Seminar Report on Space Mouse

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SEMINAR REPORT ON SPACE MOUSE

INDEX

S. NO. CHAPTER PAGE NO.

1 INTRODUCTION 1

2 HOW DOES A COMPUTER MOUSE WORK??

2

3 THREE DIMENTIONAL USER

INTERFACE

8

4 MECHATRONICS 10

5 SPACEMOUSE 15

6 MAGELLAN: FEATURES AND BENEFITS

28

7 CONCLUSION 38

8 REFERENCE 39



CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Every day of your computing life, you reach out for the mouse whenever you want to move the cursor or activate something. The mouse senses

your motion and your clicks and sends them to the computer so it can respond appropriately. An ordinary mouse detects motion in the X and Y plane and acts as a two dimensional controller. It is not well suited

for people to use in a 3D graphics environment. Space Mouse is a professional 3D controller specifically designed for manipulating objects in a 3D environment. It permits the simultaneous control of all six

degrees of freedom - translation rotation or a combination. . The device serves as an intuitive man-machine interface

The predecessor of the spacemouse was the DLR controller ball. Spacemouse has its origins in the late seventies when the DLR (German Aerospace Research Establishment) started research in its robotics and

system dynamics division on devices with six degrees of freedom (6 dof) for controlling robot grippers in Cartesian space. The basic principle

behind its construction is mechatronics engineering and the multisensory concept. The spacemouse has different modes of operation in which it can also be used as a two-dimensional mouse.



CHAPTER 2

How does computer mouse work?

Mice first broke onto the public stage with the introduction of the Apple

Macintosh in 1984, and since then they have helped to completely

redefine the way we use computers. Every day of your computing life,

you reach out for your mouse whenever you want to move your cursor

or activate something. Your mouse senses your motion and your clicks

and sends them to the computer so it can respond appropriately

2.1 Inside a Mouse

The main goal of any mouse is to translate the motion of your hand into

signals that the computer can use. Almost all mice today do the

translation using five components:

Fig.1 The guts of a mouse

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1. A ball inside the mouse touches the desktop and rolls when the mouse

moves.

Fig 2

The underside of the mouse's logic board: The exposed portion of the ball touches the desktop.

2. Two rollers inside the mouse touch the ball. One of the rollers is

oriented so that it detects motion in the X direction, and the other is

oriented 90 degrees to the first roller so it detects motion in the Y

direction.



Fig.3 The rollers that touch the ball and detect X and Y motion

3. When the ball rotates, one or both of these rollers rotate as well. The

following image shows the two white rollers on this mouse:

4. The rollers each connect to a shaft, and the shaft spins a disk with

holes in it. When roller rolls, its shaft and disk spin. The

following image shows the disk:

Fig.4 A typical optical encoding disk: This disk has 36 holes

around its outer edge.

4. On either side of the disk there is an infrared LED and an infrared

sensor. The holes in the disk break the beam of light coming from the

LED so that the infrared sensor sees pulses of light.



Fig.5 A close-up of one of the optical encoders

that track mouse motion: There is an infrared

LED (clear) on one side of the disk and an

infrared sensor (red) on the other.

The rate of the pulsing is directly related to the speed of the mouse and

the distance it travels.

5. An on-board processor chip reads the pulses from the infrared

sensors and turns them into binary data that the computer can

understand. The chip sends the binary data to the computer through

the mouse's cord.



Fig 6 The logic section of a mouse is dominated

by an encoder chip, a small processor that reads

the pulses coming from the infrared sensors

and turns them into bytes sent to the

computer. You can also see the two buttons

that detect clicks (on either side of the wire

connector).

In this optomechanical arrangement, the disk moves mechanically, and

an optical system counts pulses of light. On this mouse, the ball is 21

mm in diameter. The roller is 7 mm in diameter. The encoding disk has

36 holes. So if the mouse moves 25.4 mm (1 inch), the encoder chip

detects 41 pulses of light.

Each encoder disk has two infrared LEDs and two infrared sensors, one

on each side of the disk (so there are four LED/sensor pairs inside a

mouse). This arrangement allows the processor to detect the disk's

direction of rotation. There is a piece of plastic with a small, precisely

located hole that sits between the encoder disk and each infrared

sensor. This piece of plastic provides a window through which the



infrared sensor can "see." The window on one side of the disk is located

slightly higher than it is on the other -- one-half the height of one of the

holes in the encoder disk, to be exact. That difference causes the two

infrared sensors to see pulses of light at slightly different times. There

are times when one of the sensors will see a pulse of light when the

other does not, and vice versa.



