WO1998007368A1

WO1998007368A1 - Data glove for sensing movements

Info

Publication number: WO1998007368A1
Application number: PCT/SK1997/000007
Authority: WO
Inventors: Vladimír S^¿IS^¿OLÁk
Original assignee: GETTLER, Ján
Priority date: 1996-08-21
Filing date: 1997-08-20
Publication date: 1998-02-26
Also published as: AU4038397A; SK107896A3

Abstract

Movement of the hand are sensed by the change of electrical conductance of gum strips (2) glued or thermally applied to various portions (1a-1f) of a data glove. The gum strips (2) are placed at portions adjacent to the upper parts (1a) of the fingers, at places between individual fingers (1b), at the wrist (1c), at the outer palm (1d), at the lower thumb (1e) and at the lower part of the wrist (1f). The output leads (3) of the gum strips (2) are connected to an A/D converter (4).

Description

DATA GLOVE FOR SENSING MOVEMENTS

The field of Technics

Invention is concerned of new method of scanning of movement and new construction of data glove. The invention belongs to the field of sensing Technics.

Present condition of Technics

In sensing Technics the first and the oldest method of sensing the movement of individual parts of human body e.g. hand was the one with using potenciometers. Potenciometer was fixed to e.g. knuckle part of finger. Stretching or bending of finger caused the motion of control level of potenciometer, which caused the change of resistance of potenciometer. So this method was based on alternation of resistance of potenciometer. Nowadays the mentioned method is not used anymore, because it is combersome. Moreover used potenciometers are demanding on preciseness.

Another sensing method is scanning with the help of optical fibres, which is widelly used in present time. The method is based on sensing of light current during bending of two, against isolated optical fibres. Both optical fibres are aiming opposite to each other. The more finger is stretched, the more light penetrates from one fibre to another and vice versa. Of course, the fibres have to be placed in the dark and the ends of the fibres have to be as straight as possible. It is very practical solution, because the environment influences the sensing of movement in minimum. Disadvantage of this sensing method is pretentious electronic equipement and preciseness of mechanical construction.

Another known sensing method with using infra-red beams requires a placement of special balls e.g. on hand, which reflect infra-red beams to all sides. Infra-red beams reflected from hand are sensored by infra-red cameras from at least three angles. There was a sensing method with four cameras used in practice. This method is expensive, because except of cameras there is a need for suitable intelligent software and efficient computer for determining the position in space. The advantage of this sensing method is the possibility to sense absolute position of whole body in space. Previously described sensing methods can not determine the absolute position of sensed object in space.

The most widely used sensing method is probably the one with the help of ultrasound. It enables to determine absolute position in space. Ultrasound sensing method in combination with two scanners is used for ascertaining of winding up. Sensing with the help of two small gyroscopes is used more often. They sense slight turning either according to gravitational field of the earth or to magnetic field of the earth.

The essence of invention

Data glove is able to remove the above mentioned insufficiencies according to claims described in invention. Its essence is based on placing the scanners of movement made of cunductive gum in local places. Local places are considered to be bends on fingers and wrist.

Moreover the essence of invention is qualitatively extended by exactly defined shape of scanners of movement made of conductive gum, which is strip.

Further essence of the invention is based on characteristic method of fixing the scanners of movement made of conductive gum to glove. It is advantageous if scanners of movement from conductive gum are at least partly thermicly fixed to the glove e.g. ironed or glued by suitable glue.

Another point in the invention is the fact that scannerts of movement from conductive gum are equiped with outlets flowing in A/D converter. In another excution data glove can be equiped with ultrasound sender for detecting absolute position in space.

Finally quantitative base of the invention is the fact, that local places of data glove are precisely specified places of upper parts of finger, places between individual fingers, place on the wrist, place on lower thumb part, place on outer palm part and finally place of lower part of wrist revolvery aiming to lower part of forearm.

Advantage of this sensing of movement and of the glove designed for it is that scanning takes place 83 times per second thanks to A/D converter. Next, data glove secures wider range of useable positions. Then glove is suitable for different shapes and sizes of hands. Precedence of scanners of movement from conductive gum is also, that it is possible to produce from them different shapes of scanners of movement. The shape of strip is advantageous. Fixing of scanners of movement to glove is very simple. Two outlets of scanners of movement from conductive gum are sufficient, opposite to three conductors with optical fibre. All these advantages are finally showing on the price of the product.

Survey of pictures on sketches

Invention is clearly demonstrated on sketches. Picture, number 1 shows the placement of local places (la, lc, le, and If) on the object of data glove. Picture, number 2 shows the placement of other local places (lb, Id) on the object of data glove. Picture number 3 and number 4 shows the fixing of scanners (2) of movement on data glove in local places (la to If).

Realisation of invention and its examples

By bending the finger, wrist or twisting other part of hand inserted in data glove the scanner 2 of movement made of electrically conductive gum is stretched, which causes the change of electric conduct of conductive gum. Changes of electric conduct are transferred through signal way to A/D converter 4 and further information processing follows. Data glove solution is the following one. There are scanners 2 of movement made of conductive gum placed in local places la to If of data glove. Local places of data glove are places la of upper part of fingers, place le on the wrist, place le in lower thumb part and place if of lower part of wrist rotationally aiming to lower part of forearm, as it is demonstrated on picture number 1. Other local places of data glove are places lb between individual fingers and place Id on outer palm part, as it is shown on picture number 2. It doesn't matter on the material which data glove is made of. But there is one required condition. It has to be nonconductive material (gum, leather). The shape of strip for scanner 2 of movement is advantageous. Scanner 2 from conductive gum is at least partly glued or thermally other way attached by suitable glue, or simply ironed to the local places from la to If. Every scanner 2 from conductive gum contains two outlets 3, which are in one variant of realisation output by cable besides data glove. In another variant of realisation outlets 3 from individual scanners 2 of movement are connected to 12 bit A/D converter 4, as it is demonstrated on picture number 3. If there is a requirement on data glove to ascertain absolute position in space, then it is additionally equipped with ultrasound sender 5 as it is demonstrated on picture number 4.

Industrial utilization

According to the invention the sensing method of movement can be used not only for scanning the movement of hand, but also for scanning the movement of leg or other parts of body. With the scanners of movement it is possible to construct not only data glove, but also data leg or data suit.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Method of scanning of movement is characteristic way that movement is sensed by the change of electrical conductance of conductive gum by its stretching.

2. Data glove is characteristic way that there are scanners (2) of movement from conductive gum placed on local places (la to If) of data glove.

3. Data glove according to claim 2 is characteristic way that scanners (2) of movement made of conductive gum are in shape of strip.

4. Data glove according to clames 2 and 3 is characterictic way that there are scanners (2) ofinovement from conductive gum at least partly glued or thermicly other way attatched to local places (la to If) on data glove.

5. Data glove according to clames 2 to 4 is characteristic way that scanners (2) of movement from conductive gum are equiped with outlets (3).

6. Data glove according to clames 2 to 4 is characteristic way that outlets (3) of scanners of movement from cunductive gum lead into A/D converter (4).

7. Data glove according to clames 2 to 6 is characteristic way that it is additionally equiped with ultrasound sender (5) for ascertaing of absolute position in space.

8. Data glove according to clames 2 to 4 is characteristic way that local places (la) are places of upper part of fingers, local places (lb) are places between individual fingers, local place (lc) is the place on wrist, local place (Id) is the place on outer palm part, local place (le) is the place in lower thumb part and local place (If) is the place from lower part of wrist rotarily aiming to lower part of forearm.