1614 results about "Six degrees of freedom" patented technology

A display and navigation system for use in guiding a medical device to a target in a patient includes a tracking sensor, a tracking device and display. The tracking sensor is associated with the medical device and is used to track the medical device. The tracking device tracks the medical device with the tracking sensor. The display includes indicia illustrating at least five degree of freedom information and indicia of the medical device in relation to the five degree of freedom information.

The MULTIBODY AIRCRANE performs relative positioning, predictive control, and ballast control to achieve very heavy-lifting tasks on land or sea. Such tasks allow station keeping and precise transfer of very heavy payloads between ships underway. This scalable multibody system features three subcomponents: AIRSHIP, SKYCRANE and LOADFRAME. This semi-autonomous system combines aerodynamic (kinetic) and aerostatic (buoyancy force) lift with efficient power and propulsion. During low-speed flight, the Airship and Skycrane are decoupled but linked via a reelable Tether Control Line. Beneath the Skycrane, centered on its hull, a patented NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) RoboCrane (featuring a computer controlled six degrees of freedom (DoF) cabling system,) is attached, to precisely suspend and control a Loadframe, with or without payload. During subsonic forward flight, these Airship and Skycrane are coupled as a single airframe (fuselage and delta wing.)

A laser tracker system for measuring six degrees of freedom may include a main optics assembly structured to emit a first laser beam, a pattern projector assembly structured to emit a second laser beam shaped into a two-dimensional pattern, and a target. The target may include a retroreflector and a position sensor assembly. A center of symmetry of the retroreflector may be provided on a different plane than a plane of the position sensor assembly. A method of measuring orientation of a target may include illuminating the target with a laser beam comprising a two-dimensional pattern, recording a position of the two-dimensional pattern on a position sensor assembly to create a measured signature value of the two-dimensional pattern, and calculating an orientation of the target based on the measured signature value.

Miniaturized, five and six degrees-of-freedom magnetic sensors, responsive to pulsed DC magnetic fields waveforms generated by multiple transmitter options, provide an improved and cost-effective means of guiding medical instruments to targets inside the human body. The end result is achieved by integrating DC tracking, 3D reconstructions of pre-acquired patient scans and imaging software into a system enabling a physician to internally guide an instrument with real-time 3D vision for diagnostic and interventional purposes. The integration allows physicians to navigate within the human body by following 3D sensor tip locations superimposed on anatomical images reconstructed into 3D volumetric computer models. Sensor data can also be integrated with real-time imaging modalities, such as endoscopes, for intrabody navigation of instruments with instantaneous feedback through critical anatomy to locate and remove tissue. To meet stringent medical requirements, the system generates and senses pulsed DC magnetic fields embodied in an assemblage of miniaturized, disposable and reposable sensors functional with both dipole and co-planar transmitters.

An object position and orientation detection system and in particular one which is capable of describing observed movement in 3 dimensions. In one example, a spherical patterned marker with concentric rings is imaged using one or more digital cameras, and the resulting images are processed to determine the position and orientation of an object to which the patterned marker is attached. The method of optical tracking employed by the system allows motion to be determined in six degrees of freedom. In conjunction with a suitable display, such as a projector, an interactive white board or similar application can be realised.

A highly miniaturized electronic data acquisition system includes MEMS sensors that can be embedded onto moving device without affecting the static/dynamic motion characteristics of the device. The basic inertial magnetic motion capture (IMMCAP) module consists of a 3D printed circuit board having MEMS sensors configured to provide a tri-axial accelerometer; a tri-axial gyroscope, and a tri-axial magnetometer all in communication with analog to digital converters to convert the analog motion data to digital data for determining classic inertial measurement and change in spatial orientation (rho, theta, phi) and linear translation (x, y, z) relative to a fixed external coordinate system as well as the initial spatial orientation relative to the know relationship of the earth magnetic and gravitational fields. The data stream from the IMMCAP modules will allow the reconstruction of the time series of the 6 degrees of freedom for each rigid axis associated with each independent IMMCAP module.

