Wand Absolute Pose Detection Using Light Intensity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for determining the absolute pose of manipulated objects in real three-dimensional environments, particularly for hand-held devices, are not robust, accurate, or cost-effective, especially in close-range and confined spaces, and often rely on resource-intensive methods like multi-camera setups or expensive depth sensing cameras, which are impractical for low-cost and low-bandwidth applications.
Innovation Solution
A remote control system equipped with a relative motion sensor, a light source, and a photodetector that determines absolute position using an asymmetric and generally linear pattern of light sources, allowing for optical navigation and absolute pose measurement with respect to a reference location, enabling efficient and accurate tracking of objects in real three-dimensional environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multi-camera setups or depth sensing cameras are used to determine absolute pose, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the absolute pose determination capability from complex external systems (multi-camera setups, depth sensing cameras) and implements it within a simple remote control device using only a photodetector and light source. This allows the remote control itself to determine its absolute position without requiring complex external infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The remote control performs self-positioning by using its own light source and photodetector to detect light intensity variations caused by its movement relative to the display. The system is self-sufficient and does not require external cameras or sensors to track its position.
2Measurement precision
If optical navigation with invariant features is used, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of information increases due to requirement of known feature locations
Solution Approach 1:
The remote control uses its own light source as the reference feature, eliminating the need to pre-know environmental features. By detecting light intensity variations from its own source as it moves relative to the display, the system determines absolute position without requiring prior information about the environment.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the object detect environmental features to determine position, the patent inverts the approach: the display detects light from the object's own source. This inversion eliminates the need for the object to know about environmental features, as the reference frame is established by the display detecting the object's light.
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 system provides a low-cost, robust, and accurate method for determining absolute pose data, enabling high-frame-rate motion capture in close-range environments, reducing the need for complex hardware and calibration, and improving usability and precision in interacting with the digital world.
Implementation Method 1
a photodetector that detects light from the at least one light source and outputs data indicative of the detected light
Data Source
AI summary
A system that has a remote control, e.g., a wand, equipped with a relative motion sensor that outputs data indicative of a change in position of the wand. The system also has one or more light sources and a photodetector that detects their light and outputs data indicative of the detected light. The system uses one or more controllers to determine the absolute position of the wand based on the data output by the relative motion sensor and by the photodetector. The data enables determination of the absolute pose of the wand, which includes the absolute position of a reference point chosen on the wand and the absolute orientation of the wand. To properly express the absolute parameters of position and/or orientation of the wand a reference location is chosen with respect to which the calculations are performed. The system is coupled to a display that shows an image defined by a first and second orthogonal axes such as two axes belonging to world coordinates (Xo,Yo,Zo). The one or more controllers are configured to generate signals that are a function of the absolute position of the wand in or along a third axis for rendering the display. To simplify the mapping of a real three-dimensional environment in which the wand is operated to the cyberspace of the application that the system is running, the third axis is preferably the third Cartesian coordinate axis of world coordinates (Xo,Yo,Zo).