CHAPTER 3

Three-dimensional user interfaces

For typical computer displays, three-dimensional is a misnomer—their

displays are two-dimensional. Three-dimensional images are projected on

them in two dimensions. Since this technique has been in use for many

years, the recent use of the term three-dimensional must be considered a

declaration by equipment marketers that the speed of three dimension to

two dimension projection is adequate to use in standard graphical user

interfaces.

Three-dimensional graphical user interfaces are common in science fiction

literature and movies, such as in Jurassic Park, which features Silicon

Graphics' three-dimensional file manager, "File system navigator", an

actual file manager that never got much widespread use as the user

interface for a Unix computer.

In science fiction, three-dimensional user interfaces are often immersible

environments like William Gibson's Cyberspace or Neal Stephenson's

Metaverse. Three-dimensional graphics are currently mostly used in

computer games, art and computer-aided design (CAD). There have been

several attempts at making three-dimensional desktop environments like

Sun's Project Looking Glass or SphereXP from Sphere Inc. A three-

dimensional computing environment could possibly be used for

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collaborative work. For example, scientists could study three-dimensional

models of molecules in a virtual reality environment, or engineers could

work on assembling a three-dimensional model of an airplane. This is a

goal of the Croquet project and Project Looking Glass by Java.

The use of three-dimensional graphics has become increasingly common

in mainstream operating systems, but mainly been confined to creating

attractive interfaces—eye candy—rather than for functional purposes only

possible using three dimensions. For example, user switching is

represented by rotating a cube whose faces are each user's workspace,

and window management is represented in the form of Exposé on Mac OS

X, or via a Rolodex-style flipping mechanism in Windows Vista. In both

cases, the operating system transforms windows on-the-fly while

continuing to update the content of those windows.

workspace, and window management is represented in the form of Exposé

on Mac OS X, or via a Rolodex-style flipping mechanism in Windows Vista.

In both cases, the operating system transforms windows on-the-fly while

continuing to update the content of those windows.

Interfaces for the X Window System have also implemented advanced

three-dimensional user interfaces through compositing window managers

such as Beryl and Compiz using the AIGLX or XGL architectures, allowing

for the usage of OpenGL to animate the user's interactions with the

desktop.

Another branch in the three-dimensional desktop environment is the

three-dimensional graphical user interfaces that take the desktop

metaphor a step further, like the BumpTop, where a user can manipulate

documents and windows as if they were "real world" documents, with

realistic movement and physics. With the current pace on three-

dimensional and related hardware evolution, projects such these may

reach an operational level soon.



CHAPTER 4

MECHATRONICS

4.1 What is Mechatronics engineering?

Mechatronics is concerned with the design automation and

operational performance of electromechanical systems. Mechatronics

engineering is nothing new; it is simply the applications of latest

techniques in precision mechanical engineering, electronic and

computer control, computing systems and sensor and actuator

technology to design improved products and processes.

The basic idea of Mechatronics engineering is to apply innovative

controls to extract new level of performance from a mechanical device.

It means using modem cost effective technology to improve product and

process performance, adaptability and flexibility.

Mechatronics covers a wide range of application areas including

consumer product design, instrumentation, manufacturing methods,

computer integration and process and device control. A typical

Mechatronic system picks up signals processes them and generates

forces and motion as an output. In effect mechanical systems are

extended and integrated with sensors (to know where things are),

microprocessors (to work out what to do), and controllers (to perform

the required actions).

The word Mechatronics came up describing this fact of having

technical systems operating mechanically with respect to some kernel

functions but with more or less electronics supporting the mechanical

parts decisively. Thus we can say that Mechatronics is a blending of

Mechanical engineering,Electronics engineering and Computing. These



three disciplines are linked together with knowledge of management,

manufacturing and marketing.

Mechatronics is centered on mechanics, electronics, computing, control

engineering, molecular engineering (from nanochemistry andbiology),

and optical engineering, which, combined, make possible the generation of

simpler, more economical, reliable and versatile systems. The portmanteau

"mechatronics" was coined by Tetsuro Mori, the senior engineer of

the Japanese company Yaskawa in 1969. An industrial robot is a prime

example of a mechatronics system; it includes aspects of electronics,

mechanics, and computing to do its day-to-day jobs.

Engineering cybernetics deals with the question of control engineering of

mechatronic systems. It is used to control or regulate such a system

(see control theory). Through collaboration, the mechatronic modules

perform the production goals and inherit flexible and agile manufacturing

properties in the production scheme. Modern production equipment consists

of mechatronic modules that are integrated according to a control

architecture. The most known architectures

involve hierarchy, polyarchy, heterarchy, and hybrid. The methods for

achieving a technical effect are described by control algorithms, which might

or might not utilize formal methods in their design. Hybrid systems

important to mechatronics include production systems, synergy

drives, planetary exploration rovers, automotive subsystems such as anti-

lock braking systems and spin-assist, and every-day equipment such as

autofocus cameras, video, hard disks, and CD players.

