Physically Interacting With Four Dimensions

Thesis (Ph.D.) - Indiana University, Computer Sciences, 2009People have long been fascinated with understanding the fourth dimension. While making pictures of 4D objects by projecting them to 3D can help reveal basic geometric features, 3D graphics images by themselves are of limited value. For example, just as 2D shadows of 3D curves may have lines crossing one another in the shadow, 3D graphics projections of smooth 4D topological surfaces can be interrupted where one surface intersects another. The research presented here creates physically realistic models for simple interactions with objects and materials in a virtual 4D world. We provide methods for the construction, multimodal exploration, and interactive manipulation of a wide variety of 4D objects. One basic achievement of this research is to exploit the free motion of a computer-based haptic probe to support a continuous motion that follows the \emph{local continuity\/} of a 4D surface, allowing collision-free exploration in the 3D projection. In 3D, this interactive probe follows the full local continuity of the surface as though we were in fact \emph{physically touching\/} the actual static 4D object. Our next contribution is to support dynamic 4D objects that can move, deform, and collide with other objects as well as with themselves. By combining graphics, haptics, and collision-sensing physical modeling, we can thus enhance our 4D visualization experience. Since we cannot actually place interaction devices in 4D, we develop fluid methods for interacting with a 4D object in its 3D shadow image using adapted reduced-dimension 3D tools for manipulating objects embedded in 4D. By physically modeling the correct properties of 4D surfaces, their bending forces, and their collisions in the 3D interactive or haptic controller interface, we can support full-featured physical exploration of 4D mathematical objects in a manner that is otherwise far beyond the real-world experience accessible to human beings

Haptics-Enabled Teleoperation for Robotics-Assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery

The lack of force feedback (haptics) in robotic surgery can be considered to be a safety risk leading to accidental tissue damage and puncturing of blood vessels due to excessive forces being applied to tissue and vessels or causing inefficient control over the instruments because of insufficient applied force. This project focuses on providing a satisfactory solution for introducing haptic feedback in robotics-assisted minimally invasive surgical (RAMIS) systems. The research addresses several key issues associated with the incorporation of haptics in a master-slave (teleoperated) robotic environment for minimally invasive surgery (MIS). In this project, we designed a haptics-enabled dual-arm (two masters - two slaves) robotic MIS testbed to investigate and validate various single-arm as well as dual-arm teleoperation scenarios. The most important feature of this setup is the capability of providing haptic feedback in all 7 degrees of freedom (DOF) required for RAMIS (3 translations, 3 rotations and pinch motion of the laparoscopic tool). The setup also enables the evaluation of the effect of replacing haptic feedback by other sensory cues such as visual representation of haptic information (sensory substitution) and the hypothesis that surgical outcomes may be improved by substituting or augmenting haptic feedback by such sensory cues

(Des)orientación y sentido espacial: pensamiento topológico en los grados intermedios

This document was originally published as Freitas, E.& McCarthy, MJ. (2013).(Dis)Orientation and spatial sense: Topological thinking in the middle grades. In B. Ubuz, Ç. Haser, & M. A. Mariotti (Eds.), Proceedings of the Eighth Congress of European Research in Mathematics (pp. 615-624). Antalya, Turkey.In this paper, we focus on topological approaches to space and we argue that experiences with topology allow middle school students to develop a more robust understanding of orientation and dimension. We frame our argument in terms of the phenomenological literature on perception and corporeal space. We discuss findings from a quasi-experimental study engaging 9 grades 5-8 students (10-13 years old) in a 6-week series of school-based workshops focused on knot theory. We discuss video data that shows how students engage with the intrinsic disorientation of mathematical knots through the use of gesture and movement.En este trabajo, nos centramos en enfoques topológicos del espacio y sostenemos que las experiencias con topología permiten a los estudiantes de secundaria desarrollar una comprensión más sólida de la orientación y de la dimensión. Enmarcamos nuestro argumento en términos de la literatura fenomenológica de la percepción y el espacio corpóreo. Discutimos los hallazgos de un estudio cuasi-experimental con 9 estudiantes de quinto a octavo curso (10 a 13 años) que participaron en talleres sobre la teoría de nudos durante 6 semanas. Discutimos los datos de vídeo que muestran cómo los estudiantes se involucran con la desorientación intrínseca de los nudos matemáticos mediante el uso del gesto y movimiento

(Dis)orientation and spatial sense: Topological thinking in the middle grades

In this paper, we focus on topological approaches to space and we argue that experiences with topology allow middle school students to develop a more robust understanding of orientation and dimension. We frame our argument in terms of the phenomenological literature on perception and corporeal space. We discuss findings from a quasi-experimental study engaging 9 grades 5-8 students (10-13 years old) in a 6-week series of school-based workshops focused on knot theory. We discuss video data that shows how students engage with the intrinsic disorientation of mathematical knots through the use of gesture and movement.(Des)orientación y sentido espacial: pensamiento topológico en los grados intermediosEn este trabajo, nos centramos en enfoques topológicos del espacio y sostenemos que las experiencias con topología permiten a los estudiantes de secundaria desarrollar una comprensión más sólida de la orientación y de la dimensión. Enmarcamos nuestro argumento en términos de la literatura fenomenológica de la percepción y el espacio corpóreo. Discutimos los hallazgos de un estudio cuasi-experimental con 9 estudiantes de quinto a octavo curso (10 a 13 años) que participaron en talleres sobre la teoría de nudos durante 6 semanas. Discutimos los datos de vídeo que muestran cómo los estudiantes se involucran con la desorientación intrínseca de los nudos matemáticos mediante el uso del gesto y movimiento.Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10481/3323