A six degree-of-freedom micro-machined multi-sensor that provides 3-axes of acceleration sensing, and 3-axes of angular rate sensing, in a single multi-sensor device. The six degree-of-freedom multi-sensor device includes a first multi-sensor substructure providing 2-axes of acceleration sensing and 1-axis of angular rate sensing, and a second multi-sensor substructure providing a third axis of acceleration sensing, and second and third axes of angular rate sensing. The first and second multi-sensor substructures are implemented on respective substrates within the six degree-of-freedom multi-sensor device.

An orthopedic knee brace provides an apparatus for accurately prescribing the anatomical motion of the human knee. The orthopedic knee brace is used for treatment and rehabilitation following surgery to the knee, protection for a surgically repaired knee, and protection for an uninjured knee, among other applications. The orthopedic knee brace actively prescribes asymmetric three-dimensional anatomic motion in six degrees of freedom of the wearer's knee. The rigid connections between the thigh and calf engaging members and the medial and lateral hinges provide the ability of the orthopedic knee brace to prescribe asymmetric three-dimensional anatomic motion in six degrees of freedom by actively prescribing flexion and extension, abduction and adduction, internal/external rotation, anterior/posterior translation, medial/lateral translation, and proximal/distal translation between a femur and a tibia of a wearer's leg. In alternate embodiments a single-hinge brace design is provided for treatment and prevention of osteoarthritis and other joint diseases and conditions.

A multi-column electron beam inspection system is disclosed herein. The system is designed for electron beam inspection of semiconductor wafers with throughput high enough for in-line use. The system includes field emission electron sources, electrostatic electron optical columns, a wafer stage with six degrees of freedom of movement, and image storage and processing systems capable of handling multiple simultaneous image data streams. Each electron optical column is enhanced with an electron gun with redundant field emission sources, a voltage contrast plate to allow voltage contrast imaging of wafers, and an electron optical design for high efficiency secondary electron collection.

A system for capturing live-action three-dimensional video is disclosed. The system includes pairs of stereo cameras and a LIDAR for generating stereo images and three-dimensional LIDAR data from which three-dimensional data may be derived. A depth-from-stereo algorithm may be used to generate the three-dimensional camera data for the three-dimensional space from the stereo images and may be combined with the three-dimensional LIDAR data taking precedence over the three-dimensional camera data to thereby generate three-dimensional data corresponding to the three-dimensional space.

An optical mounting assembly, such as a lens cell assembly, method for making a lens cell assembly, and method for supporting a lens in the lens cell assembly are provided to kinematically mount an optical element to an optical holder. The optical mounting assembly includes an optical element having a plurality of mounting pads distributed around an outer circumference of the optical element, and an optical holder having a corresponding plurality of clamping brackets distributed around an inner circumference of the optical holder. The optical holder supports or constrains movement of the optical element at points of contact between the plurality of mounting pads and the corresponding plurality of clamping brackets both in a normal direction parallel to the optical axis of the assembly and in a tangential direction of the corresponding mounting pad. When the optical element has three mounting pads and the optical holder constrains the optical element at corresponding three clamping brackets, the optical element is constrained in six degrees of freedom, three in the normal direction and another three in the tangential direction at the corresponding mounting pads. The optical mounting assembly of this invention can be used in combination with a projection lens assembly in a semiconductor wafer manufacturing process.

An embodiment may comprise a camera based target coordinate measuring system or apparatus for use in measuring the position of objects in manner that preserves a high level of accuracy. This high level of measurement accuracy is usually only associated with more expensive laser based devices. Many different arrangements are possible. Other embodiments may comprise related methods of using a camera based target coordinate measuring method for use in measuring the position of objects. Many variations on the methods are possible. For example, a camera based coordinate measuring system for use in measuring the position of a target relative to at least one frame of reference without requiring use of a laser range finder for measuring distance may comprise at least three or more light sources located on a target wherein the light sources are located on the target at known three-dimensional coordinates relative to each other; at least one rotatable mirror rotatable on about a first axis and a second axis; a camera located to receive light emitted by the light sources that is reflected off the minor; two angular measuring devices to measure the angles of rotation of the mirror about the first and second axes; and a processor for determining up to three positional degrees of freedom and up to three rotational degrees of freedom of the target.

