JPH0227420A - Three-dimensional coordinate input controller and three-dimensional coordinates inputting method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To input the three-dimensional coordinate with high accuracy and at high speed by providing a handle to be operated, a three-dimensional coordinate detecting means, an arm mechanism to hold the handle and a coordinate converting means. CONSTITUTION:When a handle 70 is operated, a three-dimensional coordinate detecting device 110 detects the three-dimensional coordinates based on the detecting output of a magnetic field detecting coil 40 and supplies them to a main control device 130. The main control device 130 converts the three-dimensional coordinates outputted from the three-dimensional coordinate detecting device 110 to the coordinates in a three-dimensional picture data base 180 with a coordinate converting part 120. Based on the three-dimensional picture data converted by the coordinate converting part 120 and the picture data outputted form the three-dimensional picture data base 180, a stereoscopic picture generating device 140 generates a right and left picture pair so as to be able to see stereoscopically a three-dimensional coordinate object image and an index picture. Thus, since the three-dimensional coordinate input control device is constituted of the handle, the three-dimensional coordinate detecting means, and the arm mechanism and the coordinate converting means, the three-dimensional coordinates can be inputted with high accuracy and at high speed.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a three-dimensional coordinate input control device and a three-dimensional coordinate input method, and in particular, to a three-dimensional coordinate input control device and a three-dimensional coordinate input method that can be used to input three-dimensional coordinates at high speed and in an interface between a system such as a computer and a human. The present invention relates to a three-dimensional coordinate input control device and three-dimensional coordinate input method for accurate input.

[Conventional technology] Design three-dimensional objects with the feeling of being in a virtual space, or remotely create robots that work on behalf of humans in spaces that humans cannot easily enter, such as space or the ocean floor. Various operations in artificial immersive spaces have long been considered a dream technology.

Technologies necessary to realize such a man-machine interface include three-dimensional image display technology, three-dimensional coordinate input technology, and interaction control technology between the machine and the operator.

Among these, image display technology is the most basic of the interfaces, and although various methods have been studied, it has not been put into practical use for a long time because of the many constraints.

However, recently, with the advent of high-speed, high-brightness displays, practical binocular stereoscopic display using time-sharing glasses, polarized glasses, etc. has been developed, and this interface can be considered as a realistic one. It became so.

As mentioned above, the trend regarding this interface is that three-dimensional image display technology has finally been developed, so coordinate input in the three-dimensional display environment is becoming more difficult.

Furthermore, the technology for controlling interaction with an operator remains an issue, and therefore there have been few examples of inventions related to such three-dimensional instruction input devices, and furthermore, devices for controlling interaction between a system and an operator.

As the three-dimensional instruction input device, it is also possible to use an improved two-dimensional input device such as a mouse. However, according to experiments conducted by the inventors of the present invention, in this case, for example, a switch on a mouse must be operated in order to indicate the depth direction, and when comparing the depth direction instruction with the direction that does not include depth, Undesirable results are obtained in terms of operational characteristics, such as anisotropy in the indicated time. As described above, if the methods of moving the X, y, and Z axes are not all the same, the operating characteristics tend to deteriorate.

According to the above concept, it can be said that a method using a sensor that detects three-dimensional coordinates as a three-dimensional indicating device is promising. That is, this is a method in which coordinates are selected and input by using a three-dimensional sensor such as a magnetic sensor or an optical sensor and directly operating the sensor with the hand. The inventors of the present application experimented with this using a magnetic sensor and confirmed that the anisotropy of the instruction time was reduced and the operability was improved. However, this experiment also revealed problems such as holding the sensor in the hand is unstable, making it unsuitable for indicating small targets, and using it for long periods of time is difficult due to arm fatigue. Furthermore, with this method, the system cannot provide feedback to the operator, so the interaction between the system and the operator is not suitable for necessary processing.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Therefore, the main purpose of the present invention is to solve problems related to operability that cannot be solved by improving existing two-dimensional indicating devices in three-dimensional instruction input, namely, in the depth direction. Indication accuracy is poor or instructions are delayed. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a three-dimensional coordinate input control device and a three-dimensional coordinate input method that can solve problems such as anisotropy in these indicating characteristics.

[Means for Solving the Problem] The invention according to the first claim includes a handle operated by an operator to input three-dimensional coordinates, and a handle provided near the handle to detect the three-dimensional coordinates of the handle. an arm mechanism that includes a plurality of joints and holds the handle in a three-dimensional coordinate space; A three-dimensional coordinate input control device is configured to include coordinate conversion means for conversion.

