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Posted by Frnak McKenney on October 7, 2005, 9:15 am
>> Is there some simple method for determining where one end of a cable
>> is relative to the other end? (Okay, how about a complex method?)
>> I know that if you throw enough money at the problem one can measure
>> the _length_ of the cable (via signal travel time), but what if you
>> want to know the far end's XYZ location relative to the beginning of
>> the cable after your robot has snaked its way through fifteen
>> air-duct conduit joints and created a replica of the Gordian knot?
>> If I build the cable out of "bend resistor" material I can
>> presumably determine the total amount of bending, but not what
>> directions the bends took. Likewise (I think) with measuring the
>> refraction in a fiber optic cable.
>> .....
>> Can anyone think of any other approaches? Even silly ones?
>
> Check out Luna Innovations in Blacksburg VA. Their approach isn't simple,
> but it is impressive.
>
> http://www.lunainnovations.com/Products/shape.asp
Brent,
Aha! So it _can_ be done!
And those tantalizing phrases: "high-spatial resolution, distributed
fiber-optic shape and position sensing cable ... this smart cable...'knows'
its own position in 3D space at every discrete point along its length".
I'd take two if I knew what they both cost. <grin>
If it lives up to its promise... imagine dancers with this stuff wrapped
around them to capture position data for virtual reality reproduction. Or
to monitor athletes during training to provide feedback on what they're
doing (vs. what they think they're doing).
Only trouble is that pesky "under development" part. Sigh.
Anyway, thanks for the pointer. Neat stuff!
Frank McKenney, McKenney Associates
Richmond, Virginia / (804) 320-4887
Munged E-mail: frank uscore mckenney ayut minds pring dawt cahm (y'all)
--
˙The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that
heralds new discoveries, is not ˙Eureka!˙ (I found it!)
but ˙"That's funny..."˙ -- Isaac Asimov
--
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> is relative to the other end? (Okay, how about a complex method?)
> I know that if you throw enough money at the problem one can measure
> the _length_ of the cable (via signal travel time), but what if you
> want to know the far end's XYZ location relative to the beginning of
> the cable after your robot has snaked its way through fifteen
> air-duct conduit joints and created a replica of the Gordian knot?
> If I build the cable out of "bend resistor" material I can
> presumably determine the total amount of bending, but not what
> directions the bends took. Likewise (I think) with measuring the
> refraction in a fiber optic cable.
> .....
> Can anyone think of any other approaches? Even silly ones?