A roll-detecting sensor assembly includes a coil extending along and disposed about an axis. The coil comprises one or more portions, with each portion defining a winding angle. At least one of the portions defines a winding angle that is substantially nonzero relative to a line perpendicular to the axis, whereby the projected area of the coil in an applied magnetic field changes as the coil rotates about the axis. As a result, the coil is configured to produce a signal responsive to the magnetic field indicative of the roll of the sensor about the axis. In an embodiment, at least one of the portions defines a winding angle that is at least 2 degrees. In an embodiment, at least one of the portions defines a winding angle that is about 45 degrees.

A rotorcraft and method for providing controlled flight which provides flight in all six degrees of freedom of pitch, roll, yaw, up/down, forward/rear, and left/right. The rotorcraft includes a fuselage with a pair of counter-rotating rotor blade assemblies each having a plurality of radially-extending airfoil shaped blades about a vertically disposed central axis. A rotor drive system mounted to the fuselage includes a motor or engine for rotationally driving the rotor blade assemblies. A rotor blade control system monitors the rotational location of each blade relative to the fuselage and allows a pilot to control respective vertical and horizontal thrust components of the blades corresponding to lift versus drag characteristics of the airfoils during rotation about the fuselage. This is done by changing the pitch angles of the blades and/or by utilizing respective flaps pivotally mounted to the blades to change the effective pitch angle of the blades.

An input device with three-dimensional, six-degrees-of-freedom data input for a computer having a tracker with an array of tracking points defining a first axis and a second axis or plane is described. Light reflected from, or given off from the tracking points, is captured by a camera. From the two-dimensional images captured, three-dimensional data relating to the position and orientation of the input device may be obtained from the relative positions of the tracking points by a provided algorithm and lookup table. The use of one of the tracking points as an on-off indicator of the tracker's orientation towards or away from the camera greatly expands the use of such technology from limited hemispherical tracking to all-round, full-spherical tracking. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, tracking points on the input device which is in the form of a planar “T”-shape wand with a cross piece and a camera allow computer users to input natural swinging movements into a virtual environment for gaming or other three-dimensional applications.

A system for measuring the position of a hand-held tool relative to a body in six degrees of freedom employs a camera attached via a mechanical linkage to the tool so that the camera moves together with the proximal portion of the tool and has a field of view including the distal end of the tool. A processing system processes images from the camera to determine a position of at least part of the tool. By employing optically identifiable fiducial reference points defined on the external surface of the body, a projection of the tool tip position onto a plane containing the target can be derived and displayed together with the target position, thereby facilitating guiding the tool to the target.

A computer-controlled parallel-leg mechanism, with three pairs of remotely-actuated tendon legs, provides accurate six-degrees-of-freedom motion and positioning for a tool platform. Leg pair termination at a common point with three degrees of pivoting freedom is provided by a unique linkage joint. Non-intrusive tool-position feedback is enabled by nine shaft encoders mounted at the mechanism's base end.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) such as a drone, quadcopter or octocopter having a projector on board for projecting information into physical space such as onto objects or locations while the UAV is in flight, and further with the position and orientation (i.e., the six degrees of freedom) of the UAV in flight being accurately tracked and controlled from the ground, e.g., by a laser tracker or a camera bar, thereby leading to a relatively more stable flight of the UAV.

The invention relates to an operation positioning device and method and a robot operation system. The operation positioning device comprises a positioning ruler, an upper computer and a series-connection mechanical arm with at least six degrees of freedom. The upper computer is connected with the series-connection mechanical arm, the positioning ruler comprises two opposite surfaces allowing X-rays to transmit, the two opposite surfaces are fixedly connected through a connecting surface allowing X-rays to transmit, the two opposite surfaces are respectively provided with a group of marks, each group of marks comprise at least four mark points which are not located on the same straight line, and the mark points are X-ray-proof components. Any opposite surface or the connecting surface is fixedly connected with a ruler handle, and the ruler handle is connected with the tail end of the series-connection mechanical arm through a port. The upper computer adjusts the position of the positioning ruler by controlling movement of the series-connection mechanical arm, space positioning calculation is conducted according to the mark points in collected images, and a planning path is obtained. The device can achieve perspective positioning at any angle, and can eliminate system errors caused when an operation path is calculated, increase working space and improve the operation positioning accuracy.

