METHOD FOR EVALUATING 3D DATA REPRESENTING A 3D SHAPE, AUXILIARY DEVICE OBTAINED USING SUCH 3D DATA, AND METHOD FOR OBTAINING SUCH 3D DATA

Abstract

A method is disclosed for evaluating data representing the three-dimensional shape of at least a portion of the surface of a human being or animal, in the following referred to as 3D data, wherein 3D data of at least two data sets, each representing the three-dimensional shape of at least a portion of the surface of a human being or animal and each taken from a database of three-dimensional shapes, in the following referred to as 3D data sets. Auxiliary devices may be manufactured based on 3D data stored in the data base, and a method for obtaining the 3D data to be stored in the data base is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for evaluating data representing the three-dimensional shape of at least a portion of a surface of a human being or animal, in the following referred to as three-dimensional (3D) data, wherein 3D data of at least two data sets, each representing the three-dimensional shape of at least a portion of the surface of a human being or animal and each taken from a database of three-dimensional shapes, in the following referred to as 3D data sets, are evaluated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two 3D data sets are 3D data sets obtained for the same human being or animal at different points of time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two 3D data sets are 3D data sets obtained for different human beings or animals.

4. The method of any of claim 1, wherein at least some of the 3D data sets of the data base include additional information related to the 3D data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the additional information includes information about a device adapted and configured to fit to a surface represented by the 3D data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein 3D data of at least two 3D data sets are used for manufacturing an auxiliary device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein two 3D data sets are used for manufacturing said auxiliary device, namely two 3D data sets obtained for the same portion of the surface of the human being or animal at two different points of time.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein two 3D data sets are used for manufacturing said auxiliary device, namely two 3D data sets obtained for the same portion of the surface of two different human beings or animals.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein at least three data sets are used for manufacturing said auxiliary device, namely a first data set obtained for the portion of the surface of the human being or animal, and at least two data sets obtained for the portion of the surface of another human being or animal at different points of time.

10. A compensation pad manufactured using the method of claim 6.

11. A compensation pad manufactured based on an evaluation of an asymmetry between a left half and a right half of a 3D data set.

12. A positive fitting device and/or a negative fitting device manufactured using the method of claim 6.

13. A fitting device including a three-dimensional positive model of the three-dimensional shape of at least a portion of the surface of a human being or animal on its upper side and a three-dimensional negative model of said three-dimensional shape on its lower side manufactured according to claim 6.

14. A method for detecting the three-dimensional shape of a surface using an optical recording device which is adapted and configured for taking images containing three-dimensional data of the surface, in the following referred to as 3D images, the method comprising: moving the optical recording device along the surface while taking a plurality of 3D images, detecting the movement and orientation of the optical recording device in three-dimensional space with an inertial measurement unit (IMU) detects, determining the three-dimensional shape of the surface by taking into account a temporal correlation of the data acquired by the IMU with the three-dimensional data provided by the optical recording device, and providing detection data representing the determined three-dimensional shape of the surface.

15. The method of claim 14, further including applying position markers onto the surface, before moving the optical recording device along the surface.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein a position sensor allocated to the optical recording device detects the position of the optical recording device relative to the surroundings.

17. The method of any of claim 14, further including determining a quality of the 3D images before determining the three-dimensional shape of the surface.

18. The method of any of claim 14, further including combining 3D images of at least two scans of the surface carried out using the optical recording device at different points of time and/or carried out by two independent optical recording devices at the same point of time and/or different points of time.

19. The method of any of claim 14, further including determining characteristic properties of the surface.

20. The method of any of claim 14, further including using a smartphone having the optical recording device and the inertial movement unit (IMU) integrated therein.

Description

[0081] In the following, embodiments of the present invention will be discussed in more detail referring to the accompanying drawings in which

[0082] FIG. 1 shows a schematic plan view of an acquisition process of a horse's back;

[0083] FIG. 2 shows the result of the data acquisition according to FIG. 1 as a 3D model;

[0084] FIG. 3 represents an example of a data base displayed as a chart;

[0085] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of an example of a compensation pad; and

[0086] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of an example of a fitting set.

[0087] According to the present invention, a method is provided in which the three-dimensional shape of a surface is detected using an optical recording device. In FIG. 1, a smartphone 10 is used as the optical recording device to detect the structure of a back of a horse 12. The smartphone 10 comprises a 3D camera 14 that is adapted to record 3D images, e.g. a camera distributed by Apple Inc. in all types of iPhone? starting from iPhone? X under the trade name True Depth camera. The smartphone 10 further comprises an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 16 that is adapted to detect the movement and orientation of the smartphone 10 in three-dimensional space, and a LIDAR unit 18 that is adapted to emit light and detect scattered light.

[0088] The smartphone 10 is moved along a path 20 over the horse's back while taking a plurality of 3D images using the 3D camera 14 at its front side. Reference numeral 10 refers to the smartphone in its starting position and reference numeral 10 to the smartphone in its end position.

[0089] It shall be noted that the smartphone 10 is not merely moved in a zig-zag-pattern but is rotated while moving along the path from one side of the horse 12 to the other. Preferably, the smartphone 10 is rotated is a way such that the 3D camera 14 is facing towards the horse 12. Furthermore, portions of the path 20 that are arranged more laterally with respect to the horse 12 may be lower than portions of the path 20 that are arranged more medially with respect to the horse 12. Thus, a substantially constant distance from the smartphone 10 to the horse 12 may be achieved.

