1392results about "Measurement of force components" patented technology

A device comprised of at least a pair of accelerometers and a tilt sensor mounted in fixed relation to a datum plane defining surface (sole of a shoe) may be used for extracting kinematic variables including linear and rotational acceleration, velocity and position. These variables may be resolved into a selected direction thereby permitting both relative and absolute kinematic quantities to be determined. The acceleration is determined using a small cluster of two mutually perpendicular accelerometers mounted on a shoe. Angular orientation of the foot may be determined by double integration of the foot's angular acceleration (which requires a third accelerometer substantially parallel to one of the two orthogonal accelerometers). The two orthogonal accelerations are then resolved into a net horizontal acceleration or other selected direction which may be integrated to find the foot velocity in the selected direction. The average of the foot velocity corresponds to the subject's gait speed.

A portable sensor system that uses acceleration-insensitive, three-dimensional angle sensors located at various points on the patient's body, and collects data on the frequency and nature of the movements over extended periods of time.

A motion sensing apparatus generally comprising a housing unit operable to be attached to an object at an attachment position, an accelerometer operable to provide a signal corresponding to an acceleration measurement; and a processing system. The processing system is operable to acquire the signal corresponding to the acceleration measurement and analyze the acquired acceleration measurement to identify the attachment position of the housing unit.

A system and method used to assess animal behavior includes a module having sensors that collects a variety of physical and biological data from a test subject. Interpretation of the data is provided to assess the test subject's behavior, neurology, biochemistry and physiology. The module is useful in observing the effects of a drug on the test animal and providing information on the drug's signature. Another advantage is the module's portability that allows it to be used in standard laboratory cages. This portability allows the animal to be tested in its own habitat, that can reduce any erroneous data due to stressing the animal when removed to a test cage. Additionally, the module's design allows for parallel data collection and interpretation from several laboratory animals undergoing different experiments. Multi-dimensional modeling of the test subject based the system's interpretation of the data allows pattern recognition of the drug signature, and predictive drug analysis.

A motion sensing apparatus generally comprising a housing unit operable to be attached to an object at an attachment position, an accelerometer operable to provide a signal corresponding to an acceleration measurement; and a processing system. The processing system is operable to acquire the signal corresponding to the acceleration measurement and analyze the acquired acceleration measurement to identify the attachment position of the housing unit.

A system and method for capturing and analyzing motion. According to embodiments of the present invention, the system and method may include defining a standard motion; receiving a first signal from a first sensor, the first signal being representative of a motion under analysis; receiving a second signal from a second sensor, the second signal being representative of the motion under analysis; synchronizing the first signal to the second signal; and comparing the motion under analysis represented by the synchronized first signal and second signal to the standard motion. The system may include video cameras and position sensors and may be include a computer. The computer may be networked.

A device for monitoring eating behavior of a user is provided. The device includes at least one sensor mounted on a head of the user, the sensor being capable of detecting jaw muscle movement and sound while not occluding an ear canal of the user.

The method of entering data into a computer device. A wearable device is attached to a first body part. The device has a lower unit and an upper unit connected to the lower unit. The device has sensors in operative engagement therewith for registering movements. The wearable device has a first accelerometer and a second accelerometer. The lower unit is provided with non-movable parts. A segment of a second body part is moved relative to the device without having physical contact with the sensors. The movement of the segment activates the sensors. The sensors sending sensor signals to a microprocessor unit. The first accelerometer senses an acceleration movement in a first direction. The second accelerometer senses an acceleration movement in a second direction. The first and second accelerometers send acceleration movement signals to a microprocessor unit that stores acceleration movement signals from the accelerometers together with the sensor signals to learn movements of the body part.

There is provided an activity recognition apparatus for detecting an activity of a subject. The apparatus includes: a sensor unit including a plurality of linear motion sensors configured to detect linear motions and a plurality of rotational motion sensors, the linear motions being orthogonal to each other, the rotational motions being orthogonal to each other; and a computational unit configured to receive and process signals from the sensors included in the sensor unit so as to detect an activity of the subject. The sensor unit is directly or indirectly supported by the subject with an arbitrary orientation with respect to the subject. The computational unit performs a calculation that uses the signals from both linear motion sensors and rotational motion sensors to determine the activity of the subject independent of the orientation of the sensor unit.

Provided are an apparatus and a method of effectively creating real-time movements of a three dimensional virtual character by use of a small number of sensors. More specifically, the motion capture method, which maps movements of a human body into a skeleton model to generate movements of a three-dimensional (3D) virtual character, includes measuring a distance between a portion of a human body to which a measurement sensor is positioned and a reference position and rotation angles of the portion, and estimating relative rotation angles and position coordinates of each portion of the human body by use of the measured distance and rotation angles.