For most mechatronic systems, the main issue is no more how to implement

a control system, but how to implement actuators and what is the energy

source. Within the mechatronic field, mainly two technologies are used to

produce the movement: the piezo-electric actuators and motors, or

the electromagnetic actuators and motors. Maybe the most famous

mechatronics systems are the well known camera autofocus system or

camera anti-shake systems.

Concerning the energy sources, most of the applications use batteries. But a

new trend is arriving and is the energy harvesting, allowing transforming

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Control_engineering



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecular_engineering

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanochemistry

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biology

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_engineering

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Japan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaskawa

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_robot

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering_cybernetics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Control_theory

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Control_architecture&action=edit&redlink=1



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hierarchy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyarchy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterarchy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algorithm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formal_method

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Production_system

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Exploration_Rover

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-lock_braking_system

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-lock_braking_system

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_disk

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actuators

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piezo-electric

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic



into electricity mechanical energy from shock, vibration, or thermal energy

from thermal variation, and so on.

4.2 What do Mechatronics engineers do?

Mechatronics design covers a wide variety of applications from

the physical integration and miniaturization of electronic controllers

with mechanical systems to the control of hydraulically powered robots

in manufacturing and assembling factories.

Computer disk drives are one example of the successful

application of Mechatronics engineering as they are required to provide

very fast access precise positioning and robustness against various

disturbances.

An intelligent window shade that opens and closes according to

the amount of sun exposure is another example of a Mechatronics

application.

Mechatronics engineering may be involved in the design of

equipments and robots for under water or mining exploration as an

alternative to using human beings where this may be dangerous. In fact

Mechatronics engineers can be found working in a range of industries

and project areas including

Design of data collection, instrumentation and computerized

machine tools.

Intelligent product design for example smart cars and

automation for household transportation and industrial

application.

Design of self-diagnostic machines, which fix problems on their

own.



Medical devices such as life supporting systems, scanners and

DNA sequencing automation.

Robotics and space exploration equipments.

Smart domestic consumer goods

Computer peripherals.

Security systems.

4.3 Mechatronic goals

4.3.1 The multisensory concept

The aim was to design a new generation of multi sensory

lightweight robots. The new sensor and actuator generation does not

only show up a high degree of electronic and processor integration but

also fully modular hardware and software structures. Analog

conditioning, power supply and digital pre-processing are typical

subsystems modules of this kind. The 20khz lines connecting all sensor

and actuator systems in a galvanically decoupled way and high speed

optical serial data bus (SERCOS) are the typical examples of multi

sensory and multi actuator concept for the new generation robot

envisioned.

The main sensory developments finished with these criteria have

been in the last years: optically measuring force-torque-sensor for

assembly operations. In a more compact form these sensory systems

were integrated inside plastic hollow balls, thus generating 6-degree of

freedom hand controllers (the DLR control balls). The SPACE-MOUSE is

the most recent product based on these ideas.

stiff strain-gauge based 6 component force-torque-sensor systems.

miniaturized triangulation based laser range finders.

integrated inductive joint-torque-sensor for light-weight-robot.



In order to demonstrate the multi sensory design concept, these

types of sensors have been integrated into the multi sensory DLR-

gripper, which contains 15 sensory components and to our knowledge it

is the most complex robot gripper built so far (more than 1000

miniaturized electronic and about 400 mechanical components). It has

become a central element of the ROTEX space robot experiment.

CHAPTER 5



SPACEMOUSE

Spacemouse is developed by the DLR institute of robotics and

mechatronics.

DLR- Deutsches Zenturum far Luft-und Raumfahrt

5.1 Why 3D motion?

In every area of technology, one can find automata and systems

controllable up to six degrees of freedom- three translational and three

rotational. Industrial robots made up the most prominent category

needing six degrees of freedom by maneuvering six joints to reach any

point in their working space with a desired orientation. Even broader

there have been a dramatic explosion in the growth of 3D computer

graphics.

Already in the early eighties, the first wire frame models of

volume objects could move smoothly and interactively using so called

knob-boxes on the fastest graphics machines available. A separate

button controlled each of the six degrees of freedom. Next, graphics

systems on the market allowed manipulation of shaded volume models

smoothly, i.e. rotate, zoom and shift them and thus look at them from

any viewing angle and position. The scenes become more and more

complex; e.g. with a "reality engine" the mirror effects on volume car

bodies are updated several times per second - a task that needed hours

on main frame computers a couple of years ago.

