Shape input device

#The present invention relates to a shape input device which can measure any change in shape of a target object and can input measurement information to, e.g., a measuring instrument.

#Conventional shape input devices are disclosed in, e.g., Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKOKU Publication No. 1-56684 and Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication Nos. 5-113327 and 7-184882. All of these shape input devices have a rod member which can be pivotally set along the joint of, e.g., a wrist or arm, and a detection means which can detect the pivot angle of this rod member. The shape change state of the joint is recognized based on the pivot angle of the rod member which is detected by the detection means when the shape of the joint changes.

#A change in joint shape is not a simple shape change component which can be specified by only a change in pivot angle of the rod member. In particular, since motion of the hand or finger is a complicated combination of rotational motion and expanding/contracting motion, it is difficult to obtain the shape change state of the joint of the hand or finger with an angle detection unit having a simple arrangement as described above.

#The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

#FIG. 1A is a plan view schematically showing the arrangement of a shape input device according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

#FIG. 1B is a partially sectional side view of FIG. 1A;

#A shape input device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B, FIGS. 2A to 2C, and FIGS. 3A to 3E.

#The shape input device according to this embodiment has at least one shape input assembly 2 which can detect a change in shape of a target object the shape of which changes, and can be detachably attached to the target object. The shape input assembly 2 is formed with at least one expansion/contraction amount detection unit which can detect the extraction/contraction amount of the target object, at least one flexing amount detection unit which can detect the flexing amount of the target object, and a connecting means which can combine the expansion/contraction amount detection unit and the flexing amount detection unit in accordance with the size and shape of the target object.

#The shape input device according to this embodiment is formed with a tight-contact means for bringing the shape input assembly 2 into tight contact with the target object. An example of the target object to which the shape input device can be applied includes, e.g., a human hand, finger, and leg, and various types of other variable-shape objects. As an example, this embodiment is applied to a human hand 4 (see FIG. 1B). In this case, as the tight-contact means, a flexible glove 6 (e.g., a silicone rubber glove) is employed which elastically deforms in accordance with the size or shape of the human hand 4 to bring the shape input assembly 2 into tight contact with the human hand 4.