The invention according to the second claim, like the invention according to the first claim, includes a handle, a three-dimensional coordinate detection means, an arm mechanism, and a coordinate conversion means, and further includes a handle, a three-dimensional coordinate detection means, an arm mechanism, and a coordinate conversion means, and further includes a handle, a three-dimensional coordinate detection means, an arm mechanism, and a coordinate conversion means. A rotational force adjustment mechanism is provided, and the rotational force adjustment mechanism is configured to offset the rotational force due to the weight of the arm mechanism.

More preferably, the holding force is increased by adding a drive device to one or more joints of an arm having a plurality of joints, which receives feedback from the coordinate conversion device and applies a predetermined rotational force to the arm provided at the joint. It is possible to increase the

The invention according to claim 3 is a three-dimensional coordinate system for inputting three-dimensional coordinates using a three-dimensional coordinate input control device including a handle, a three-dimensional coordinate detection means, a holding mechanism, and a coordinate conversion means. In this input method, an index is displayed on a display device according to the detection output of a three-dimensional coordinate detection means, and a predetermined position is set on a holding mechanism based on the interaction between the index and the target image displayed on the display device. It is designed to provide driving force.

More preferably, a three-dimensional coordinate input method may be considered in which the force exerted on the handle by the driving force applied to the holding mechanism is a force that is present in the target image and simulates a virtual force applied to the index.

[Effect]

The invention according to claim 1 is composed of a handle, a three-dimensional coordinate detection means, an arm mechanism, and a coordinate conversion means, and since the detection part and the part holding it are separated, each has a highly reliable design. The coordinate detection accuracy is not limited by the mechanical accuracy of the arm mechanism. In addition, since the holding portion is constituted by an arm mechanism having a plurality of joints, it is easy to add various mechanisms for improving the holding characteristics to the joints and arms.

In the invention according to the second claim, by providing the rotational force adjustment mechanism in the joint part, it is possible to give a force to assist the operation of the operator, and to freely operate the detection part only when necessary.
The arm can be fixed when not needed, preventing operator fatigue and making it possible to give detailed instructions.

The invention according to claim 3 provides input three-dimensional coordinates on the surface, inside, outside, etc. of the target image by applying a predetermined driving force based on the interaction between the target image displayed on the display device and the index. can be limited to

[Embodiments of the invention] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the arm mechanism 1 includes an arm element 11.12 and a first
to sixth joints 21 to 26 and balance weight mechanism 30
, a magnetic field detection coil 40 , and a handle 70 . To explain more specifically, the first joint 21 is the arm fixing mechanism 8
0 and is connected to the second joint 22. One end of the arm element 11 is attached to the second joint 22, and a third joint 23 is attached to the other end of the arm element 11. A rotation force adjustment mechanism 60 typified by a pressure adjustment mechanism for adjusting friction is attached to the joint 23 . Further, the arm element 12 is attached to the third joint 23, the fourth joint 24 is connected to one end of the arm element 12, and the balance weight mechanism 30 is attached to the other end. The fourth joint 24 is connected to a fifth joint 25, and a sixth joint 26 is connected to the fifth joint 25. A handle 70 is connected to the sixth joint. Handle 7
A magnetic field detection coil 40 is built in the inside. Also,
A magnetic field generating coil 50 is provided at a position away from the arm mechanism 1.

The three coils constituting the magnetic field generating coil 50 are arranged at predetermined positions in orthogonal directions, and are sequentially excited in a time-sharing manner by an oscillator (not shown) to form an alternating current magnetic field around them. Similarly, the magnetic sensing coil 40 built into the handle 70 is composed of three coils arranged in orthogonal directions, and the magnetic field generating coil 50
The intensity of the alternating current magnetic field formed by is detected as a voltage, and the xr y+z components are calculated in the coordinate system of the magnetic field generating coil 50 by a coordinate detection device (not shown). Thereby, the position and orientation of the handle 70 with respect to the magnetic field generating coil 50 are measured.

Further, its position and orientation are converted to the coordinate system of a three-dimensional display device (not shown). Therefore, when the handle 70 is moved, its position is linked to the image displayed on the three-dimensional display device. Note that the three-dimensional magnetic sensor not only outputs absolute coordinates based on a predetermined origin, but also can output only the amount of movement relative to the previous position.

Next, the degree of freedom of movement of the handle 70 will be explained.

Through the movements of the joints 21, 2.2 and 23, the joint 24 can be moved to any position within a hemisphere having a radius equal to the sum of the lengths of the arm elements 11 and 12, with the joint 22 as the center. Furthermore, the handle 70 is moved by the movement of the joints 24, 25 and 26.
The joint 24 can have any rotation angle. Therefore, the handle 70 can be positioned at any position and at any rotation angle with respect to the arm fixing mechanism 80. Thereby, the retention mechanism according to this embodiment is 6
You will have a degree of freedom.