Parallel to the rapid graphics development, we observed a clear

trend in the field of mechanical design towards constructing and

modeling new parts in a 3D environment and transferring the resulting

programs to NC machines. The machines are able to work in 5 or 6

degrees of freedom (dof). Thus, it is no surprise that in the last few

years, there are increasing demands for comfortable 3D control and

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manipulation devices for these kinds of systems. Despite breathtaking

advancements in digital technology it turned out that digital man-

machine interfaces like keyboards are not well suited for people to use

as our sensomotory reactions and behaviors are and will remain

analogous forever.

Users control three-dimensional movement by maneuvering SPACE MOUSE "Classic" spring-mounted cap. Slight finger pressure on the cap will control an object in up to 6 degrees of freedom (X, Y, Z, pitch, roll, and yaw

movement) simultaneously. The SPACE MOUSE "Classic" 3D Motion Controller is available for both UNIX and PC platforms to be used with industry standard CAD/CAM, CAE applications such as CATIA,

Pro/ENGINEER, I-DEAS or AutoCAD.

Features:

Unprecedented ease of use for manipulating objects in 3D applications

Calibration- and driftfree sensor technology for high precision and unequaled reliability

Nine programmable buttons to customize user's preferences for motion control

Finger operation for maximum precision and performance

Certified by all major suppliers of CAD/CAM, CAE and visual simulation products

Benefits:

In CAD/CAM, CAE and visual simulation applications, the 3D Motion

Controller is used in conjunction with the normal mouse. As the user positions the 3D object with Magellan™, the necessity of going back and forth to a menu is eliminated. Thus, drawing times can be reduced by

20-30%, increasing overall productivity. Other benefits include an improved design comprehension and earlier detection of design errors, contributing to faster time to market and cost savings in the design process.

SPACE MOUSE "Classic" - Product Specifications



Operating

Modes:

3D interface (six degrees of freedom)

Translation Mode:

Only the translation coordinates (X, Y, X) are reported

Rotation Mode: Only the rotation coordinates (A, B, C) are

reported

Dominant Mode: Only the coordinate with the greatest magnitude is reported

Sensitivity Adjustable (real 600 speed levels resolution)

Buttons: 9, programmable

Interface type: RS232C Serial

Baud Rate: 9600 baud

Connector: DSUB 9 Female

Power Supply: via serial port signals

Dimensions: L x W x H: 163 x 112 x 40 mm

Weight: 665 gr.

EMC Standards: FCC, TUV/GS, UL/UR and CE approved

Warranty: 3 Years

Operating Modes:


Translation

Mode:

Only the translation coordinates (X, Y, X) are

reported

Rotation Mode: Only the rotation coordinates (A, B, C) are reported

Dominant Mode: Only the coordinate with the greatest

magnitude is reported










Weight: 665 gr.


Warranty: 3 Years

SpaceMouse® Plus is the award-winning product in the line of professional

3D motion controllers for industrial design and visual simulation applications. It provides intuitive and precise interactive motion control of

three-dimensional graphic objects in up to six degrees of freedom simultaneously. This professional input device dramatically increases

productivity, improves object comprehension and helps detect design errors earlier.

Spacemouse Plus

A user-friendly, soft coated cap (electrostatic, ionised method of coating provides a better grip) with a distinctive grip area for thumb, forefinger and

middle finger supports virtually every single cap movement with the uniquely soft, pressure-sensitive sensor. Dedicated edges improve your emotional attachment to the graphics object and ensure precise object

manipulation in 3D space. The V-shaped cap particularly supports the "zoom" command, the most commonly used positioning command in 3D design applications. Optimised overall dimensions and generous device

weight, produce unsurpassed stability for hassle-free computing experience.



In CAD/CAM, CAE and visual simulation applications, the 3D Motion

Controller is used in conjunction with the normal mouse. As the user positions the 3D object with SpaceMouse®, the necessity of going back and

forth to a menu is eliminated. Thus, drawing times can be reduced by 20-30%, increasing overall productivity. Other benefits include an improved design comprehension and earlier detection of design errors, contributing to

faster time to market and cost savings in the design process.

This premium 3D motion controller features 11 programmable map keys (plus a Quicktip® button) that let you easily customize the device's

sensitivity settings and motion controls. You also may assign application-specific tasks to the buttons. The inclined keypad has nine buttons with two additional buttons on each side of the cap for easy access. Its patented high-

tech core, an opto-electronic and contact-less measuring system provides six degrees of freedom motion control (X, Y, Z, pitch, roll and yaw) without the need for calibration.

Spacemouse Plus

5.2 DLR control ball, Magellan's predecessor

At the end of the seventies, the DLR (German Aerospace Research

Establishment) institute for robotics and system dynamics started

research on devices for the 6-dof control of robot grippers .in Cartesian



space. After lengthy experiments it turned out around 1981 that

integrating a six axis force torque sensor (3 force, 3 torque components)

into a plastic hollow ball was the optimal solution. Such a ball

registered the linear and rotational displacements as generated by the

forces/ torques of a human hand, which were then computationally

transformed into translational / rotational motion speeds.

