Method and apparatus for generating and interfacing with rigid and deformable surfaces in a haptic virtual reality environment
AssigneeSensAble Technologies, Inc.
InventorChristopher Tarr
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for haptically deforming a virtual surface within a haptic virtual environment is used to plastically deform the virtual surface of a virtual object by sensing a user's position in real space, determining a haptic interface location in the haptic environment based thereon, and determining whether the virtual surface collides with the haptic interface location. Upon detection of a collision above a threshold force, a visual representation of the virtual surface is plastically deformed and a corresponding force is calculated and fed back to the user. The virtual surface can be visco-elastically deformed.
Claims63
A method for haptically deforming a virtual surface within a haptic virtual environment, comprising the steps of:
- generating a haptic interactive representation comprising a virtual deformable surface in a haptic interaction space, the virtual deformable surface comprising a triangular mesh;
- sensing a position of a user in real space;
- determining a haptic interface location in the haptic interaction space in response to the position of the user in real space;
- and
- deforming the virtual surface in response to the haptic interface location.
A method for haptically deforming a virtual surface within a haptic virtual reality environment, comprising the steps of:
- generating a haptic interactive representation comprising a plastically deformable virtual surface in a haptic interaction space;
- sensing a position of a user in real space;
- determining a haptic interface location in the haptic interaction space in response to the position of the user in real space;
- and
- plastically deforming the plastically deformable virtual surface in response to the haptic interface location.
A method for determining forces to be applied to a user through a haptic interface, comprising the steps of:
- generating a haptic interactive representation comprising a virtual surface in a haptic interaction space;
- sensing a position of a user in real space;
- determining a haptic interface location in the haptic interaction space in response to the position of the user in real space and the position of the haptic interactive representation;
- representing the haptic interface location as a sphere comprising a penetrable outer layer and a substantially rigid inner core;
- and
- determining a force to be applied to the user in real space in response to an intersection between the sphere and the virtual surface.
A system for generating and interfacing with a virtual deformable surface in a virtual reality environment, comprising:
- a sensor for sensing a position of a user in real space;
- a haptic rendering processor in electrical communication with the sensor, the haptic rendering processor executing an algorithm to determine feedback forces to be applied to the user in real space, the algorithm comprising:
- a module generating a haptic interactive representation in a haptic interaction space comprising a virtual deformable surface comprising a triangular mesh;
- a module determining a haptic interface in the haptic interaction space;
- a module determining a haptic interface location in the haptic interaction space in response to the position of the user in real space and the position of the haptic interactive representation;
- and
- a module determining a force to be applied to the user in real space in response to the haptic interface location;
- and
- a surface interaction processor in electrical communication with the haptic rendering processor, the surface interaction processor determining deformations of the virtual surface.
A system for generating and interfacing with a virtual deformable surface in a virtual reality environment, comprising:
- a sensor for sensing a position of a user in real space;
- a haptic rendering processor in electrical communication with the sensor, the haptic rendering processor generating a haptic interaction space comprising a haptic interactive representation and a virtual tool, the haptic interactive representation comprising a virtual deformable surface comprising a triangular mesh wherein the haptic rendering processor determines (i) a virtual tool location in response to the position of the user in real space and the position of the haptic interactive representation and (ii) a force to be applied to the user in real space in response to the virtual tool location;
- and
- a surface interaction processor in electrical communication with the haptic rendering processor, the surface interaction processor determining deformations of the virtual surface in response to the virtual tool.
A method for haptically deforming a virtual surface within a haptic virtual reality environment, comprising the steps of:
- generating a haptic interactive representation comprising a virtual surface in a haptic interaction space;
- determining a state of the virtual surface;
- sensing a position of a user in real space;
- determining a virtual tool for use by the user in the haptic interaction space;
- determining a haptic interface position in the haptic interaction space in response to the position of the user in real space;
- determining a position of the virtual tool in the haptic interaction space in comparison to the haptic interface position;
- and
- calculating an interaction force between the virtual surface and the user in response to the step of determining the position of the virtual tool.
A system for haptically deforming a virtual surface within a haptic virtual reality environment, comprising:
- a sensor for sensing a position of a user in real space;
- a haptic rendering processor in electrical communication with the sensor, the haptic rendering processor generating a haptic interaction space comprising a haptic interactive representation and a virtual tool, the haptic interactive representation comprising a virtual surface, wherein the haptic rendering processor determines (i) a haptic interface position in the haptic interaction space in response to the position of the user in real space, and (ii) a position of the virtual tool in the haptic interaction space in comparison to the haptic interface position;
- and
- a surface interaction processor in electrical communication with the haptic rendering processor, wherein the surface interaction processor determines a state of the virtual surface and the haptic rendering processor calculates an interaction force between the virtual surface and the user based on the position of the virtual tool and the state of the virtual surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.