Deutsches Zentrum Fur Luft-und Raumfahrt E.v.

Johanndes Dietrich

Bernd Gombert

Volker Senft

A manually actuated input device for commanding machine- and/or computer-assisted control operations for kinematic motions of a real or virtual multipart object, including a force/moment sensor with which linear displacements in the form of translational movements in the direction of three axes (X, Y, Z), each standing perpendicular on the other, of a three-dimensional rectangular system of coordinates and/or rotational excursions in the form of rotational motions (A, B, C) about these three axes are sensed and converted into commanded motions of the object to be controlled is characterized by the commanded individual linear displacements and/or rotational excursions of the force/moment sensor being assigned specific kinematic motion patterns of parts of the real or virtual object thereby permitting manipulation or animation thereof as a transforming interlink and by the commanded velocities of the corresponding individual linear displacements and/or rotational excursions of the force/moment sensor being additionally weightable as a kinematic interlink assignment. The invention can be put to use e.g. in kinematic animation operations of human-like robots, figures or virtual animate beings.

Input device for commanding control operations of a real and virtual object

For sensing the relative movements of an object a force sensing unit ( ) comprises a stationary supporting means ( ) and a cap ( ) located movable relative to said supporting means as well as a force/moment sensor ( ) for sensing the three possible translational and three possible rotational movements of the cap relative to said supporting means. Said sensing unit with its cap is secured in the middle of said input flange and with its supporting means to said other flange so that it does not come into contact with said intermediate part ( ), or is secured differingly to the latter by its cap to a connecting part ( ) provided in the middle portion of said approximately ring-shaped intermediate part and protruding into the interior thereof and by its supporting means to said other flange, so that translational and rotational relative movements between said input flange and said flange secured to said baseplate are communicated via said intermediate part to said sensing unit and to said force/moment sensor contained therein.

Growing community of inventors

Gilching, Germany

Johanndes Dietrich