Next, a mechanism for canceling the rotational force due to the arm element 12's own weight will be explained. A balance mechanism is provided for each joint,
By setting the center of gravity on the axis of rotation of the joint, it is possible to offset the rotational force due to the arm's own weight beyond the joint. In the example shown in FIG. 1, a balance weight mechanism 30 is provided at the third joint 23 to offset the rotational force around the third joint 23.

Further, by providing the joints 23 with sliding friction and adjusting this friction with the rotational force adjustment mechanism 60, each joint can be fixed.

In addition to this embodiment, an optical sensor or a combination of an ultrasonic sounding body and an ultrasonic microphone may be used as the three-dimensional coordinate detection device. In addition to the balance weight mechanism 30 of this embodiment and the pressure regulating mechanism that adjusts friction, an electromagnetic clutch, a step motor, or the like can be used for the joint 23 as a rotational force adjustment mechanism that offsets the rotational force due to the weight of the arm of the joint. can. In the case of a rotational force adjustment mechanism using an active device in the joint portion, control may be performed using a joint control device.

In this case, the joint control device can assist the movement by controlling the joints of the arm based on the coordinate values obtained from the coordinate detection device.

Specifically, by detecting the moving direction of the handle 70 portion and controlling the drive device to offset the movement in that direction, the movement of the handle 70 is assisted to offset the movement of the handle 70 due to the weight of the arm. Detects the movement speed and acceleration and controls the drive device so that if the acceleration takes a positive value in the movement direction, it applies a force to the joint that helps movement, and if the acceleration is negative, it applies a force to the joint that suppresses movement. There is a movement assist that allows the handle 70 to be moved with a small force by doing so.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the invention.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the joint that determines the rotation angle of the handle 70 is realized using a spherical joint 90.
can be made unnecessary, and the six degrees of freedom of movement of the handle 70 remain unchanged. Note that in this embodiment, the arm element 11 is also provided with a balance weight mechanism 31.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an application example using a three-dimensional coordinate input control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 3, a joint control device 100 controls the joints 21 to 26 of the arm mechanism 1 shown in FIG.

The three-dimensional coordinate detection device ft1lO detects three-dimensional coordinates based on the detection output of the magnetic field detection coil 40 shown in FIG. Note that the handle 70 is provided with a switch 170 for selecting coordinates, and this switch 1
A switch signal generated in response to the operation of 70 is given to the three-dimensional coordinate detection device 110. The main controller 130 is in charge of overall control, and the coordinate conversion unit 120 is for converting the three-dimensional coordinates detected by the three-dimensional coordinate detection device 110 into a coordinate system included in a three-dimensional image database 180, which will be described later. be.

The three-dimensional image generation device 140 converts the three-dimensional coordinate data converted by the coordinate conversion unit 120 and the three-dimensional coordinate image database 18 based on the control signal from the main control device 130.
Based on the image data output from 0, a left and right image pair is generated as a stereoscopic index image. The display control device 150 is for displaying a pair of images on a display screen 160 so that the images generated by the stereoscopic image generation device 140 can be viewed stereoscopically. The display screen 160 is composed of a three-dimensional display using time-sharing glasses, a composite display using a mirror, and a display using a half mirror and polarized glasses.

Next, an example of inputting coordinate values in the three-dimensional coordinate image database will be explained. When the handle 70 is operated, the three-dimensional coordinate detection device 110 detects three-dimensional coordinates based on the detection output of the magnetic field detection coil 40, and provides the detected three-dimensional coordinates to the main control device 130.

The main control device 130 causes the coordinate conversion unit 120 to convert the three-dimensional coordinates output from the three-dimensional coordinate detection device 110 into coordinates in the three-dimensional image database 180. The stereoscopic image generation device 140 generates a stereoscopic view of the three-dimensional coordinate object image and the index image based on the three-dimensional image data converted by the coordinate conversion unit 120 and the image data output from the three-dimensional image database 180. Generate left and right image pairs. The display control device 150 displays the generated image on the display screen 160 in three dimensions.

Here, the user selects the displayed index image from the handle 70.
is moved on the screen by moving , coordinates in the three-dimensional image database 180 are selected, and the switch 170 is operated. The output of the coordinate transformation section 120 at the time when this switch 170 is operated is obtained as the input coordinates.

