Article View: comp.dsp
Article #226Re: Polhemus ISOTRACK/3-SPACE and VIRTUAL REALITY
From: john f andrews ece
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 21:54
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 21:54
59 lines
3346 bytes
3346 bytes
In article <drues.703291186@pv320a.vincent.iastate.edu> drues@iastate.edu writes:
>In <1992Apr7.031033.19729@njitgw.njit.edu> andrews@rehab.njit.edu (John Andrews) writes:
>> I am looking at using a 3-SPACE digitizer from Polhemus
>> (also called ISOTRACK, Kaiser Aerospace) and am looking
>> for any information on this system or perhaps similar
>> systems from competing companies.
>
>I bought one of these systems for my research several months ago.
>It works well but is very sensitive to electronics/metal objects in the
>area. The software that comesw with it is pretty lame. You have to
>write your own code (in C) to use it to do anything useful. It is being
>used in a variety of applications, not just VR.
>
>The Isotrak gives location (x,y,z) AND orientation (pitch, roll, yaw) for
>a total of 6 degrees of freedom. I don't see how you could get all that
>using ultrasound (especially the 3 angles).
>
>> Has anyone any experience with this? Somethign similar?
>> A better way to locate and track something in 3 dimen-
>> sions? This system will run me over $10,000, so any and
>> all responses greatly appreciated.
>
>No way. The base system (1 source and 1 probe) goes for about $3300.
>If you ask them right, who can buy a used sytem (same warantee) for half
>that.
>
>If you want more info, let me know.
>
>mike
>
>--
>Michael Drues Dept. of Biomedical Engineering
>Internet:drues@iastate.edu 1146 Veterinary Medicine
>BITNET:v2.med@isumvs.bitnet Iowa State University
>Office:(515)294-6520(or 4-1771) Home:(515)233-5652 Ames, Iowa 50011
This is true. I should have mentioned I don't need the 3d positition of a *point* in
space but of a *plane*, which requires the additional degrees of freedom. That is
where the Polhemus was useful (as are a few other systems).
But system latency is a problem with Polhemus, from what I have been told. It is too slow
for tracking most movement.
As for your pricing, the 3300 is for a single-sensor, and I need more than that. I need to
make referenced measurements, so I need the two -sensor-input system, which runs $9900
plus the $900 for the additonal sensor. It is an expensive system.
Referenced measurements also demand more of the system latency, enhancing the problem
with Polhemus.
-=john
--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
john f andrews SYSOP The Biomedical Engineering BBS
24 hrs 300/1200/2400/4800 (201) 596-5679
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technical Details
Message-ID:
<1992Apr15.215413.14750@njitgw.njit.edu>Path:
arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!sparky!uunet!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!gatech!rutgers!njitgw.njit.edu!hertz.njit.edu!jfa0522References:
<1992Apr7.031033.19729@njitgw.njit.edu> <drues.703291186@pv320a.vincent.iastate.edu>Show Full Headers
Complete Article Headers
Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!sparky!uunet!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!gatech!rutgers!njitgw.njit.edu!hertz.njit.edu!jfa0522 From: jfa0522@hertz.njit.edu (john f andrews ece) Newsgroups: comp.dsp,sci.engr.biomed,sci.electronics Subject: Re: Polhemus ISOTRACK/3-SPACE and VIRTUAL REALITY Message-ID: <1992Apr15.215413.14750@njitgw.njit.edu> Date: 15 Apr 92 21:54:13 GMT References: <1992Apr7.031033.19729@njitgw.njit.edu> <drues.703291186@pv320a.vincent.iastate.edu> Sender: news@njit.edu Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J. Lines: 59 Nntp-Posting-Host: hertz.njit.edu