SK107896A3 - Method of movement sensing and a data glove for carrying out the method - Google Patents

Abstract

Movement of the hand are sensed by the change of electrical conductance of gum strips (2) glued or thermally applied to various portions (1a-1f) of a data glove. The gum strips (2) are placed at portions adjacent to the upper parts (1a) of the fingers, at places between individual fingers (1b), at the wrist (1c), at the outer palm (1d), at the lower thumb (1e) and at the lower part of the wrist (1f). The output leads (3) of the gum strips (2) are connected to an A/D converter (4).

Description

Technical field

The present invention relates to a novel motion sensing method, in particular in virtual reality systems and in cybernetics and a data glove for carrying out the method. The present invention is in the field of scanning technology.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the sensing technique, the first and oldest way of sensing the movement of individual parts of the human body, e.g. hand, was, a way of sensing movement using potentiometers. The potentiometer was attached e.g. above the articulated part of the finger. Wiping or pulling the finger caused the potentiometer control lever to move, changing the potentiometer resistance. Thus, this method was based on changing the potentiometer resistance. This method is not used today because it is cumbersome, moreover, the potentiometers used are precision-intensive.

The second method of sensing that is most widely used to date is glass-fiber sensing. The method is based on sensing the luminous flux by bending two glass fibers apart. Both glass fibers are directed against each other. The more e.g. finger out, the more light penetrates from one thread to the other and vice versa. Of course, the fibers must be placed in the dark and the ends of the fibers must be as straight as possible. This is a very practical solution, because the location is only minimally affected by the location. The disadvantage of this method of scanning is the demanding electronic equipment and the precision of the mechanical construction.

Another known method of sensing with infrared rays requires the placement of special balls e.g. on the hand, which reflect infrared rays in all directions. The reflected infrared rays are then captured by hand using infrared cameras from at least three angles. In practice, the method of scanning by four cameras has been used. However, this method is expensive because, in addition to the cameras themselves, a suitable intelligent software and a powerful computer for positioning in space are required. However, the advantage of this method of sensing is the possibility of sensing the absolute position of the entire body in space. The previously described position sensing methods cannot determine the absolute position of the sensed body in space.

Ultrasound sensing is probably the most widely used method. It also allows to determine the absolute position in the space. Ultrasonic is used to detect rotation

I method of sensing in combination with two sensors. More often, however, two small gyroscopes are used to sense rotation either with respect to the gravitational field of the earth or the magnetic field of the earth.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above-mentioned drawbacks are largely eliminated by the motion sensing method and the data glove according to the invention, which is based on the fact that the motion is sensed by changing the electrical conductivity of the conductive rubber as it is stretched.

For this new method, a data glove has been developed, the essence of which is that its local locations are fitted with motion sensors of conductive rubber. In particular, the localities are the folds of the fingers and wrists.

Qualitatively, the nature of the invention is further expanded in that the motion sensors of conductive rubber have a precisely defined shape, in particular a strip.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a characteristic method of attaching a conductive rubber motion sensor to a glove. It is advantageous if the motion sensors of the conductive rubber are at least partially thermally attached to the glove, for example ironed, or are glued with a suitable adhesive.

The invention is quantitatively completed by the fact that the motion sensors of conductive rubber are provided with terminals leading to the A / D converter. In another embodiment, the data glove may also be provided with an ultrasonic transmitter to determine the absolute position in the space.

Finally, the quantitative essence of the invention is that the local locations of the data glove are precisely specified upper finger locations, inter-finger locations, wrist space, lower thumb area, outer palm area, and finally a rotationally pointing away from the lower wrist. to the lower forearm.

The advantage of this motion sensing and the glove adapted to it is that sensing takes place up to 83 times per second thanks to the A / D converter. Furthermore, the data glove provides a wider range of usable positions. The glove is thus advantageous for different shapes and sizes of hands. The advantage of conductive rubber motion sensors is that they can be used to make various shapes of motion sensors. However, the shape of the strip is preferred. It is also very easy to attach the motion sensor to the glove. The advantage is that only two outlets from the conductive rubber motion sensor are sufficient, as opposed to three conductors with glass fibers. All these benefits will ultimately be reflected in the price of the product itself.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter of the invention is further elucidated in the drawings, wherein Fig. 1 shows the location of the local locations (1a, 1c, 1e, 1f) on the data glove body. Fig. 2 shows the location of additional local sites (1b, 1d) on the data glove body. 3 and 4 show the attachment of the motion sensors (2) to the data glove at local locations (1a-1f).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The method of sensing the movement of a hand according to the invention is based on the movement being sensed by changing the electrical conductivity of the conductive rubber as it is stretched. When bending a finger or other part of the hand inserted into the data glove, the motion sensor 2 made of an electrically conductive rubber is stretched and thus the electrical conductivity of the conductive rubber is changed. The changes in the electrical conductivity are signaled to the A / D converter 4 and further computerized information processing follows.

A data glove according to the invention has been developed for this method of sensing hand movement. The data glove solution is as follows. Motion sensors 2 made of conductive rubber are disposed at local locations 1a to 1f of the data glove. The local locations of the data glove are the top of the toe locations 1, the wrist site 1c, the le area at the lower thumb portion, and the ff location from the lower wrist portion rotating to the lower forearm, as shown in Figure 1. Other local locations of the data glove are locations 1b between individual fingers and location 1d on the outer palm portion as shown in FIG. 2. No matter what the data glove is made of, the condition must be unambiguously fulfilled that the material is non-conductive (rubber, leather). In this case, it is advantageous if the motion sensor 2 is in the form of a strip, a strip. The conductive rubber sensor 2 itself is at least partially adhered or thermally otherwise bonded with a suitable adhesive to the local points 1a to 1f of the glove or ironed in a simple case. Each conductive rubber sensor 2 comprises two terminals 3 which, in one embodiment, are led out of the data glove by a cable. In a further embodiment variant, the terminals 3 of the individual motion sensors 2 are connected to a 12-bit A / D converter 4 as shown in FIG. If the data glove is required to determine the absolute position in space, it is additionally equipped with an ultrasonic transmitter 5, as shown in Fig. 4.

Industrial usability

The motion sensing method of the invention can be used not only to sense the movement of the hand, but also to sense the movement of the foot and other body parts. With the motion sensors according to the invention, it is possible to make not only a data glove, but also a data shoe or data suit.

Claims (8)

A method of sensing motion, characterized in that the motion is sensed by changing the electrical conductivity of the conductive rubber as it is stretched. Data glove, characterized in that conductive rubber movement sensors (2) are located at its local locations (1a to 1f). Data glove according to claim 2, characterized in that the conductive rubber motion sensors (2) are strip-shaped. Data glove according to claims 2 to 3, characterized in that the conductive rubber movement sensors (2) are at least partly glued or otherwise thermally attached to the local points (1a to 1f). Data glove according to claims 2 and 4, characterized in that the conductive rubber movement sensors (2) are provided with terminals (3). Data glove according to claims 2 and 4, characterized in that the conductive rubber motion sensor terminals (3) flow into the A / D converter (4). Data glove according to claims 2 to 6, characterized in that it is additionally provided with an ultrasonic transmitter (5) for determining the absolute position in the space. A data glove according to claims 2 and 4, characterized in that the local points (1a) are the tops of the fingers, the local points (1b) are the points between the individual fingers, the local point (1c) is the wrist, the local point (ld). ) is the location on the outer palm portion, the local site (le) is the location in the lower thumb portion, and the local site (1f) is the location from the lower wrist portion rotating to the lower forearm.