Mobile holographic simulator of bowling pins and virtual objects

Abstract

A system with automatic positioning controls for the holographic display of three-dimensional objects interacting in real time with objects of the real world. The person observing the screen (18) has the sensation that the objects are real, which is achieved thanks to a real time perspective correction system (1). The system is used in particular to simulate bowling pins (9). It is positioned on the lane required by means of a dolly (6). The system determines a relation between the information received from the sensors: video cameras (1) (3), dimensions (26), weight (14) (27) and the mathematical simulation models. When the ball is bowled, its physical features are measured and when it hits the pin deck, some holographic pins are displayed on the screen (19). The screen holographically arranges the projected objects over what the bowler (18) sees behind the screen (19). The simulated movements of the pins and the physical interactions with the real objects are determined by exploiting the theory of mechanics in three-dimensional space.

Description

BACKGROUND ARTDefinitions and Basic Concepts[0001]Tenpin bowling is played on a wooden lane or one of synthetic material, according to the specifications of the American Bowling Club ABC / WIBC. 10 pins are positioned at one end of the lane while the player throws a ball from the other end in the attempt to knockdown as many pins as possible. Please refer to the ABC / WIBC specifications for the complete set of game rules, as this is merely a generic description. There are many types of games, which differ in the number of pins, shape, positions, score rules, shape and dimensions of the lanes, balls and pins; here are the most popular: 10 pin, 9 pin, candle pin, 5 pin, figure, duck pin, red pin. The wooden lane is rectangular, 19 meters long and 3 meters wide and the pins are positioned on top of it. The game is played on the lane, which consists in throwing bowling balls towards the pins in the attempt to knockdown as many pins possible. The pin deck is the minimum square area on which...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0027]Screen (19): The function of the screen is that of displaying the animated sequence received from the control unit and of showing it to the bowler (18), giving the latter the impression that the pins (9) are actually on the pin deck. This effect is obtained by displaying a three-dimensional perspective animated sequence that has the bowler's eye as the perspective point. The screen is raised off the lane to let the ball past and is set at a minimum distance of approximately 4 meters away from the first pin so that the ball is hidden from the screen, thus enabling the screen to set the light emitted by the projector over that reflected from the ball and from the lane. This feature is extremely important to give the simulated game sequence the best possible realistic effect. FIG. 5 illustrates a holographic screen on the left with the characteristics requested and a normal transparent screen on the right. These screens are made of polymers, the composition of which is known to producers such as Hitachi or Holopro for example.

[0028]The light (84) emitted by an external source (81) reaches the screen and passes through it without being reflected (85); in this way the screen does not reflect the light of objects that are not involved in the simulation. The light (86) sent from the projector (83) is diffused towards the observer, as can be seen in (87), so that the system can display objects that the observer perceives to be behind the screen. This realistic sensation is improved through a perspective correction of the objects projected, which is done in real time, considering that we identify the variations in position of the perspective point, which in our case is the bowler's eye.

Problems solved by technology

This means that the holographic pinsetter does not need all the mechanical parts, which make mechanical pinsetters the systems most susceptible to wear, slower, expensive, unstable, cumbersome, heavy and generally less efficient.

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