Orientation Preserving Damping for Haptic Object Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tracked objects in virtual and augmented reality experience erratic behavior due to high accelerations from haptic stimuli, leading to poor tracking performance, as existing solutions fail to adequately isolate the tracking device from haptic inputs, resulting in loss of orientation fidelity.
Innovation Solution
A decoupling mechanism using flexible legs connected between a sensor mount and a system mount, forming a parallel mechanism that reduces the force experienced by the sensor, allowing for orientation preservation while allowing translational motion, thereby reducing the amplitude of acceleration reflected to the inertial measurement unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the tracking device is rigidly mounted to the haptic controller, then the tracking system is simple and robust, but the sensor experiences high accelerations from haptic inputs causing erratic tracking behavior
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible mounting mechanism is introduced as an intermediary between the haptic controller and the tracking device. This flexible mount acts as a mediator that transmits necessary forces while filtering out high-frequency haptic vibrations, allowing the tracking sensor to maintain stable readings during haptic actuation.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful high-frequency vibration components are extracted and isolated from the tracking sensor through the flexible mounting system. The flexible mount selectively transmits only the low-frequency motion signals needed for tracking while blocking the harmful high-frequency haptic vibrations.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If damping pads are used to reduce haptic vibrations, then the acceleration amplitude is reduced, but the tracking device loses orientation fidelity
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible mounting mechanism provides different mechanical properties in different directions and frequency ranges. It offers vibration damping in the high-frequency range while maintaining rigidity and orientation fidelity in the low-frequency range, effectively providing directionally-selective mechanical filtering.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible mount's mechanical parameters (stiffness, damping) are specifically designed to change their effectiveness based on frequency. The system transitions from being rigid at low frequencies (preserving orientation) to being compliant at high frequencies (damping vibrations), achieving frequency-dependent parameter optimization.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively decouples the tracked body from haptic stimuli, maintaining orientation and reducing acceleration, thus enhancing the accuracy of sensor measurements and improving tracking performance in applications sensitive to orientation fidelity.
Implementation Method 1
the legs comprise a flexible material... wherein the legs reduce an amount of force experienced by the sensor according to force applied to the system mount
Data Source
AI summary
A mechanism to reduce the amplitude of acceleration experienced by IMUs for tracked objects while maintaining a more accurate estimate of the device orientation. The invention uses parallel mechanisms to maintain the correct orientation of an IMU while allowing for damped translational degrees of freedom to limit the degradation of performance while spatially tracking a body.