APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SENSING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION

• Main Authors: BEHM GARY W, VON MERING RICHARD E
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 29.01.2009
• Subjects: ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSESOR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS IN GENERAL; HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; LADIES' OR LIKE FANS; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION ORRERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; MASSAGE; MEASURING; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICALVIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING ORSTIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; PHYSICS; RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ARTCOLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TESTING; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TRANSPORTING; UMBRELLAS; WALKING STICKS

An apparatus for providing information about a three-dimensional environment to a user includes; a handle, at least one sensor operatively coupled to the handle, a tactile pad disposed on the handle, a plurality of tactile buttons arrayed on the tactile pad, a plurality of actuators, wherein each actuator is operatively coupled to one of the plurality of tactile buttons to control a height thereof in relation to the tactile pad, and a processor which receives signals from the at least one sensor and controls positioning of the plurality of actuators to represent a physical environment sensed by the at least one sensor.