The subject invention provides a modular six-degrees-of-freedom spatial mechanism for spinal disc prosthesis, with three rotational and three translational degrees-of-freedom within the entire workspace of a Functional Spinal Unit (FSU). The prosthetic disc mechanism attaches to upper and lower plates anchored between vertebrae of an FSU. Scaling, conjoined with motion limit stops, allows the device to realize almost any nominal spinal articulation, from the cervical to lumbar regions.

The invention provides an optical measurement system and method for a three-dimensional shape of a large-scale complex curved surface member. The method is based on binocular optical grating projection measurement technologies, point cloud poses of all station positions during multiple station position measurement are obtained via a laser tracker and a corresponding target ball, point cloud obtained via the multiple station position measurement is converted to be under a unified laser tracker coordinate system according to corresponding pose data, and overall merging of point cloud data of a large-scale complex surface-shaped member can be realized; in the system, a six degree-of-freedom robot is used as a carrier for a point cloud space pose tracking unit and a binocular structured light measurement device, single station position measurement precision is ensured via calibration of the binocular structured light measurement device before measurement work starts, and data integrity and measurement efficiency are ensured via measurement route planning. Via the optical measurement system and method, all kinds of large-scale complex surface-shaped members can be accurately measured in non-contact conditions; practical, reliable and complete original three dimensional shape data can be provided for evaluation of all kinds of processing quality.

An apparatus and method for optically inferring an absolute pose of a manipulated object in a real three-dimensional environment from on-board the object with the aid of an on-board optical measuring arrangement. At least one invariant feature located in the environment is used by the arrangement for inferring the absolute pose. The inferred absolute pose is expressed with absolute pose data (φ,θ,ψ,x,y,z) that represents Euler rotated object coordinates expressed in world coordinates (X_o,Y_o,Z_o) with respect to a reference location, such as, for example, the world origin. Other conventions for expressing absolute pose data in three-dimensional space and representing all six degrees of freedom (three translational degrees of freedom and three rotational degrees of freedom) are also supported. Irrespective of format, a processor prepares the absolute pose data and identifies a subset that may contain all or fewer than all absolute pose parameters. This subset is transmitted to an application via a communication link, where it is treated as input that allows a user of the manipulated object to interact with the application and its output.

The invention discloses a hedgerow pruning manipulator with six degrees of freedom (DOP). The manipulator comprises a main swing mechanism, a pruning knife assembly and a supporting mechanism, wherein the supporting mechanism is fixed on a dragging vehicle, and consists of a base, a rotary component, a lifting component and a telescopic component; the front end of the supporting mechanism is fixedly provided with the main swing mechanism capable of doing gyroscopic motion; the output shaft end of the main swing mechanism is fixedly connected with a horizontal mechanical arm the front end of which is connected with a vertical mechanical arm, and the front end of the vertical mechanical arm is provided with a wrist joint; the output end of the wrist joint is fixedly provided with the pruning knife assembly; and a control system utilizes a control module which takes ARM series processors as the core to automatically control the joint operation of the horizontal mechanical arm, the vertical mechanical arm, the wrist joint and the main swing mechanism, so that the pruning knife can be operated along various tracks in space, thus realizing pruning operation of various form such as a spherical shape, a conical shape, a cylindrical shape, a plane, an inclined face, a wavy face and the like. The pruning manipulator has the characteristics of high automaticity, wide adaptability, energy conservation, environmental protection and the like, and is convenient to popularize and use.

