Optical fiber probe for position measurement

An electrically neutral system for radiating electromagnetic radiation from an effective point source comprising:

• an electromagnetic radiation generator;
• an emitter of electromagnetic radiation comprising a radiation dispersing element which emits said electromagnetic radiation in a substantially conical pattern through a solid angle which at least approaches 180.degree.,
• wherein said radiation emission has a centroid such that it at least closely approximates a point source of said radiation thereby causing said centroid of said electromagnetic radiation to be in a substantially invariant relationship to the emitter of said radiation regardless of the angle from which the centroid of emitted radiation is viewed, and
• wherein said emitter is disposed a distance from said generator;
• at least one optical fiber disposed in operative relationship to both said generator and said emitter such that it is adapted to transmit electromagnetic radiation from said generator to said emitter;
• and
• an electric power source operatively associated with said electromagnetic radiation generator, wherein said generator is substantially electrically and magnetically isolated from said emitter.

A method of accurately determining the location of a point in three dimensional space which comprises:

• electrically generating electromagnetic radiation;
• non-electrically transmitting said electromagnetic radiation to an emitter, comprising a radiation dispersing element, so constructed as to emit electromagnetic radiation therefrom in a conical array through a solid angle at least approaching 180.degree.;
• non-electrically emitting said electromagnetic radiation from said dispersing element in a substantially conical pattern over a solid angle that at least approaches about 180.degree.;
• and
• thereby causing a centroid of said emitted electromagnetic radiation to at least closely approximate a point source of said radiation which is substantially invariant with respect to the emitter of said radiation regardless of the angle from which said emitted radiation is viewed.

A method of determining the position and orientation of at least one three dimensional object in a three dimensional space defined by a coordinate system which comprises:

• disposing a plurality of electromagnetic emitters, comprising a dispersing element so constructed as to radiate electromagnetic radiation in a substantially conical pattern over a solid angle that at least approaches about 180.degree. in known spaced apart relationship to each other on a surface of said object;
• providing at least one electromagnetic radiation generator spaced from said object;
• providing a non-electric radiation guide operatively associated with each emitter and with said at least one generator;
• generating electromagnetic radiation from each of said generators;
• transmitting said radiation, non-electrically through said radiation guides to said emitters;
• non-electrically radiating a substantially conical pattern of radiation from at least one of said dispersing elements;
• receiving said emitted radiation by a plurality of electromagnetic radiation receivers;
• determining the location of each emitter as a function of the angles between said received radiation and respective reference lines;
• and
• converting said determined locations of said emitters to a position and orientation of said object in said three dimensional space.