[0090] While moving the smartphone 10, a temporal correlation of the data acquired by the IMU 16 with the three-dimensional data provided by the 3D camera 14 is recorded and later taken into account when determining the three-dimensional shape of the surface.

[0091] According to FIG. 1, the LIDAR unit 18 is located at the back side of the smartphone 10, i.e. at its side facing away from the horse 12. Accordingly, the LIDAR unit 18 records images of the room in which the horse 12 is located, e.g. images of the walls and/or the ceiling of the room. As these walls and/or images are immobile they may later serve as reference points for determining the horses absolute position and orientation in the room.

[0092] Additionally, it can be seen in FIG. 1 that markers 22a to 22d may attached to the horse 12. These markers 22a to 22d are applied to characteristic reference positions of the back of the horse 12. Markers 22a and 22b are located immediately behind the shoulder blades of the horse 12, while markers 22c and 22d are located in the middle of the back of the horse 12, one, marker 22c, at the front end and the other, marker 22d, at the rear end of the horse's saddle area 12a. After the acquisition of the 3D data, the markers 22a to 22d may be detected in the 3D images, e.g. based on their color, their shape or the like.

[0093] FIG. 2 shows an example of a 3D representation 24 of accordingly generated 3D data of the back of the horse 12.

[0094] According to the present invention, the 3D data are stored in a database 50 (see FIG. 3). In column 1 of each data set 52 a data set ID is indicated. In column 2 a horse's name is given. In column 3 date and time may be entered, in particular a date and time of the acquisition of the respective data set. In column 4 first 3D data are provided, for example 3D data acquired of the bare back of the horse 12, i.e. without any saddle or other covering, e.g. the 3d data 24 shown in FIG. 2. In column 5 additional information with respect to a saddle, e.g. manufacturer, model, size, may be given. In column 6 additional information with respect to adjustments of the horse's equipment may be given, such as information regarding the place and amount of padding, information regarding a deformation of a gullet plate etc. In column 7 information may be provided indicating the quality of the first 3D data of column 4. And in columns 8 and 9 second and third 3D data may be provided that are generated while a saddle is attached to the horse 12, but without a rider sitting on the horse 12, and while a rider is sitting on the horse 12.

[0095] As may be seen from FIG. 3, data sets for a plurality of horses and points of time may be collected in the data base 50.

[0096] It should be emphasized that the data base 50 is not limited to 3D data obtained using the data acquisition method described referring to FIG. 1. 3D data acquired using other methods, e.g. the afore-described method applied by company Tec Competence, Koblenz, Germany under the trade name Horseshape, may be stored in the data base 50 as well.

[0097] Based on the data collected in the data base 50, a plurality of evaluations may be carried out.

[0098] For example, the owner of a horse may refer to the data sets 52 of his/her horse as a saddle area diary, in order to see whether the horse's training shows the desired results or in order to detect detrimental developments at an early point of time.

[0099] Furthermore, the data sets 52 may be used for obtaining information which type of saddle (manufacturer, model, size, . . . ) may fit best to a specific horse, by evaluating the data base for horses having a sufficiently similar shape of the saddle area. Additionally, the database 50 may provide the information whether or not a fitting used saddle is available.

[0100] As those skilled in the art will easily understand that all evaluation methods discussed in the introductory part of the specification may be carried out based on the data base 50 shown in FIG. 3, the further discussion will be restricted for the sake of conciseness to the manufacturing of two types of auxiliary devices, namely a compensation pad 26 shown in FIG. 4 and a fitting device 32 shown in FIG. 5.

[0101] If the comparison of the 3D data of two 3D data sets 52 of the same horse 12 obtained at two different points of time reveal a considerable development of the horse's back, a customized compensation pad 26 may be manufactured based on the two data sets 52 in order to at least reduce deviations between the previous and the actual three-dimensional shapes of the horse's back.

[0102] An example of such a customized compensation pad 26 is shown in FIG. 4. The compensation pad 26 has an inner surface 26a fitting to the actual shape of the horse's back and an outer surface 26b simulating the previous shape of the horse's back, thus matching the lower surface of a saddle (not shown) the compensation pad 26 is customized for. Cross-section 28 shows the variation of the thickness of the compensation pad 26.

[0103] Of course, one of other above-mentioned applications is to use the compensation pad 26 for compensating left-and-right-asymmetries of the saddle area of the horse 12.

[0104] FIG. 5 shows an example of a fitting device 32 manufactured based on 3D data stored in or obtained using the data base 50. In particular, the fitting device 32 includes a three-dimensional positive model 34 of the horse's back on its upper side 32a and a three-dimensional negative model 36 of the horse's back on its lower side 32b. The positive model 34 can be used by a saddler for adjusting the saddle to the hose's back, and the negative model 36 may be used by the horse's owner in order to regularly check whether the horse's saddle area has changed to an extent requiring maintenance of the saddle.

[0105] The fitting device 32 includes two longitudinal elements 38 and a plurality (eleven in the example shown in FIG. 5) of transverse elements 40 interlocked with each other by the two longitudinal elements 38 in a log-cabin style. In other words, the upper and lower edges of the elements 38, 40 define the positive and negative models 34, 36 of the fitting device 32.

[0106] All of the longitudinal elements 38 and/or the transverse elements 40 may be manufactured from a sheet material, such as KAPA plast?, e.g. having a thickness from 5 mm to 10 mm.