The University of New Mexico

Science & Technology Corporation

Michael G Wallace

Philip D Askenazy

A computer interface apparatus and method employing an essentially closed convex exterior surface comprising a plurality of tactile sensors and communication apparatus which exports signals from the tactile sensors to a computer.

Tactile computer input device

A device for the simultaneous modeling and rendering of three-dimensional objects on a computer display through a tactile user input. The tactile user input consists in part of a closed solid surface. The preferred form of this surface is a ball. This ball is enveloped by a plurality of sensors, all of which can feed electronic signals to a central processing unit equipped for graphical display. The software component of the device contains data structures representing various primitive and other generic solid objects, such as a sphere, a cube, a cylinder, and coarse generic anatomical solids (human head, hand, nose, arm, foot, torso, leg, body, horse head, dog head, etc.). Each primitive or generic solid object has defining nodes which are geometrically correllated to the relative positions of the sensors on the tactile ball. The spatial positions of the nodes are altered in response to tactile stimulus applied to corresponding sensors on the tactile ball. Furthermore, as the tactile ball is rotated about its own center of gravity by the user, the nodal network is rotated in a corresponding manner, allowing the user to see, and therefore more easily manipulate, hidden surfaces. This device promotes the artistic creation of computer displayed solid objects that are not easily approximated by conventional approaches, such as mathematically defined surfaces.

Growing community of inventors

Albuquerque, NM, United States of America

Michael G Wallace