JPH103334A - Three-dimensional form input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a three-dimensional(3D) form input device with which the 3D form of an object can be easily and efficiently inputted. SOLUTION: Plural touch sensors 2 are provided on the palm side of a glove 1, with which the form and 3D position of a hand can be measured, and when a measuring person wearing that glove 1 touches the object as a measuring target, the 3D position of only any touch sensor 2 in contact with the object is calculated based on the detected form and 3D position of the hand so that the 3D form of the object can be inputted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a three-dimensional shape input device, and more particularly to a three-dimensional shape input device for inputting a three-dimensional shape of an object.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a three-dimensional computer graphics system, an input interface is used to input a three-dimensional shape of an actual object. The following methods are used in the conventional input interface.

[0003] For example, in the document "Shitsuo Tsunehiro," 3D C
G-system interface device ”shape input, PI
XEL, No. 84, 152-153, 1989 "
In order to obtain the coordinate values of a point on the object surface,
A method is disclosed in which a three-dimensional coordinate value of a point on an object surface is measured while designating the object surface with a pen equipped with a three-dimensional position sensor.

However, in such a method, when working while sensing features such as undulations of the shape by visual and tactile sensation of the hand, there are two completely different tasks: a work of sensing the shape and a work of specifying the surface of the object with a pen. You have to repeat the work. Therefore, there is a problem that it takes a long time for the input operation. In addition, there is another problem that the input operation cannot be performed in an environment where human eyes cannot function, such as darkness, because of the use of vision.

[0005] In addition, the literature "Mitsuko Nirubi et al.," 3 for CAD "
Dimensional Shape Input Device ”, Information Processing Research Report, Vol. 93, N
o. 43 (CG-62), pp. 23-30, 1993 "
In the above, the object is irradiated with laser light and the reflected light is
A technique is disclosed in which images are taken by one camera and three-dimensional coordinate values are measured by a triangulation method.

However, in such a method, the interval and the number of points to be measured are constant irrespective of the shape of the object, so that there is a problem that redundant data is obtained depending on the shape.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problem, and has as its object to provide a three-dimensional shape input device capable of easily and efficiently inputting a three-dimensional shape of an object. .

[0008]

A three-dimensional shape input device according to the present invention includes a glove, a shape detecting means, a position detecting means, a plurality of contact detecting means, and a calculating means. The shape detecting means detects the shape of the hand in the glove. The position detecting means detects a three-dimensional position of the hand in the glove. The plurality of contact detection means are provided on the surface of the glove, and detect contact with an object. The calculating means is configured such that, when any one of the plurality of contact detecting means detects a contact with the object, the three-dimensional position of the contact detecting means is detected by the hand shape detected by the shape detecting means and by the position detecting means. It is calculated based on the three-dimensional position of the hand.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are diagrams showing the configuration of a three-dimensional shape detecting device used in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 employs FIG. 5 of the above-mentioned document “Interface device of a three-dimensional CG system” showing Data Globe (registered trademark) of VPL Research. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, this three-dimensional shape detection device 10 includes a glove 1, a plurality of contact sensors 2, a hand shape input device 3, and a three-dimensional position measurement device 4; This is for inputting the three-dimensional shape of the object.

The contact sensor 2 is mounted on the palm-side surface of the glove 1. Here, the contact sensor 2 is mounted near the joint of each finger, but the mounting position of the contact sensor may be appropriately changed according to the usage pattern. The contact sensor 2 is 3
This is for enabling a measurer wearing the three-dimensional shape detection device 10 to measure a three-dimensional position of a portion of the hand that touches the object surface in order to measure the shape while touching the object to be measured. That is, in the three-dimensional shape detection device 10, the three-dimensional
Only the dimensional position will be measured. This makes it possible to measure only the position of the object surface.

The hand shape input device 3 detects the shape of the hand in the glove 1, and is constituted by a plurality of optical fibers. A folded optical fiber is attached to the back of the glove 1 along each finger. When the optical fiber is bent, light leaks out of the portion, so that the amount of light transmitted through the optical fiber changes according to the bending angle of the finger. The hand shape is detected based on such a change in the amount of light.

The three-dimensional position measuring device 4 is a device for measuring the hand 3 in the glove 1.
It is for detecting a dimensional position and a posture (direction), and is constituted by a magnetic sensor such as a quadrature coil. When a magnetic sensor is used for the three-dimensional position measuring device 4, a magnetic field is formed in the work space. When the magnetic sensor traverses the magnetic field, a current flows through the orthogonal coil, and the three-dimensional position and posture of the magnetic sensor, and thus the three-dimensional position and posture of the hand, are detected based on the current.