Collision Detection and Merging of Deformable B-Spline Surfaces in Virtual Reality Environment

This thesis presents a computational framework for representing, manipulating and merging rigid and deformable freeform objects in virtual reality (VR) environment. The core algorithms for collision detection, merging, and physics-based modeling used within this framework assume that all 3D deformable objects are B-spline surfaces. The interactive design tool can be represented as a B-spline surface, an implicit surface or a point, to allow the user a variety of rigid or deformable tools. The collision detection system utilizes the fact that the blending matrices used to discretize the B-spline surface are independent of the position of the control points and, therefore, can be pre-calculated. Complex B-spline surfaces can be generated by merging various B-spline surface patches using the B-spline surface patches merging algorithm presented in this thesis. Finally, the physics-based modeling system uses the mass-spring representation to determine the deformation and the reaction force values provided to the user. This helps to simulate realistic material behaviour of the model and assist the user in validating the design before performing extensive product detailing or finite element analysis using commercially available CAD software. The novelty of the proposed method stems from the pre-calculated blending matrices used to generate the points for graphical rendering, collision detection, merging of B-spline patches, and nodes for the mass spring system. This approach reduces computational time by avoiding the need to solve complex equations for blending functions of B-splines and perform the inversion of large matrices. This alternative approach to the mechanical concept design will also help to do away with the need to build prototypes for conceptualization and preliminary validation of the idea thereby reducing the time and cost of concept design phase and the wastage of resources

Data-driven robotic manipulation of cloth-like deformable objects : the present, challenges and future prospects

Manipulating cloth-like deformable objects (CDOs) is a long-standing problem in the robotics community. CDOs are flexible (non-rigid) objects that do not show a detectable level of compression strength while two points on the article are pushed towards each other and include objects such as ropes (1D), fabrics (2D) and bags (3D). In general, CDOs’ many degrees of freedom (DoF) introduce severe self-occlusion and complex state–action dynamics as significant obstacles to perception and manipulation systems. These challenges exacerbate existing issues of modern robotic control methods such as imitation learning (IL) and reinforcement learning (RL). This review focuses on the application details of data-driven control methods on four major task families in this domain: cloth shaping, knot tying/untying, dressing and bag manipulation. Furthermore, we identify specific inductive biases in these four domains that present challenges for more general IL and RL algorithms.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Active haptic exploration for 3D shape reconstruction.

by Fung Wai Keung.Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1996.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 146-151).Acknowledgements --- p.viiiAbstract --- p.1Chapter 1 --- Overview --- p.3Chapter 1.1 --- Tactile Sensing in Human and Robot --- p.4Chapter 1.1.1 --- Human Hands and Robotic Hands --- p.4Chapter 1.1.2 --- Mechanoreceptors in skin and Tactile Sensor Arrays --- p.7Chapter 1.2 --- Motivation --- p.12Chapter 1.3 --- Objectives --- p.13Chapter 1.4 --- Related Work --- p.14Chapter 1.4.1 --- Using Vision Alone --- p.15Chapter 1.4.2 --- Integration of Vision and Touch --- p.15Chapter 1.4.3 --- Using Touch Sensing Alone --- p.17Chapter 1.4.3.1 --- Ronald S. Fearing's Work --- p.18Chapter 1.4.3.2 --- Peter K. Allen's Work --- p.22Chapter 1.5 --- Outline --- p.26Chapter 2 --- Geometric Models --- p.27Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.27Chapter 2.2 --- Superquadrics --- p.27Chapter 2.2.1 --- 2D Superquadrics --- p.27Chapter 2.2.2 --- 3D Superquadrics --- p.29Chapter 2.3 --- Model Recovery of Superquadric Models --- p.31Chapter 2.3.1 --- Problem Formulation --- p.31Chapter 2.3.2 --- Least Squares Optimization --- p.33Chapter 2.4 --- Free-Form Deformations --- p.34Chapter 2.4.1 --- Bernstein Basis --- p.36Chapter 2.4.2 --- B-Spline Basis --- p.38Chapter 2.5 --- Other Geometric Models --- p.41Chapter 2.5.1 --- Generalized Cylinders --- p.41Chapter 2.5.2 --- Hyperquadrics --- p.42Chapter 2.5.3 --- Polyhedral Models --- p.44Chapter 2.5.4 --- Function Representation --- p.45Chapter 3 --- Sensing Strategy --- p.54Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.54Chapter 3.2 --- Sensing Algorithm --- p.55Chapter 3.2.1 --- Assumption of objects --- p.55Chapter 3.2.2 --- Haptic Exploration Procedures --- p.56Chapter 3.3 --- Contour Tracing --- p.58Chapter 3.4 --- Tactile Sensor Data Preprocessing --- p.59Chapter 3.4.1 --- Data Transformation and Sensor Calibration --- p.60Chapter 3.4.2 --- Noise Filtering --- p.61Chapter 3.5 --- Curvature Determination --- p.64Chapter 3.6 --- Step Size Determination --- p.73Chapter 4 --- 3D Shape Reconstruction --- p.80Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.80Chapter 4.2 --- Correspondence Problem --- p.81Chapter 4.2.1 --- Affine Invariance Property of B-splines --- p.84Chapter 4.2.2 --- Point Inversion Problem --- p.87Chapter 4.3 --- Parameter Triple Interpolation --- p.91Chapter 4.4 --- 3D Object Shape Reconstruction --- p.94Chapter 4.4.1 --- Heuristic Approach --- p.94Chapter 4.4.2 --- Closed Contour Recovery --- p.97Chapter 4.4.3 --- Control Lattice Recovery --- p.102Chapter 5 --- Implementation --- p.105Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.105Chapter 5.2 --- Implementation Tool - MATLAB --- p.105Chapter 5.2.1 --- Optimization Toolbox --- p.107Chapter 5.2.2 --- Splines Toolbox --- p.108Chapter 5.3 --- Geometric Model Implementation --- p.109Chapter 5.3.1 --- FFD Examples --- p.111Chapter 5.4 --- Shape Reconstruction Implementation --- p.112Chapter 5.5 --- 3D Model Reconstruction Examples --- p.120Chapter 5.5.1 --- Example 1 --- p.120Chapter 5.5.2 --- Example 2 --- p.121Chapter 6 --- Conclusion --- p.128Chapter 6.1 --- Future Work --- p.129Appendix --- p.133Bibliography --- p.14