The first force torque sensor used was based upon strain gauge

technology, integrated into a plastic hollow ball. DLR had the basic

concept centre of a hollow ball handle approximately coinciding with

the measuring centre of an integrated 6 dof force / torque sensor

patented in Europe and US.

From 1982-1985, the first prototype applications showed that DLR's

control ball was not only excellently suited as a control device for

robots, but also for the first 3D-graphics system that came onto the

market at that time. Wide commercial distribution was prevented by the

high sales price of about $8,000 per unit. It took until 1985 for the

DLR's developer group to succeed in designing a much cheaper optical

measuring system.

5.2.1 Basic principle

The new system used 6 one-dimensional position detectors. This

system received a worldwide patent. The basic principle is as follows.

The measuring system consists of an inner and an outer part. The

measuring arrangement in the inner ring is composed of the LED, a slit

and perpendicular to the slit on the opposite side of the ring a linear

position sensitive detector (PSD). The slit / LED combination is mobile

against the remaining system. Six such systems (rotated by 60 degrees

each) are mounted in a plane, whereby the slits alternatively are vertical



and parallel to the plane. The ring with PSD's is fixed inside the outer

part and connected via springs with the LED-slit-basis. The springs

bring the inner part back to a neutral position when no forces / torque

are exerted: There is a particularly simple and unique. This measuring

system is drift-free and not subject to aging effects.

The whole electronics including computational processing on a

one-chip-processor was already integrable into the ball by means of two

small double sided surface mount device (SMD) boards, the

manufacturing costs were reduced to below $1,000, but the sales price

still hovered in the area of $3,000.

The original hopes of the developers group that the license

companies might be able to redevelop devices towards much lower

manufacturing costs did not materialize. On the other hand, with

passing of time, other technologically comparable ball systems

appeared on the market especially in USA. They differed only in the

type of measuring system. Around 1990, terms like cyberspace and

virtual reality became popular. However, the effort required to steer

oneself around in a virtual world using helmet and glove tires one out

quickly. Movements were measured by electromagnetic or ultrasonic

means, with the human head having problems in controlling

translational speeds. In addition, moving the hand around in free space

leads to fairly fast fatigue. Thus a redesign of the ball idea seemed

urgent.

5.3 Magellan (the European Spacemouse):



the result of a long development chain

With the developments explained in the previous sections, DLR's

development group started a transfer company, SPACE CONTROL and

addressed a clear goal: To redesign the control ball idea with its

unsurpassed opto electronic measuring system and optimize it thus

that to reduce manufacturing costs to a fraction of its previous amount

and thus allow it to approach the pricing level of high quality PC mouse

at least long-term.

Fig 7.Spacemouse system

The new manipulation device would also be able to function as a

conventional mouse and appear like one, yet maintain its versatility in a

real workstation design environment. The result of an intense one-

year's work was the European SpaceMouse, in the USA it is especially

in the European market place. But end of 93, DLR and SPACE



CONTROL jointly approached LOGITECH because of their wide

expertise with pointing

devices for computers to market and sell Magellan in USA and Asia. The

wear resistant and drift free opto electronic, 6 component measuring

system was optimized to place all the electronics, including the

analogous signal processing, AT conversion, computational evaluation

and power supply on only one side of a tiny SMD- board inside

Magellan's handling cap. It only needs a few milliamperes of current

supplied through the serial port of any PC or standard mouse interface.

It does not need a dedicated power supply. The electronic circuitry

using a lot of time multiplex technology was simplified by a factor of

five, compared to the former control balls mentioned before. The

unbelievably tedious mechanical optimization, where the simple

adjustment of the PSD's with respect to the slits played a central role in

its construction, finally led to 3 simple injection moulding parts, namely

the basic housing, a cap handle with the measuring system inside and

the small nine button keyboard system. The housing, a punched steel

plate provides Magellan with the necessary weight for stability; any kind

of metal cutting was avoided. The small board inside the cap (including

a beeper) takes diverse mechanical functions as well. For example, it

contains the automatically mountable springs as well as overload

protection. The springs were optimized in the measuring system so that

they no longer show hysteresis; nevertheless different stiffness of the

cap are realizable by selection of appropriate springs.

