Master-Slave Camera Control Using Eye Position for Intuitive Viewing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing master slave systems, such as those used in endoscopic surgery, often fail to provide users with an intuitive means of observing objects from various angles, leading to insufficient intuitiveness in operations.
Innovation Solution
A control device that calculates the positional relationship between the user's eye and a point in the master-side three-dimensional coordinate system, controlling the imaging unit to match this relationship in the slave-side system, allowing the user to observe objects from different directions without generating 'Mental Rotation' and ensuring intuitive operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the slave-side camera is translated in accordance with the direction of the face of the master-side user, then the user can observe the object from a fixed reference direction, but the user cannot observe the object as if looking around from various directions of up, down, left, and right of the object
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the camera observation direction change dynamically based on the user's eye position. Instead of fixing the camera translation to always maintain a constant reference direction, the system continuously adjusts the camera orientation to follow the user's natural eye movements, enabling intuitive observation from various directions while maintaining operational simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by detecting the user's eye position and using this information to control the camera's observation direction. The eye position detection unit continuously monitors where the user is looking, and this feedback is used to adjust the slave-side camera's viewing angle in real-time, creating a responsive system that adapts to user intent without requiring manual control adjustments
2Ease of operation
If the camera observation direction is fixed relative to the user's face direction, then the operation is simple to control, but the user experiences Mental Rotation when the gravity direction in the displayed image does not match the actual gravity direction
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from eye position detection to dynamically adjust the camera's observation direction. By continuously monitoring where the user is looking and adjusting the camera accordingly, the system maintains accurate spatial orientation without requiring complex manual control, eliminating Mental Rotation while preserving control simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical control of camera orientation with an automated optical/electronic system that uses eye tracking. Instead of requiring the user to manually adjust camera angles or orientations, the system automatically substitutes this mechanical adjustment with electronic control based on eye position detection, achieving both simplicity and spatial accuracy
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a control device including a control unit that calculates a first positional relationship between an eye of an observer observing an object displayed on a display unit and a first point in a master-side three-dimensional coordinate system, and controls an imaging unit that images the object so that a second positional relationship between the imaging unit and a second point corresponding to the first point in a slave-side three-dimensional coordinate system corresponds to the first positional relationship.