Wide Field Of View Optical Tracking System Using Segmented Detectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional optical tracking systems have limited Field Of View (FOV) due to the fixed size of optical sensors and focal lengths, restricting their ability to accurately determine the position and orientation of moving objects beyond a certain range without compromising resolution.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a Wide Field Of View (WFOV) optical tracking system using multiple spatially spaced optical receptors with different focal lengths and directional responses, allowing for increased FOV without enlarging the optical sensor or reducing focal length, and enabling the determination of object orientation without determining its position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the focal length of the lens is increased to improve angular resolution, then the measurement precision is improved, but the field of view of the optical detector decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The optical tracking system divides the detection task into multiple optical detectors, each with a moderate focal length and specific field of view. By segmenting the overall field into multiple sub-fields covered by individual detectors, the system achieves both high angular resolution (through moderate focal lengths) and wide coverage (through multiple detectors working together to track the moving object across different positions)
2Area of stationary object
If the size of the optical sensor is increased to expand the field of view, then the field of view is improved, but the manufacturing precision and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single large optical sensor that would require high manufacturing precision, the system uses multiple smaller optical detectors with standard-sized sensors. Each detector covers a portion of the overall field, and their combined data provides wide coverage without the need for large, precisely-manufactured individual sensors
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of multiple detectors (their positions, orientations, and individual fields of view) rather than changing the physical size of individual sensors. This allows the effective field of view to be expanded through geometric arrangement and data fusion rather than through manufacturing larger components
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
This solution enhances the tracking range and accuracy by increasing the FOV of the optical detector, allowing for precise determination of object pose within a broader range without compromising resolution, and enables orientation determination without position calculation.
Implementation Method 1
an optical sensor for sensing light received from the at least one light emitter within the field of view of the WFOV optical detector
Implementation Method 2
The optical receptors are spatially spaced apart from each other and each projects a different angular section of an observed scene on the optical sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A medical Wide-Field-Of-View optical-tracking-system for determining the position and orientation of a target-object in a reference coordinate system. The system includes at least three light-emitters, at least one optical-detector and a processor. The processor is coupled with each optical-detector. One optical-detector is a Wide-Field-Of-View optical detector, which acquires an image of the light-emitters within the field-of-view thereof. Each Wide-Field-Of-View optical-detector includes an optical-sensor and two optical-receptors. The processor determines the position and orientation of the target-object in the reference coordinate system according to representations of the light-emitters. Each light-emitter is within the field-of-view of an optical-detector. Each optical-detector and each light-emitter is attached to one of the target-object and a reference-location. The target-object and the reference-location are respective elements in a tuple including two elements from a group consisting of a display, a patient-body-location, a-medical-tool, physician-body-location, and a fixed-position.