Devices for controlling computers based on motions and positions of hands
A data input device having inertial sensor units, one or more touch input devices, a microcontroller configured to collect sensor data from the inertial sensors and the one or more touch input devices and process the sensor data to generate processed sensor data, and a wireless transceiver configured to transmit the processed sensor data to a host computer. A method can include: receiving sensor data from a handheld device; calculating hand movement characteristics in three dimensional space based on the sensor data; calculating the position and orientation of the components of the handheld device; identifying positions and movements of one or more fingers of a user manipulating the handheld device; identifying a gesture from the positions and movements of one or more fingers of a user manipulating the handheld device; identifying a recognized gesture corresponding to the identified gesture; and dispatching an event notifying the gesture to an application.
1. A data input system, comprising:
a hand module configured to be held in a hand of a user, the hand module having:
at least one first inertial sensor unit;
one or more input devices controllable by one or more fingers on the hand;
a microcontroller configured to collect sensor data from the at least one first inertial sensor unit and the one or more input devices, process the sensor data, and generate processed sensor data; and
a first wireless transceiver configured to transmit the processed sensor data to a host computer; and
an arm module configured to be attached to an arm of the user, the arm module having:
a second inertial sensor unit; and
a second wireless transceiver configured to transmit sensor data from the second inertial sensor unit for the host computer, wherein the host computer is configured to control an application based on motions measured using the least one first inertial sensor unit in the hand module and the second inertial sensor unit in the arm module.
2. The data input system of claim 1 , wherein the hand module further comprises:
a plurality of rings configured to be worn on fingers of the hand of the user, wherein the at least one first inertial sensor unit includes a plurality of inertial sensor units configured in the plurality of rings respectively.
3. The data input system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more input devices includes a touchpad device mounted on one of the plurality of rings and adapted to receive touch inputs activated by a thumb of the hand of the user.
4. The data input system of claim 3 , wherein the hand module further comprises:
a base unit adapted to be strapped to a backside of the hand of the user, wherein the base unit houses the microcontroller and the wireless transceiver.
5. The data input system of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of rings are coupled to the base unit via a set of cables connecting from the rings to the base unit.
6. The data input system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one first inertial sensor unit further includes a base inertial sensor unit housed in the base unit.
7. The data input system of claim 4 , further comprising one or more haptic actuators coupled to the microcontroller to provide haptic sensory feedback.
8. The data input system of claim 7 , further comprising one or more LEDs coupled to the microcontroller.
9. The data input system of claim 8 , wherein a first set of the plurality of LEDs are mounted on the base unit; and wherein a second set of the plurality of LEDs are mounted on the plurality of rings.
10. The data input system of claim 4 , wherein each of the first inertial sensor unit and the second inertial sensor unit includes an accelerometer and a gyroscope.
11. The data input system of claim 10 , wherein each of the first inertial sensor unit and the second inertial sensor unit further includes a magnetometer.
12. The data input system of claim 4 , wherein the hand module further comprises a vibration haptic actuator, an ultrasound receivers, or an optical marker, or any combination therein.
13. The data input system of claim 4 , wherein the processed sensor data comprises one or more of gyroscope vector data, acceleration vector data, quaternion rotation data, spatial coordinate data of the hand, and touch data from the one or more input devices.
14. The data input system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more input devices includes a joystick.
15. The data input system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more input devices includes a joy stick, a power button, and an action button arranged linearly on the top side of the hand module; the hand module is configured to be held in the hand of the user; the joy stick is configured to be manipulated by a thumb of the hand of the user; and the power button is configured to enable pairing and unpairing of the device with the host computer.
16. The data input system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more input devices include one or more buttons configured to be operated by a thumb of the hand.
17. The data input system of claim 16 , wherein the one or more input devices comprise a trigger located on the front portion of the hand module and adapted to be manipulated by a finger of a user while the user is holding the hand device.
18. The data input system of claim 17 , wherein the one or more input devices include a first input device located on the top side of the hand module; wherein the first touch input device is a button, a pointing stick, a trackball, or a touchpad.
19. The data input system of claim 16 , wherein the hand module further comprises a knob and a receptacle; the knob of the handheld module is configured to be locked into a receptacle of a secondary hand module; and the receptacle of the handheld module is configured to receive a knob of the secondary handheld module.
20. A method, comprising:
generating, by a hand module and an arm module, processed sensor data, wherein the hand module is configured to be held in a hand of a user, the hand module having:
at least one first inertial sensor unit;
one or more input devices controllable by one or more fingers on the hand;
a microcontroller configured to collect sensor data from the at least one first inertial sensor unit and the one or more input devices, process the sensor data, and generate processed sensor data; and
a first wireless transceiver configured to transmit the processed sensor data to a host computer; and
wherein the arm module is configured to be attached to an arm of the user, the arm module having:
a second inertial sensor unit; and
a second wireless transceiver configured to transmit sensor data from the second inertial sensor unit for the host computer;
transmitting, from the hand module to the host computer, the processed sensor data; and
controlling, by the host computer, an application based on motions measured using the least one first inertial sensor unit in the hand module and the second inertial sensor unit in the arm module, wherein the application provides virtual reality, augmented reality, or mixed reality based on the motions.