Elastic sensor mesh system for 3-dimensional measurement, mapping and kinematics applications
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsTimothy Alan Dietz, Nadeem Malik
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus, method, and system for determining the shape of a three dimensional object. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus includes an array of sensors and elastic connections between the sensors within the array. When placed over a three dimensional object, the array of sensors deforms to conform to the surface topology of the three dimensional object. The sensors are connected to a data processor in which the data from the sensors is taken to construct a three-dimensional representation of the actual physical three dimensional object.
Claims28
A measurement apparatus for determining the shape of a three dimensional object, comprising:
- an array of sensors capable of being placed over at least a portion of the surface of the three dimensional object;
- elastic connections between each sensor of said array of sensors and at least another sensor of said array of sensors;
- and
- a data processing system that generates a two dimensional representation of the three dimensional object based on information obtained from the array of sensors, wherein said array of sensors is capable of deformation to conform to the surface topology of a three dimensional object, and wherein the shape of the three dimensional object is determined based on a relative position of the sensors in the array of sensors after deformation of the array of sensors to conform to the surface topography of the three dimensional object, wherein each sensor of the array of sensors determines position information using electromagnetic transmissions from other sensors of the array of sensors.
A measurement apparatus comprising:
- a meshing, including:
- a plurality of sensors, wherein each of the plurality of sensors detects a location of an adjacent sensor within the plurality of sensors and is capable of being placed over at least a portion of the surface of a three dimensional object;
- a set of deformable connectors, wherein the set of deformable connectors interconnect the plurality of sensors to form the mesh, wherein the mesh is deformable to conform to a surface of the three dimensional object;
- and
- an interface connected to the mesh, wherein interface provides a connection to output data generated by the mesh to a data processing system, and wherein the shape or the three dimensional object is determined based on a relative position of the sensors in the array of sensors after the deformation of the array of sensors to conform to the surface of the three dimensional object, wherein each sensor of the plurality of sensors determines position information using electromagnetic transmissions from other sensors of the plurality of sensors and the data processing system generates a two dimensional representation of the three dimensional object based on the position information from the plurality of sensors.
A system for determining the shape of a three dimensional object, comprising:
- a measurement apparatus having a plurality of sensors capable of being placed over the three dimensional object and having means for conforming to the shape of the three dimensional object;
- means for determining relative locations of each of the plurality of sensors with respect to others of the plurality of sensors;
- and
- means for transmitting the relative locations to a data processing system, wherein each sensor of the plurality of sensors determines position information using electromagnetic transmissions from other sensors of the plurality of sensors, and wherein the data processing system generates a two dimensional representation of the three dimensional object based on the relative locations.
A method for determining the shape of a three dimensional object, the method comprising:
- receiving position information from a plurality of sensors, said sensors encapsulating at least a portion of the three dimensional object;
- and
- generating a two dimensional representation of the three dimensional object, wherein each sensor of the plurality of sensors determines position information using electromagnetic transmissions from other sensors of the plurality of sensors.
A method for determining the shape of a three dimensional object, the method comprising:
- receiving position information from a plurality of sensors, said sensors encapsulating at least a portion of the three dimensional object;
- and
- generating a two dimensional representation of the three dimensional object, wherein the relative position of each sensor of the plurality of sensors relative to a particular sensor of the plurality of sensors is determined by logic within each sensor of the plurality of sensors and the position information comprises the relative position.
A computer program product in computer readable media for use in a data processing system for determining the shape of a three dimensional object, the computer program product comprising:
- first instructions for receiving position information from a plurality of sensors, said sensors encapsulating at least a portion of the three dimensional object;
- and
- second instructions for generating a two dimensional representation of the three dimensional object, wherein each sensor of the plurality of sensors determines position information using electromagnetic transmissions from other sensors of the plurality of sensors.
A computer program product in computer readable media for use in a data processing system for determining the shape of a three dimensional object, the computer program product comprising:
- first instructions for receiving position information from a plurality of sensors, said sensors encapsulating at least a portion of the three dimensional object;
- and
- second instructions for generating a two dimensional representation of the three dimensional object, wherein the relative position of each sensor of the plurality of sensors relative to a particular sensor of the plurality of sensors is determined by logic within each sensor of the plurality of sensors and the position information comprises the relative position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.