A new method for fast motion-capturing in three dimensional space using a global linear-gradient and two uniform magnetic fields

Abstract

In this paper, a new method for fast motion-capturing in three dimensional space is proposed. This method employs triaxial magnetometers and three magnetic fields spanned over the space of interest: two uniform magnetic fields, the one perpendicular to the other, and a linear gradient magnetic field generated by a pair of head-on magnetic dipoles. Interesting point of the third magnetic field is that well-defined linear-gradient distributions occur in three orthogonal directions, one of which direction is along the line connecting the two dipoles. Hence. once the orientiuion of the magnetometer is determined with two uniform magnetic fields, its position relative to the symmetrical center of the linear-gradient fields can be uniquely determined based on a linear relationship between the field skngth and the position of the third magnetic field.