Warning System for Outdoor Construction Workers Using Haptic Communication

A construction site is a risky workplace with constant movement of heavy vehicles on ground and cranes overhead, and simultaneous construction work at multiple levels along with significantly high noise levels. Over the past few decades, several efforts have been made to utilize technological advances in order to make the worksite a safer place and yielded positive results. However, the fatal and nonfatal count still remains very high for the construction industry. This study attempted to test haptic communication as an additional layer of safety for construction workers by developing a prototype to provide haptic feedback for predetermined Geofence zones. A phenomenological research study was conducted with the help of construction professionals to gather industry opinion on the haptic feedback prototypes and to determine the optimal location for the placement of the haptic feedback device. The study found that haptic communication has significant potential to reduce the fatal and non-fatal injuries on construction sites. In addition, the study determined the factors affecting the placement of wearable haptic warning system for outdoor construction workers

Warning System for Outdoor Construction Workers Using Haptic Communication

A construction site is a risky workplace with constant movement of heavy vehicles on ground and cranes overhead, and simultaneous construction work at multiple levels along with significantly high noise levels. Over the past few decades, several efforts have been made to utilize technological advances in order to make the worksite a safer place and yielded positive results. However, the fatal and nonfatal count still remains very high for the construction industry. This study attempted to test haptic communication as an additional layer of safety for construction workers by developing a prototype to provide haptic feedback for predetermined Geofence zones. A phenomenological research study was conducted with the help of construction professionals to gather industry opinion on the haptic feedback prototypes and to determine the optimal location for the placement of the haptic feedback device. The study found that haptic communication has significant potential to reduce the fatal and non-fatal injuries on construction sites. In addition, the study determined the factors affecting the placement of wearable haptic warning system for outdoor construction workers

Death and the Process: Addressing a Spatial Problematic

Death is the lone certainty of animate existence. How and where it occurs remains the only variable. It is the where that serves as the spatial problematic this thesis serves to investigate. For many, death is not an event but a process. It is a process where the space serves as the fi nal sensorial effect on the body. In Western society, one is typically born in a hospital. Does it mean that one should also die there? Is a space appropriate for birth also appropriate for death? Should they not differ greatly? There are typologies that address the conditions of the deceased in a reverent and dignifi ed way. Why does architectural absolve itself from assuming its responsibilities in the death process? Death, both tragic and arresting, is frequently arranged. Where do you go to die? Where do you send someone to die? It is the contention of this thesis that spaces that specifi cally address the process of dying for patients, families, and caregivers are absent from the architectural landscape. Facilities occupied and operating as ‘nursing homes’ for the terminally ill are dismissive of the somatosensory capabilities of its patients, families, and caregivers. Spaces that incorporate the full compliment of somatosensory events are required to fully accentuate the process of dying. This thesis explores the qualities of space that can serve the conditions of the dying body. I will present fi rst the argument of the body’s ability to experience space through a multitude of sensory means followed by an analysis of the psychological, ideological, material, and natural components of the cell, home, and place. The vehicle for these explorations will be the design of a palliative care + hospice care facility in the North Atlanta suburb of Buford, Georgia