US 5,676,157 A · Determination of kinematically constrained multi-articulated structures

Abstract

A prescription is provided which specifies constraints, and the number of joints which may be included between any two position-sensing elements (PSEs), where the joints connect the links of a kinematically constrained multi-articulated structure, whereby the defining parameters of the structure may be determined using the spatial placement of the two PSEs and the kinematic constraints of the multi-articulated structure, and where at least the spatial placement of one link is not directly measured. Also provided are preferred placements of PSEs and goniometers on a kinematically constrained multi-articulated structure which will allow determinatin of the spatial placement of the links, where at least the spatial placement of one link is not directly measured. Revolute joint models of the articulations of the entire human body, as well as preferred PSE and goniometer locations, are provided. An algorithm is provided for determining the joint angles for a finger modeled as a 4-link planar manipulator with one PSE affixed to the fingertip and one PSE affixed to the metacarpus.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A system for determining the spatial position and orientation of a plurality of body parts of a living being, said body parts being individual articulated elements of a kinematically-constrained, multi-articulated structure of at least three links joined by at least two revolute joints where two of the joints are separated by a single link, the system comprising:

a plurality of position-sensing elements for disposition about links of said multi-articulated structure;
means for securing each of said position-sensing elements on a respective link;
first processing means for determining the spatial position and orientation of each of said position-sensing elements and thereby determining the spatial position and orientation of the respective links each position-sensing element is attached to, said first processing means generating an output indicative of the determination;
and
second processing means for determining the spatial position and orientation of a link located between the links on which a position-sensing element is placed utilizing the output of the first processing means and the kinematic constraints of the articulated elements of said multi-articulated structure, whereby the spatial position and orientation of at least n+1 links can be determined, where n equals the number of links on which a position-sensing element is disposed.

2 more elements

A system for determining the spatial position and orientation of a plurality of body parts of a living being, said body parts being individual articulated elements of a kinematically-constrained, multi-articulated structure of at least four links joined by at least three revolute joints where two of the joints are separated by a single link, the system comprising:

a plurality of position-sensing elements for disposition about links of said multi-articulated structure;
at least one goniometer for disposition about at least one of the revolute joints;
means for securing each of said position-sensing elements on a respective link;
means for securing the at least one goniometer in functional relationship to at least one revolute joint;
first processing means for determining the spatial position and orientation of each of said position-sensing elements and thereby determining the spatial position and orientation of the respective links each position-sensing element is attached to and for determining the angular orientation of the revolute joint about which the goniometer is disposed, said first processing means generating outputs indicative of the determinations;
and
second processing means for determining the spatial position and orientation of a link located between the links on which a position-sensing element is placed and between joints without a goniometer disposed thereon utilizing the outputs of the first processing means and the kinematic constraints of the articulated elements of said multi-articulated structure, whereby the spatial position and orientation of at least n+1 links can be determined, where n equals the number of links on which a position-sensing element is disposed plus the number of revolute joints on which a goniometer is disposed.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Determination of kinematically constrained multi-articulated structures

Life of this patent

Determination of kinematically constrained multi-articulated structures

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims6