Virtual pivot handcontroller

Apparatus of claim 23 wherein said at least one leg comprises:

• a rod connected to said base;
• a pipe slideably connected to said rod in a telescopic fashion such that overall length of said rod and said pipe is variable, and connected to said support means;
• and
• spring means for providing tension, connected to said rod and to said pipe in a fashion such that the length of said leg, without any external force exerted on said leg, is maintained under the spring tension at a neutral length between a minimum length of said leg and maximum length of said leg, such that an external compression force exerted on said leg causes said leg to shorten and an external stretch force exerted on said leg causes said leg to lengthen.

A virtual pivot handcontroller, having six degrees of freedom of motion, comprising:

• a spring-loaded universal joint;
• handle connected to said universal joint;
• a plurality of spring-loaded, variable-length legs connected to said universal joint;
• and
• support means, connected to said plurality of legs, for supporting said virtual pivot handcontroller, having a plane intersecting all connections of said plurality of legs, parallel to said support means;
• and
• wherein:
• said handle has first, second and third degrees of rotational motion and first, second and third degrees of translational motion;
• the first degree of rotational motion is caused by rotation of said handle about the longitudinal axis of said shank (yaw);
• the second degree of rotational motion is caused by moving said handle by a hand utilizing only wrist motion in a forward and backward curved direction (pitch) approximately orthogonal to the plane of said support means with an associated arm in an essentially fixed position relative said support means and having the pivot of handle motion moveable to adapt to the wrist motion;
• the third degree of rotational motion is caused by moving said handle by the hand utilizing only wrist motion in a side-to-side curved direction (roll) with the associated arm in an essentially fixed position relative to said support means and having the pivot of handle motion moveable to adapt to the wrist motion;
• the first degree of translational motion is caused by movement of said handle in a straight direction orthogonal to the plane of said support means, utilizing primarily arm movement;
• the second degree of translational motion is caused by movement of said handle in a straight forward and backward direction parallel to the plane of said support means, utilizing primarily arm movement;
• the third degree of translational motion is caused by movement of said handle in a straight side-to-side direction utilizing primarily arm movement;
• and
• said universal joint comprises:
• a base connected to said plurality of legs;
• a first shaft connected to said base and rotatable about a first axis transverse to said base;
• a plate rigidly attached to said first shaft;
• a second shaft connected to said plate and rotatable about a second axis orthogonal to said first axis;
• a shank rigidly attached to said second shaft and connected to said handle;
• first spring means for providing spring tension, connected to said plate and to said base in a fashion such that the rotational position of said first shaft is maintained under tension at a neutral position relative to said base and said first shaft requires an external force to be rotated from the neutral position;
• and
• second spring means for providing spring tension, connected to said second shaft and to said shank in a fashion such that the rotational position of said second shaft is maintained under tension at a neutral position relative to said first shaft and said second shaft requires an external force to be rotated from the neutral position.

A virtual pivot handcontroller, having six degrees of freedom of motion, comprising:

• a spring-loaded universal joint;
• a handle connected to said universal joint;
• a plurality of spring-loaded, variable-length legs connected to said universal joint;
• and
• support means, connected to said plurality of legs, for supporting said virtual pivot handcontroller, having a plane intersecting all connections of said plurality of legs, parallel to said support means;
• and
• wherein said universal joint comprises:
• a base connected to said plurality of legs;
• a first shaft connected to said base and rotatable about a first axis transverse to said base;
• a plate rigidly attached to said first shaft;
• a second shaft connected to said plate and rotatable about a second axis orthogonal to said first axis;
• a shank rigidly attached to said second shaft and connected to said handle;
• first spring means for providing spring tension, connected to said plate and to said base in a fashion such that the rotational position of said first shaft is maintained under tension at a neutral position relative to said base and said first shaft requires an external force to be rotated from the neutral position;
• and
• a second shaft connected to said plate and rotatable about a second axis orthogonal to said first axis;
• a shank rigidly attached to said second shaft and connected to said handle;
• first spring means for providing spring tension, connected to said plate and to said base in a fashion such that the rotational position of said first shaft is maintained under tension at a neutral position relative to said base and said first shaft requires an external force to be rotated from the neutral position;
• and
• second spring means for providing spring tension, connected to said second shaft and to said shank in a fashion such that the rotational position of said second shaft is maintained under tension at a neutral position relative to said first shaft and said second shaft requires an external force to be rotated from the neutral position.