Ergonomically, Magellan was constructed as flat as can be so that the

human hand may rest on it without fatigue. Slight pressures of the

fingers on the cap of Magellan is sufficient for generating deflections in

X, Y, and Z planes, thus shifting a cursor or flying a 3D graphics object

translationally through space. Slight twists of the cap cause rotational

motions of a 3D graphics object around the corresponding axes. Pulling

the cap in the Z direction corresponds to zooming function. Moving the



cap in X or Y direction drags the horizontally and vertically respectively

on the screen. Twisting the cap over one of the main axes or any

combination of them rotates the object over the corresponding axis on

the screen. The user can handle the object on the screen a he were

holding it in his own left hand and helping the right hand to undertake

the constructive actions on specific points lines or surfaces or simply by

unconsciously bringing to the front of

appropriate perspective view of any necessary detail of the object. With

the integration of nine additional key buttons any macro functions can

be mapped onto one of the keys thus allowing the user most frequent

function to be called by a slight finger touch from the left hand. The

device has special features like dominant mode. It uses those degrees of

freedom in which the greatest magnitude is generated. So defined

movements can be created. Connection to the computer is through a

3m cable (DB9 female) and platform adapter if necessary. Use of

handshake signals (RTSSCTS) are recommended for the safe operation

of the spacemouse. Without these handshake signals loss of data may

occur. Additional signal lines are provided to power the Magellan

(DTS&RTS). Thus, no additional power supply is needed. Flying an

object in 6 dof is done intuitively without any strain. In a similar way,

flying oneself through a virtual world is just fun. Touching the keys

results in either the usual menu selection, mode selection or the pickup

of 3D objects.



fig 8 Spacemouse

Every day of your computing life, you reach out for the mouse

whenever you want to move the cursor or activate something. The

mouse senses your motion and your clicks and sends them to the

computer so it can respond appropriately. An ordinary mouse detects

motion in the X and Y plane and acts as a two dimensional controller. It

is not well suited for people to use in a 3D graphics environment. Space

Mouse is a professional 3D controller specifically designed for

manipulating objects in a 3D environment. It permits the simultaneous

control of all six degrees of freedom - translation rotation or a

combination. . The device serves as an intuitive man-machine interface

The predecessor of the spacemouse was the DLR controller ball.

Spacemouse has its origins in the late seventies when the DLR (German

Aerospace Research Establishment) started research in its robotics and

system dynamics division on devices with six degrees of freedom (6 dof)

for controlling robot grippers in Cartesian space. The basic principle



behind its construction is mechatronics engineering and the

multisensory concept. The spacemouse has different modes of operation

in which it can also be used as a two-dimensional mouse.

5.4 Table-1

Technical specifications of spacemouse

Magellan/SpaceMouse Classic is used in conjunction with the normal mouse (or tablet). The user intuitively positions an object with Magellan/SpaceMouse while working on that object using the

mouse. Slight pressure of the fingers onto the ÒcapÓ is sufficient for generating small deflections of a 3D graphic object. This

corresponds to the natural way of executing coordinated operations with both hands and supports intuitive creativity without interrupting the natural thought process. Additionally, the ergonomic design of

a flat cap reduces stress in the hand and arm. P a t e n t e d H i g h - Te c h C o r e

Magellan/SpaceMouse 3D Motion Controller translates your sense of touch into dynamic movement of objects within 3D space.



ItÕs patented high-tech core (license DLR), an opto-electronic and

contactless measuring system provides 6 degrees of freedom motion control (X, Y, Z, pitch, roll and yaw) without the need for

calibration. Magellan/SpaceMouse technology has been optimized and miniaturized in such a way that it works with standard serial

interfaces without any additional power supply.

Magellan/SpaceMouse Classic is a space-proven, highly reliable professional product, manufactured according to the strictest

quality standards of Logitech, the worldÕs leading manufacturer of control devices.

S p e c i f i c a t i o n s Operating Modes 3D Interface Ð 6 degrees of freedom

Translation Mode Only the translation coordinates (X, Y, Z) are reported

Rotation Mode Only the rotation coordinates (A, B, C) are reported Dominant Mode Only the coordinate with the greatest

magnitude is reported Sensitivity Adjustable (600 speed levels resolution)

Buttons 9, programmable Interface Type RS-232C Serial Baud Rate 9600 baud

Connector DB 9 Female Power Supply Serial port signals Weight 665 grams

Dimensions L x W x H 165 x 112 x 40mm EMC Standards FCC, CE and EMI approved



CHAPTER 6

MAGELLAN: FEATURES AND BENEFITS

6.1 Features

Ease of use of manipulating objects in 3D applications.

Calibration free sensor technology for high precision and unique

reliability.

Nine programmable buttons to customize users preference for

motion control

Fingertip operation for maximum precision and performance.

Settings to adjust sensitivity and motion control to the users

preference.

Small form factor frees up the desk space.

Double productivity of object manipulation in 3D applications.

Natural hand position (resting on table) eliminates fatigue.

