varying sizes which may be manipulated by the computer user.

This invention combines the two known arts to make a useful extension to the computer model by adding electronics to the joints of the traditional figure or model such that the manipulation of the small scale model will manipulate the corresponding model in the computer data base.

This invention relates to a device or devices intended to simplify input to Computer Aided Design and similar computer programs and systems for use in industry or design practice or design education for the manipulation of anthropometric and ergonomic data and anthropometric and similar representations of the human figure.

It is now common practice to use computer generated representations of the human figure as means of exploring the Computer Aided Design systems, the appropriateness of the design to the configuration of the human figure. Typical applicatins include the design of aircraft cockpits,car interiors, furniture, kitchen layout, and so forth. The use of such figures generated by computer reduces the need for building elaborate physical prototpes for testing prior to the production of the designs under consideration.

A common problem with these computer based figures and anthropometric and ergonomically associated data is that these figures are difficult to manipulate, and in particular, it is difficult to define the desired location of the limbs and features in space in relation to a product or space being designed.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a manikin comprising a number of parts connected together through one or more joints, one or more sensors in the or each joint operative to indicate the relative disposition of the parts in the or each joint, the sensors being electronically interrogatable whereby the disposition of the parts may be used as a computer model for a corresponding computerised simulation.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of electronically interrogating a jointed manikin as an input device to control the manipulation of a corresponding computer model including the steps of sensing the relative disposition of the parts of the or each joint by means of sensors in the joints, interrogating the sensors, processing the results so received and manipulating the computer model for correspondence with the manikin.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, which may be of two or three dimensional form, the or each joint is provided with one sensor for the or each degree of freedom.

One or more sensors may be provided to determine a datum position with respect to which the orientation of the parts of the manikin may be determined. Each sensor may comprise a variable rheostat or optical wheel associated with a pulse counting device.

Where the datum is the direction of gravity the sensors may be weight operated. The sensors are interrogated by signal processing circuitry and the processed results employed to manipulate a computer image which is then displayed on a screen.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, one embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the single figure of the accompanying drawings which shows a diagrammatic block circuit diagram of an arrangement for anthropometric data manipulation.

Referring to the drawing, the arrangement comprises a jointed manikin 1. Each joint comprises, for each degree of freedom, a variable rheostat 2. The rheostat are electrically connected through respective analogue to digital convertors 3, and a multiplexer 4 to a processor 5. This processor 5 has access to a data base 6 of anthropometric information, and to a program relating to manikin data, a data bank and a computer model 7. The processor outputs to a monitor screen 8. The manikin is supported through a strut 9 on a base 10. The joint between stay and manikin also includes a variable rheostat for each degree of freedom to provide reference points for the other joints. These rheostat are also connected to respective analogue to digital convertors 3 and thence to the multiplexer 4.

In use the electronically interrogatable manikin 1 acts as an input device to control the manipulation of the computer model 7 of the human form. Advantageously, the limbs are free to move in those positions normally permitted by the human figure. The outputs from the variable rheostats 2 from each joint for each direction of freedom are connected to the analogue to digital convertors and polled or multiplexed such that data is available to the controlling computer or microprocessor 5 concerning the position of each rheostat 2 from which the overall configuration of the limbs can be simply deduced. This computer input data is then used to position the equivalent position of the limbs of the computer generated model using known algorithms such as are used with joystick input devices.

In order to manipulate the computer generated model of the human figure on the monitor screen 8 the scale representation manikin 1 is simply manipulated instead. The corresponding position of the rheostats are then read by the controlling processor 5 and the computer generated model correctly adjusted.

The invention can use devices other than rheostats in the joints such as optical wheels with pulse counting devices.

The manikin may be either two dimensional or three dimensional.

Two dimensional embodiments are simpler to contruct and can consist of the figure represented in more than one plane simultaneously. Typically an embodiment would consists of the figure represented in front elevation, side elevation and plan. The related computer software is able to resolve ambiguities about the location of the limbs in space and the user can specify which projection is to be a priority if there is an ambiguity between the plan, and front and side elevational representations.

In the three dimensional embodiment shown there is no ambiguity about the location of the limbs in space.

The further angle sensing rheostats 2 at the junction between the manikin 1 and the rigid support strut 9 upon which the manikin is moveably mounted serves to establish the orientation of the whole figure with respect to a chosen reference.

Alternatively, or in addition, there might be weight operated devices (for example mercury switches) to sense orientation relative to the direction of gravity and/or other known remote sensing devices referring to a point external to the manikin.

There is no need for the postures of the physical manikin and the computer generated image to correspond exactly. However, it is desirable to zero or reset the system from time to time. Typically this might simply be achieved by pressing a preshaped rigid jig or cast against the jointed manikin such that it assumes a standard posture from which all other postures are measured.

An alternative embodiment is where sensory devices are attached to the limbs of the human anatomy so that the posture of the computer generated model can be correctly defined.

The purpose of this invention is to make it simpler for designers or others to use anthropometric, ergonomic and other similar data about the human figure as part of the design process. Other applications might be included in the medical field, eduction, sport, study of sports injuries, and the use of the fashion in garment industry design process by computer.

It will be appreciated that the above embodiment is described by way of example only and that many variations will be possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

Although the embodiment described is anthropometric, the invention could equally well be applied in other ways such as to animals.

Claims

1. A manikin comprising a number of parts connected together through one or more joints, one or more sensors in the or each joint operative to indicate the relative disposition of the parts in the or each joint, the sensors being electronically interrogatable whereby the disposition of the parts may be used as a computer model for a corresponding computerised simulation.

2. A manikin as claimed in claim 1, in which in the or each joint one sensor is provided for the or each degree of freedom.

3. A manikin as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which one or more sensors are provided to determine a datum position with respect to which the orientation of the parts of the manikin may be determined.

4. A manikin as claimed in claim 3, in which the or each sensor comprises a weight operated device for use when the datum is the direction of gravity.

5. A manikin as claimed in claim 3, in which the or each sensor is remote for use when the datum is a point external to the manikin.

6. A manikin as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, in which the or each sensor comprises a variable rheostat.

7. A manikin as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, in which the or each sensor comprises an optical wheel associated with a pulse counting device.

8. A manikin as claimed in any preceding claim, which is two dimensional in form.

9. A manikin as claimed in any preceding claim, which is three dimensional in form.

10. A manikin substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

11. A manikin as claimed in any preceding claim which is connected to processing circuitry for processing outputs from the or each sensor.

12. A manikin as claimed in claim 9, in which the or each processing circuitry comprises a computer for storing a model which may be modified to correspond to the manikin.

13. A manikin as claimed in claim 10, in which the computer is connected to a monitor for displaying the modified model.

14. A method of electronically interrogating a jointed manikin as an input device to control the manipulation of a corresponding computer model including the steps of sensing the relative disposition of the parts of the or each joint by means of sensors in the joints, interrogating the sensors, processing the results so received and manipulating the computer model for correspondence with the manikin.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, in which the manipulated computer model is displayed on a monitor connected to the circuitry.