A method of specifying an input value on a robotic manipulator, wherein the method includes: selecting a particular predefined input device to be emulated, wherein the input device to be emulated is assigned at least one degree of freedom of the robotic manipulator and local limits in the at least one degree of freedom, and a transfer function of a coordinate of the robotic manipulator in the at least one degree of freedom is assigned onto the input value; actuating the robotic manipulator such that at least one part of the robotic manipulator is manually movable in the at least one degree of freedom and within the local limits; recording a respective coordinate in the at least one degree of freedom during or after completion of an input on the robotic manipulator via a sensor unit; and applying the transfer function to assign the respective coordinate to the input value.

A handheld controller may include a movable control that is usable for activating and deactivating a motion control feature of the handheld controller based on a detection of, or a failure to detect, a finger contacting a surface of the movable control. For example, a touch sensor associated with the movable control may provide touch sensor data indicative of a proximity of a finger relative to the movable control, and based on this touch sensor data, the motion control feature of the handheld controller can be toggled on and off, depending on whether the finger is contacting the movable control or not. When the motion control feature is activated, motion sensor data from a motion sensor(s) is sent to an application (e.g., a video game) as application input. When the motion control feature is deactivated, the motion sensor data is not used as application input.

A handheld controller may include a movable control that is usable for activating and deactivating a motion control feature of the handheld controller based on a detection of, or a failure to detect, a finger contacting a surface of the movable control. For example, a touch sensor associated with the movable control may provide touch sensor data indicative of a proximity of a finger relative to the movable control, and based on this touch sensor data, the motion control feature of the handheld controller can be toggled on and off, depending on whether the finger is contacting the movable control or not. When the motion control feature is activated, motion sensor data from a motion sensor(s) is sent to an application (e.g., a video game) as application input. When the motion control feature is deactivated, the motion sensor data is not used as application input.

A method and apparatus for selecting database items from a database, where the database items are indexed by a list of item identifiers. The item identifiers may be in the form of text. An initial display is generated which includes one or more parts of the item identifiers. Selection of the one or more parts may be made and results in the generation of a display of a further one or more parts for selection. The further one or more parts may be selected in order to add to the selected one or more parts to build a larger part or whole of an item identifier. Selection from a large list of item identifiers may be carried out in a relatively short time period.

A method and apparatus for selecting database items from a database, where the database items are indexed by a list of item identifiers. The item identifiers may be in the form of text. An initial display is generated which includes one or more parts of the item identifiers. Selection of the one or more parts may be made and results in the generation of a display of a further one or more parts for selection. The further one or more parts may be selected in order to add to the selected one or more parts to build a larger part or whole of an item identifier. Selection from a large list of item identifiers may be carried out in a relatively short time period.

A magnetorheological braking device with a fixed mount and with two braking components. One of the two braking components is non-rotatably affixed to the mount and the two braking components are continuously rotatable relative to one another. A first braking component extends in the axial direction. The second braking component has a hollow shell part that extends around the first braking component. A peripheral gap is filled with a magnetorheological medium. The first braking component has an electric coil and a core made from a magnetically conductive material. Magnetic field concentrators on the core and/or magnetic field concentrators on the shell part protrude into the gap, which results in a peripheral gap with a variable gap height. A magnetic field of the electric coil runs through the core and the magnetic field concentrators and through the gap into a wall of the shell part.

Noise is prevented from occurring in voice data acquired by a microphone due to an operation of an input stick. An input device (10) includes an upper cabinet section (41) having an opening formed therein, an input stick (31) movable inside the opening, and a buffer member (46) that is provided on an inner edge of the opening of the upper cabinet section (41) and is made of a material different from a material of the inner edge of the opening and from a material of an outer peripheral surface of the input stick (31).

Noise is prevented from occurring in voice data acquired by a microphone due to an operation of an input stick. An input device (10) includes an upper cabinet section (41) having an opening formed therein, an input stick (31) movable inside the opening, and a buffer member (46) that is provided on an inner edge of the opening of the upper cabinet section (41) and is made of a material different from a material of the inner edge of the opening and from a material of an outer peripheral surface of the input stick (31).

An exemplary embodiment of a circuit for determining information about the position, attitude, or orientation of a magnet comprises an input interface configured to receive components of a magnetic field produced by the magnet. An evaluation logic unit corresponds to at least one trained neural network and is configured to determine the information about the position, attitude, or orientation of the magnet on the basis of the received components.

An exemplary embodiment of a circuit for determining information about the position, attitude, or orientation of a magnet comprises an input interface configured to receive components of a magnetic field produced by the magnet. An evaluation logic unit corresponds to at least one trained neural network and is configured to determine the information about the position, attitude, or orientation of the magnet on the basis of the received components.