Furthermore, the main controller 130 determines the moving direction of the handle 70, and the joint controller 100 controls the movement of the handle 70 in that direction.
The force required to move the handle 70 can be assisted by controlling the drives of the joints 21-26 so as to assist in the movement of the handle 70.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of a method for inputting three-dimensional coordinates using the three-dimensional coordinate input control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the embodiment shown in FIG.
The main controller 2 controls the relationship between the displayed image in the stereoscopic image and the index.
30, and based on that, the joint control device 200
joint 21 so as to assist or restrict movement of handle 70.
26, and the other configuration and operation are the same as the embodiment shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, input coordinates can be limited to the inside, outside, surface, etc. of the three-dimensional image.

That is, the feature of this embodiment is that the movement of the handle 70 is restricted and a virtual force is simulated based on the relationship between the index and the displayed image. An example of a virtual force is a magnetic force that acts between the displayed image and the index, assuming that both are magnetic bodies such as magnets. in this case,
The user can experience the relationship between the positions of two objects and the strength of the magnetic force between them through the handle 70.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the three-dimensional coordinate input control device is configured by the handle, the three-dimensional coordinate detection means, the arm mechanism, and the coordinate conversion means, so that three-dimensional coordinates can be inputted with high precision and at high speed. .

In addition, it has many features such as reducing operator fatigue and making it easy to give mechanical feedback to the operator, so it is easy to create 3D images, operate 3D databases,
It can be used in interface application fields such as realistic remote control of robots and simulated experiences. Further, by providing at least one joint with a rotational force adjustment mechanism for offsetting the rotational force by the weight of the arm mechanism, it is possible to provide the arm mechanism with a force that assists the operator's movements. Furthermore, by using a three-dimensional coordinate input control device and applying a predetermined driving force based on the interaction between the target image displayed on the display device and the index, input three-dimensional coordinates can be input to the surface, inside and outside of the target image. Input coordinates can also be limited to external locations.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an application example of a method for inputting three-dimensional coordinates using a three-dimensional coordinate input control device. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of application of the three-dimensional coordinate input method. In the figure, 1 is an arm mechanism, 11.12 is an arm element, 21 to 26 are joints, 30.31 is a balance weight mechanism, and 40
1 is a magnetic field detection coil, 50 is a magnetic field generation coil, 60 is a rotational force adjustment mechanism, 70 is a handle, 100.200 is a joint control device, 110 is a three-dimensional coordinate detection device, 120 is a coordinate conversion unit, and 130 and 230 are main controls. 140 and 240 are three-dimensional image generation devices, 150 is a display control device, 160 is a display screen, and 180 is a three-dimensional image database. Patent applicant: A.T.R. Tsushin Co., Ltd. Figure 2, Figure 1

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A handle operated by an operator to input three-dimensional coordinates; a three-dimensional coordinate detection means provided near the handle for detecting the three-dimensional coordinates of the handle; and a plurality of joints; A three-dimensional coordinate system comprising an arm mechanism for holding the handle in a three-dimensional coordinate space, and a coordinate conversion means for converting the three-dimensional coordinates detected by the three-dimensional coordinate detection means into an arbitrary three-dimensional coordinate system. Input control device. (2) Furthermore, depending on the feedback output of the coordinate transformation means,
The arm mechanism is characterized in that it includes a driving means for applying a predetermined rotational force to an arm provided at at least one joint of the arm mechanism.
The three-dimensional coordinate input control device according to claim 1. (3) a handle operated by an operator to input three-dimensional coordinates; a three-dimensional coordinate detection means provided near the handle for detecting the three-dimensional coordinates of the handle; and a plurality of joints; an arm mechanism for holding the handle in a three-dimensional space; a rotational force adjustment mechanism provided at at least one joint of the plurality of joints for offsetting a rotational force due to the arm mechanism's own weight; A three-dimensional coordinate input control device comprising coordinate conversion means for converting three-dimensional coordinates detected by a coordinate detection means into arbitrary three-dimensional coordinates. (4) A handle operated by an operator to input three-dimensional coordinates; a three-dimensional coordinate detection means provided near the handle for detecting the three-dimensional coordinates of the handle; A three-dimensional coordinate input control device is provided with a holding mechanism for holding the three-dimensional coordinates, and a coordinate conversion means for converting the three-dimensional coordinates detected by the three-dimensional coordinate detection means into arbitrary three-dimensional coordinates. A three-dimensional coordinate input method for inputting a three-dimensional coordinate, the method comprising: displaying an index on a display device according to a detection output of the three-dimensional coordinate detecting means, and comparing the index with a target image displayed on the display device. A three-dimensional coordinate input method characterized by applying a predetermined driving force to the holding mechanism based on the action.