The present invention relates to systems and methods for characterizing balance function. In particular, the present invention provides systems and methods for monitoring balance function (e.g., in a single individual and / or plurality of individuals), generating one or more databases comprising balance function data, processing and / or analyzing databases comprising balance function data, and characterizing balance function (e.g., in a single individual and / or plurality of individuals (e.g., utilizing databases comprising balance function data)). Systems and methods of the present invention find use in, among other things, research, diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

A force measurement system having inertial compensation includes a force measurement assembly with at least one accelerometer configured to measure the acceleration thereof. According to one aspect of the invention, the force measurement system additionally includes at least one angular velocity sensor configured to measure the angular velocity of the force measurement assembly. According to another aspect of the invention, the force measurement system additionally includes a data processing device with a computer-readable medium loaded thereon that is configured to execute a calibration procedure for determining the inertial parameters of the force measurement assembly by utilizing the measured acceleration of the force measurement assembly while the force measurement assembly is subjected to a plurality of applied linear and / or rotational motion profiles. According to still another aspect of the invention, the at least one accelerometer is disposed on the force transducer.

A method and apparatus or measuring a person's movement via a plurality of sensors is enclosed. One example method may include measuring at least one rotational value during the movement via a first sensor. Additional measurements may include measuring at least one linear value during the movement via a second sensor, and measuring a force applied from a portion of the person's body via a third sensor. The measurements may be used to generate a user interface display of the person's movement on an electronic device.

A pneumatic vehicle tire includes a carcass, a bead with a bead core arranged in the bead, and a first sensor located within the bead. The first sensor delivers signals which are correlated to frictional forces transmitted by the pneumatic vehicle tire during operation. This sensor has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end includes a heel attached to the bead core and the second end extends radially outward from the bead core within the tire. A plurality of such sensors can be included in each tire, some for measuring longitudinal forces in a circumferential direction of the tire and others for measuring lateral forces in an axial direction of the tire.

Forces and moments are detected in a distinguishing manner by a simple structure. A supporting member (20) is positioned below a force receiving member (10), which receives forces to be detected, and between these components, at least two columnar force transmitting members (11, 12) are connected. Connecting members having flexibility are interposed at the upper and lower ends of each of columnar force transmitting members (11, 12) so that columnar force transmitting members (11, 12) can become inclined when force receiving member (10) becomes displaced upon receiving a force. Sensors (21, 22) are positioned at the respective connection parts of columnar force transmitting members (11, 12) and supporting member (20) to detect forces that are transmitted from the respective columnar force transmitting members (11, 12) to supporting member (20). Based on the detection values of sensors (21, 22), detection processing unit 30 detects, in a distinguishing manner, forces and moments acting on force receiving member (10). When four columnar force transmitting members are used, all of forces Fx, Fy, and Fz and moments Mx, My, and Mz can be detected.

A force measurement system having inertial compensation includes a force measurement assembly with at least one accelerometer configured to measure the acceleration thereof. According to one aspect of the invention, the force measurement system additionally includes at least one angular velocity sensor configured to measure the angular velocity of the force measurement assembly. According to another aspect of the invention, the force measurement system additionally includes a data processing device with a computer-readable medium loaded thereon that is configured to execute a calibration procedure for determining the inertial parameters of the force measurement assembly by utilizing the measured acceleration of the force measurement assembly while the force measurement assembly is subjected to a plurality of applied linear and / or rotational motion profiles. According to still another aspect of the invention, the at least one accelerometer is disposed on the force transducer.

A method and apparatus are described for interacting with electronic devices through motional commands. The method uses perturbations of the background quasistatic electric fields. The apparatus measures perturbations in electric potential relative to the background. Body movement is recognized by comparing changes in signals over time. Signals collected from sensors are compared with training sets to recognize specified motional commands or gestures. Upon recognizing the commands, the apparatus issues the predetermined response to the motion.

A rotary type component force measuring device capable of finding a highly accurate component force is provided. This measuring device has a rotary type component force detector comprising in integrated manner, a rim mounting frame, a hub mounting frame, a second sensing beam of a character I shaped sectional type which couples and the mounting frames, and a first sensing beam which couples the second sensing beam and the mounting frame, wherein each of front and back surfaces of receiving sensor portions adhere with each of orthogonal shearing type strain gauges A1 to H4, and a signal is derived from the strain gauges A1 to H4 by a bridge circuit for each receiving sensor portion, and the output signals from the bridge circuit are sampled by an electronic circuit disposed on the inside of a rotating unit according to the timing signal from an angle detection signal, and the output signals are transmitted to a signal processing unit disposed on the outside of the rotating unit by non-contact data transmission method, and the output signals are corrected by correction information for every rotation angle position of the detector storing the output signals beforehand, and are subjected to coordinate conversion so as to calculate the six component forces for every angle rotation.