6.2 Benefits

As the user positions the 3D objects with the Magellan device the

necessity of going back and forth to the menu is eliminated. Drawing

times is reduced by 20%-30% increasing overall productivity. With the

Magellan device improved design comprehension is possible and earlier

detection of design errors contributing faster time to market and cost

savings in the design process. Any computer whose graphics power

allows to update at least 5 frames per second of the designed scenery,

and which has a standard RS232 interface, can make use of the full

potential of Magellan spacemouse. In 3D applications Magellan is used

in conjunction with a 2D mouse. The user positions an object with



spacemouse while working on the object using a mouse. We can

consider it as a workman holding an object in his left hand and working

on it with a tool in his right hand. Now Magellan spacemouse is

becoming something for standard input device for interactive motion

control of 3D graphics objects in its working environment and for many

other applications.



CHAPTER 7

FUTURE SCOPE

7.1 FUTURE SCOPE

Magellan's predecessor, DLR's control ball, was a key element of the first real robot inspace, ROTEX- (3), which was launched in April 93 with space shuttle COLUMBIA inside a rack of the spacelab-D2. The robot was

directly teleoperated by the astronauts using the control ball, the same way remotely controlled from ground (on-line and off line) implying

"predictive" stereographics. As an example, the ground operator with one of the two balls or Magellans steered the robot's gripper in the graphics presimulation, while with the second device he was able to move the

whole scenery around smoothly in 6 dot Predictive graphics simulation together with the above mentioned man machine interaction allowed for

the compensation of overall signal delays up to seven seconds, the most spectacular accomplishment being the grasping of a floating object in space from the ground. Since then, ROTEX has often been declared as the

first real "virtual reality" application.

SPACE MOUSE "Plus" is the newest award-winning product in the line of professional 3D motion controllers for industrial design and visual simulation applications. It provides intuitive and precise interactive motion

control of three-dimensional graphic objects in up to six degrees of freedom simultaneously. This professional input device dramatically increases

productivity, improves object comprehension and helps detect design errors earlier.

A new, user-friendly cap with a distinctive grip area for thumb, forefinger and middle finger supports virtually every single cap movement with the

uniquely soft, pressure-sensitive sensor. Dedicated edges improve your emotional attachment to the graphics object and ensure precise object

manipulation in 3D space. The V-shaped cap particularly supports the "zoom" command, the most commonly used positioning command in 3D design applications. Optimized overall dimensions and generous device

weight, produce unsurpassed stability for hassle-free computing experience.

This premium 3D motion controller features 11 programmable map keys that let you easily customize the device's sensitivity settings and motion

controls. You also may assign application-specific tasks to the buttons. The



inclined keypad has nine buttons with two additional buttons on each side

of the cap for easy access. Its patented high-tech core, an opto-electronic and contact-less measuring system provides six degrees of freedom motion

control (X, Y, Z, pitch, roll and yaw) without the need for calibration.

SPACE MOUSE "Plus" - Product Specifications

Operating

Modes:


Translation Mode:

Only the translation coordinates (X, Y, X) are reported











Weight: 720 grams


Warranty: 3 Years



Cyberpuck

CYBERPUCK is the world's first six-degrees of freedom, 3D web navigation device. While the normal mouse clicks represents a repetitive and tedious

way of designating direction for navigation in 3D space, Cyberpuck allows the user to "fly through" in a seamless and intuitive way. Particularly in the

field of professional, multi-user graphics applications, Cyberpuck creates an entirely new way of real-time communication ("collaborative engineering").

Cyperpuck - Product Specifications

Operating Modes:


Translation

Mode:

Only the translation coordinates (X, Y, X) are

reported







Buttons: 5 virtuell Quicktip, programmable






Weight: 510 gr.


Warranty: 3 Years

7.1.1 VISUAL SPACEMOUSE

n many areas of our daily life we are faced with rather complex tasks that have to be done in circumstances unfavorable for human beings. For

example, heavy weights may have to be lifted or the environment may be dangerous and, therefore, the assistance of a machine is needed. Some of

these tasks, on the other hand, also need the presence of a human, because the complexity of the task is beyond the capability that an independent robot system is able to handle. Therefore, there is a need for a robot system

controlled by a human.

A most intuitive controlling device would be a system that can be instructed by watching and imitating the human user, using the hand as the major

controlling element. This would be a very comfortable interface that allows the user to move a robot system in the most natural way. This is called the visual space mouse.

The system of the visual space mouse can be divided into two main parts:

image processing and robot control. The role of image processing is to perform operations on a video signal, received by a video camera, to extract

desired information out of the video signal. The role of robot control is to transform electronic commands into movements of the manipulator.