In short, the three-dimensional shape detecting device 10 is a device in which a plurality of contact sensors 2 are mounted on the palm side of a conventional data glove (registered trademark).

FIG. 3 shows the three-dimensional shape detecting device 10 described above.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a three-dimensional shape input device according to an embodiment of the present invention, including: Referring to FIG. 3, this three-dimensional shape input device includes the above-described contact sensor 2, hand shape input device 3, and three-dimensional position measurement device 4, and further determines whether or not contact sensor 2 is in contact with an object. The three-dimensional position of the contact sensor 2 that is in contact with the object and the three-dimensional position of the hand detected by the hand shape input device 3 and the three-dimensional position of the hand detected by the three-dimensional position measurement device 4 A three-dimensional position calculator 6 for calculating based on the position and orientation, a buffer 7 for storing the calculated three-dimensional position of the contact sensor 2, and a buffer 7
And a shape construction unit 8 that constructs a three-dimensional shape of the object based on the three-dimensional position stored in the object.

Next, the operation of the three-dimensional shape input device configured as described above will be described. The measurer wears gloves 1,
The object whose shape is to be input is touched by the hand wearing the glove 1. Among the plurality of contact sensors 2, the contact sensor that has contacted the surface of the object outputs numerical data S1 indicating the degree of contact. The contact determination unit 5 determines whether or not the contact sensor is in contact with the object based on the numerical data S1, and outputs contact determination result data S4 indicating the result.

On the other hand, the hand shape input device 3 outputs hand shape data S3. The three-dimensional position measuring device 4 measures the three-dimensional position and posture of the hand and outputs position data S2.

Therefore, the three-dimensional position calculation unit 6 responds to the contact determination result data S4 and, based on the position data S2 and the shape data S3, contacts the contact sensor 2 which is in contact with the object.
Is calculated, and three-dimensional position data S5 is output. The three-dimensional position data S5 is temporarily stored in the buffer 7. When the measurer repeatedly touches the object with the hand wearing the glove 1, coordinate values of points on the surface of the object are sequentially stored in the buffer 7.

The set data S6 of the three-dimensional position stored in the buffer 7 is output to the shape construction unit 8, and the shape construction unit 8 constructs a three-dimensional shape of the object based on the set data S6. From the set data of discrete three-dimensional positions,
Since various methods for constructing a dimensional shape have been proposed for the purpose of reconstructing the shape from the measurement results of the three-dimensional digitizer, these known methods may be used here.

As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the contact sensor 2 is provided on the palm side of the data glove (registered trademark).
Is attached, the three-dimensional shape can be input simply by touching the object with the hand wearing the glove 1. Therefore, there is no need to perform the complicated operation of specifying the surface of an object with a pen held in the other hand while sensing features such as undulations with one hand as in the past, which is easier and easier than in the past. A three-dimensional shape can be input efficiently. In addition, since it is not necessary to visually sense features such as undulations as in the related art, it is possible to input a three-dimensional shape of an object even in an environment where human eyes cannot function such as darkness.

The three-dimensional shape detecting device 1 as described above
If 0 is attached to both hands, the three-dimensional shape of the object can be input more efficiently.

In the above-described embodiment, an optical fiber is used as the hand shape input device 3, but any device may be used as long as it detects a hand shape. In the embodiment described above, the magnetic sensor is connected to the three-dimensional position measuring device 4.
However, any device that detects the three-dimensional position of the hand may be used.

[0023]

According to the three-dimensional shape input device of the present invention, a plurality of contact detecting means are provided on the surface of the glove,
The three-dimensional position is calculated when any one of the contact detection means detects the contact with the object, so that the three-dimensional shape can be input simply by touching the object with the hand. Therefore, the input operation becomes easy and efficient. Further, since it is only necessary to touch the object with the hand, it is possible to input the three-dimensional shape of the object even in an environment where human eyes cannot function, such as in the dark.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a three-dimensional shape detection device used in a three-dimensional shape input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the three-dimensional shape detection device shown in FIG. 1 from a different angle from FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a three-dimensional shape input device including the three-dimensional shape detection device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Glove 2 Contact sensor 3 Hand shape input device 4 3D position measuring device 6 3D position calculating unit 10 3D shape detecting device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A three-dimensional shape input device for inputting a three-dimensional shape of an object, comprising: a glove; a shape detecting means for detecting a shape of a hand in the glove; and a three-dimensional hand in the glove. Position detection means for detecting a position; a plurality of contact detection means provided on the surface of the glove for detecting contact with the object; and any one of the plurality of contact detection means detecting contact with the object And calculating means for calculating the three-dimensional position of the contact detecting means based on the shape of the hand detected by the shape detecting means and the three-dimensional position of the hand detected by the position detecting means. Shape input device.