A sensor comprises a semiconductor pellet (10) including a working portion (11) adapted to undergo action of a force, a fixed portion (13) fixed on the sensor body, and a flexible portion (13) having flexibility formed therebetween, a working body (20) for transmitting an exterted force to the working portion, and detector means (60-63) for transforming a mechanical deformation produced in the semiconductor pellet to an electric signal to thereby detect a force exerted on the working body as an electric signal. A signal processing circuit is applied to the sensor. This circuit uses analog multipliers (101-109) and analog adders / subtracters (111-113), and has a function to cancel interference produced in different directions. Within the sensor, two portions (E3, E4-E8) located at positions opposite to each other and producing a displacement therebetween by action of a force are determined. By exerting a coulomb force between both the portions, the test of the sensor is carried out. Further, a pedestal (21, 22) is provided around the working body (20). The working body and the pedestal are located with a predetermined gap or spacing therebetween. A displacement of the working body is caused to limitatively fall within a predetermined range corresponding to the spacing. The working body and the pedestal are provided by cutting a same common substrate (350, 350')

A multi-force sensing instrument includes a tool that has a tool shaft having a distal end and a proximal end, a strain sensor arranged at a first position along the tool shaft, at least one of a second strain sensor or a torque-force sensor arranged at a second position along the tool shaft, the second position being more towards the proximal end of the tool shaft than the first position, and a signal processor configured to communicate with the strain sensor and the at least one of the second strain sensor or the torque-force sensor to receive detection signals therefrom. The signal processor is configured to process the signals to determine a magnitude and position of a lateral component of a force applied to the tool shaft when the position of the applied force is between the first and second positions.

A stress sensor in which the direction and magnitude of a stress being applied to a post bonded to or integrated with an insulating board can be grasped from variation in the resistance of resistor elements being stimulated by application of the stress while suppressing variation in the shape of each resistor. The resistor element comprises a resistor formed, by screen print, between a pair of electrodes for the resistor element, i.e. circuit pattern electrodes, arranged on the surface of the insulating board. The electrode is connected, through a conductor, with a board terminal part arranged at one end of the insulating board. The electrode and the conductor or a print accuracy adjusting member have a constant height from the surface of the insulating board. Arrangement of the conductor, electrode and print accuracy adjusting member is entirely identical or similar for the resistor elements in the vicinity thereof.

Forces and moments are detected in a distinguished manner by a simple structure. An outer box-like structure formed of a metal is set on top of an insulating substrate and an insulating inner box-like structure is contained in the interior. Five electrodes E1 to E5 are positioned on a top plate of the inner box-like structure. Four electrodes E6 to E9 are positioned on the four side surfaces of the inner box-like structure. Capacitance elements C1 to C5 are arranged by electrodes E1 to E5 and a top plate of the outer box-like structure and capacitance elements C6 to C9 are arranged by electrodes E6 to E9 and side plates of the outer box-like structure. A force Fx in the X-axis direction is detected by means of the capacitance difference between C6 and C7, a force Fy in the Y-axis direction is detected by means of the capacitance difference between C8 and C9, a force Fz in the Z-axis direction is detected by means of the capacitance of C5, a moment My about the Y-axis is detected by means of the capacitance difference between C1 and C2, and a moment Mx about the X-axis is detected by means of the capacitance difference between C3 and C4.

Apparatus and method for refining subject activity classification for the recognition of daily activities of a subject, and a system for recognizing daily activities using the same. The refining apparatus improves the correctness of subject activity classification using daily activities of a subject, activation time information of sensors mounted on objects associated with the daily activities of the subject, and the suitability of a continuous activity pattern in relation to the daily activities. This improves the correctness of subject activity classification that becomes basic information in daily activity analysis.

The invention discloses a double rood beam high-sensitivity six-dimensional moment sensor in the technical field of robots. The double rood beam high-sensitivity six-dimensional moment sensor comprises two rood beams, two dead rings, one outer ring, and a plurality of resistance strain gages; a first rood beam and a second rood beam are arranged outside the outer ring respectively and are used as elastic bodies of the sensor for sensing stress; two dead rings are arranged outside the first rood beam and the second rood beam respectively; the resistance strain gages are adhered to the rood beams; each of the rood beams consists of four identical double-hole parallel sub beams; each double-hole parallel sub beam is provided with an I-shaped through hole; and a center hole is formed in the geometric center of each rood beam. In the double rood beam high-sensitivity six-dimensional moment sensor, floating beams used by the conventional six-dimensional moment sensor and crosstalk caused by the floating beams are removed, multi-component coupling is reduced conveniently and the measurement accuracy is improved.