../htmlfiles/The%20Visual%20Space%20Mouse.htm



A most intuitive controlling device would be a system that can be instructed by watching and imitating the human user, using the hand as

the major controlling element. This would be a very comfortable interface that allows the user to move a robot system in the most natural way.

This is called the visual space mouse. The system of the visual space mouse can be divided into two main parts: image processing and robot control. The role of image processing is to perform operations on a video

signal, received by a video camera, to extract desired information out of the video signal. The role of robot control is to transform electronic

commands into movements of the manipulator.

The purpose of this project was to develop a system that is able to control a robotic system by observing the human and directly converting hand

gestures into movements of the manipulator. The hand serves as the primary controlling element to effect the actual motion and position of a

robot gripper. For the observation of the user, one usual greyscale camera is used without any kind of calibration. The manipulator is a PUMA 560 robot with six degrees of freedom and a gripper.

We use the image processing language VEIL for image processings. A special

feature of VEIL is blobs. These are defined as a brighter region in the image plane within a darker environment. The hand is detected and traced with the help of blobs. This blob contains the



characteristic values of the image of the hand. The values of the blob are then passed to the control part of the program to affect the actual position of the manipulator.

In the mapping from the three-dimensional hand in the world to a blob

existing in a two-dimensional plane, a lot of information is lost. In particular, rotations not lying in the image-plane cannot be resolved well. Any rotation with the rotation axis parallel to the image plane will just

change the heigth and the width of the object. The sign of the rotation is especially to determined. This is a limitation of 2D image analysis in general. There are only three dimensions that are robustly detectable of an object in

a plane: height, width and one rotation in the image plane.

The control task of a manipulator with six degrees of freedom is therefore very difficult or even impossible with just 3 values. To handle this problem,

and to keep the user interface intuitive, a state machine was implemented.

The state machine consists of three different levels: two control levels and one transition level. The control levels are used to move the manipulator.



The transition level connects the two control levels and affects the gripper of

the robot arm.

Every time the flat hand is facing the camera, as shown above, the state machine of the controlling unit is in one of two control levels. In each control

level the manipulator can be moved in a plane, by moving the hand in the up-down direction or forward-backward direction. The control levels differ in the orientation of the planes in which the manipulator can be moved in. The

plane of control level 1 is orthogonal to the plane of control level 2.

To change the control levels the hand has to be turned, so that the side of the flat hand is facing the camera. In this mode the hand can be moved within the sight of the camera without effecting the manipulator. This mode is called the transition mode. If the hand is turned back so that the flat

hand is facing the camera again, the state machine of the control unit moves back into the other control level.



With the use of the two planes, described previously, only a cubic space in

front of the arm can be accessed. With the rotation along the z-axis this cube can be rotated and so the whole area around the manipulator is

attainable. The rotation is initiated just by rotating the hand in the image-plane. Also, the gripping gesture is part of the transition level. Placing the gesture of the gripper in the transition level has the advantage that any

movement of the hand has no effect on the manipulator itself, which will keep the gripper fixed during the gripping gesture.

Experiment

An experiment was performed to validate the functions of the system. The task was to assemble a house out of three randomly placed wooden pieces.

Several people have been chosen to perform this experiment without any training. Each person was able to successfully finish the task. The experiment showed that the state machine with its two separated control

levels was no problem for the candidates. The biggest problem was the gesture for the gripping movement. It became obvious that the choses

gripping gesture was nonnatural to perform.

The major attempt of this project was to combine an image processing unit with an control unit to achieve a convenient, image-based control system for a manipulator: the visual space-mouse. This intention was achieved

successfully. As it was demonstrated by the experiment, a person is able to successfully manage to handle simple manipulation tasks by using the

visual space-mouse-system developed as a remote tool.

Indeed, it became obvious that the possibilities of controlling a six dimensional manipulator just by using one greyscale camera as input is very limited, because only three dimensions can be robustly observed by the

video output.



CONCLUSION

The graphics simulation and manipulation of 3D volume objects

and virtual worlds and their combination e.g. with real information as

contained in TV images (multi-media) is not only meaningful for space

technology, but will strongly change the whole world of manufacturing

and construction technology, including other areas like urban

development, chemistry, biology, and entertainment. For all these

applications we believe there is no other man- machine interface

technology comparable to Magellan in its simplicity and yet high

precision. It is used for 3D manipulations in 6 dof, but at the same time

may function as a conventional 2D mouse.



REFERENCES

www.howstuffworks.com

www.wikipedia.com

http://www-cvr.ai.uiuc.edu/demos/tobias/spacemouse.html

www.aalizwel.com

www.google.com

http://www-cvr.ai.uiuc.edu/demos/tobias/spacemouse.html

http://www.aalizwel.com/

http://www.google.com/

Seminar Report on Space Mouse

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