Development of active icosahedron and its application to virtual clay modeling

We have developed an active link mechanism for physical man-machine interaction. We report an active icosahedron consisting of intelligent cylinders and its application to virtual clay modeling. Intelligent pneumatic cylinders are newly developed to realize active link mechanisms. This cylinder aims at a novel cylinder in which various sensors and control devices are built. Active link mechanisms are highly integrated and enhanced by intelligent cylinders. A control system is built for the active icosahedron. In the control system, a key element is a control program implementing drawing of a virtual model on display and controlling of active links. Virtual clays are deformed by the program based on the apex positions converted from cylinder lengths. The active icosahedron realized dynamic interaction with virtual objects in PC, showing the potential of the devices as a haptic interface.