The invention relates to a stacked workpiece posture recognizing and picking method based on an RGBD camera. The method includes the following steps that 1), parameters in the RGBD camera are calibrated; 2), training is carried out according to a pre-obtained 3D model of a to-be-captured workpiece, and a 2D model for matching is generated; 3), an RGB image and a depth image of the to-be-recognizedworkpiece are obtained through the RGBD camera, and contour information of the to-be-captured workpiece is obtained; 4), two-dimensional position information of the to-be-captured workpiece in an image pixel coordinate system and a six-freedom-degree pose under a camera coordinate system are obtained; 5), a six-freedom-degree pose of the to-be-captured workpiece under a robot coordinate system isobtained; and 6), a six-axis robot is controlled to pick the to-be-captured workpiece. Compared with the prior art, the RGBD camera with low cost is utilized, in combination with RGB and depth information, the postures of various types of workpieces stacked disorderly are recognized and captured, and the method is high in precision, low in cost and high in adaptability, and can meet the requirements of industrial production.

A six-degree-of-freedom parallel mechanism is provided for expanding a grade of a spindle. The parallel mechanism has a spindle that turns round a workpiece at a tilting angle of 90 DEG in a workspace, to thereby allow a machining for both vertical and horizontal planes of the workpiece, and a vertical turning process, by a single machining center. A six-axis multi-machining type machining center embodying the parallel mechanism of the present invention is also disclosed. An over-actuated multi-machining type machining center further including over-actuated actuators is presented to solve a problem of driving joints' singularity caused by the parallel mechanism.

The present invention provides a surgical manipulator which is capable of manipulating a surgical or medical tool in up to six degrees of freedom. The manipulator has a haptic interface and an associated position sensing system. A controller is provided that can be used to adjust movement information from the haptic interface based on the relative orientations of the manipulator and the haptic interface.

A synchronous localization and mapping method for vision-inertia-laser fusion mainly relates to the technical fields of multi-sensor fusion, SLAM and the like. In order to solve a problem that single sensor SLAM has low precision and is easy to lose in localization and mapping, the invention provides a robust high precision vision, inertia, laser radar fusion SLAM system. A tightly-coupled visual inertia odometer is further optimized through laser radar scanning and matching so as to obtain a more accurate localization result. And when a camera or a laser radar degenerates, and a visual inertia module or a scanning and matching module can not work normally, a system automatically integrates remaining workable modules to maintain stable pose estimation. In order to remove cumulative errors, loopback detection based on an appearance and neighboring matching based on point cloud are added, and then six-degree-of-freedom pose optimization is performed to maintain global consistency. In the invention, robust high-precision localization and mapping effects can be obtained.

A multi-axis, computerized numerically-controlled (CNC) toolhead positioning device with six degrees of freedom of movement while utilizing only five axes of movement, comprising a rotating workpiece mount assembly (28) and a rotating gantry (64) with a mounted toolhead assembly base (80). Perpendicular rotational axes about a mounted workpiece (26) provide the capability to perform specific toolhead operations on the arcuate surface of the workpiece (26), subject to the type of mounted toolhead assembly. The computer (120) uses CNC software to integrate operator instructions, machining operations, and the sequence of operations into an automatic and coherent machining package.

A parallel kinematic positioning system 10 (PKPS 10) that is comprised of a stationary base plate (12) and an upper movable platform (28) to which is attached a workpiece or an instrument. Between the stationary base plate (12) and the upper movable platform (28) are positionally attached six strut assemblies (50). The six strut assemblies operate a hexapod that include in combination, a counterbalance subassembly (111), a servo motor subassembly (134), a bearing and encoder subassembly (156) and an electronics circuit (190). The combination accurately and repeatably positions the upper movable platform (28) within six degrees of freedom relative to the base plate (12).

A measurement system for determining six degrees of freedom (α, β, d, φ, χ, ψ) of a reflector (2) or of an object (3) on which the reflector is arranged, comprises an angle- and distance measurement apparatus (1), e.g. a laser tracker, operating with a laser beam as a measurement beam (4). The reflector (2) is designed for a parallel reflection of the measurement beam (4) and has an apical opening or surface (6), in a manner such that a part of the measurement beam (4) directed onto the reflector (2), passes through the apical opening or surface (6), and is incident on a light-sensitive surface (7) arranged behind the reflector apex. Five degrees of freedom (α, β, d, φ, χ) of the reflector (2) or the object (3) are computed from measurement data produced by the angle- and distance measurement apparatus (1) and by the light-sensitive surface (7).