Animatronic eye with an electromagnetic drive and fluid suspension and with video capability

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10179040-B2
Application number	US-201414230873-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2014
Priority date	Sep 16, 2009
Publication date	Jan 15, 2019
Grant date	Jan 15, 2019

Abstract

An animatronic eye with fluid suspension, electromagnetic drive, and video capability. The eye assembly includes a spherical, hollow outer shell that contains a suspension liquid. An inner sphere is positioned in the outer shell in the suspension liquid to be centrally floated at a distance away from the shell wall. The inner sphere includes painted portions providing a sclera and iris and includes an unpainted rear portion and front portion or pupil. The shell, liquid, and inner sphere are have matching indices of refraction such that interfaces between the components are not readily observed. A camera is provided adjacent a rear portion of the outer shell to receive light passing through the shell, liquid, and inner sphere. A drive assembly is provided including permanent magnets on the inner sphere that are driven by electromagnetic coils on the outer shell to provide frictionless yaw and pitch movements simulating eye movements.

First claim

We claim:

1. A prosthetic eye assembly, comprising:
a spherical, hollow outer shell for positioning within a human eye socket of a prosthesis recipient, wherein the outer shell includes a front portion transmitting light with a first index of refraction;
a suspension liquid contained within the outer shell, the suspension liquid transmitting light with a second index of refraction substantially matching the first index of refraction;
a spherical body suspended within the liquid; and
a magnetic drive assembly comprising a set of magnetic elements provided on a great circle of the spherical body and a magnetic field generator positioned a distance apart from the outer shell, wherein the magnetic field generator generates magnetic forces rotating the spherical body.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the set of magnetic elements comprises at least three permanent magnets provided on a great circle of the spherical body.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the suspension liquid fills a space between the spherical body and the outer shell.

4. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein the suspension liquid has a specific gravity to provide a neutral buoyancy to the spherical body.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a controller providing drive signals to the magnetic field generator to drive the spherical body to have yaw and pitch movements tracking movement of a functioning eye of the prosthesis recipient.

6. The assembly of claim 5 , further comprising means for tracking the movement of the functioning eye.

7. The assembly of claim 6 , further comprising a frame wearable by the prosthesis recipient, wherein the magnetic field generator and the tracking means are mounted in the frame with the magnetic field generator adjacent the spherical body.

8. A prosthetic eye assembly, comprising:
an outer shell;
a suspension liquid contained within the outer shell;
a spherical body suspended within the suspension liquid; and
a magnetic drive assembly comprising magnetic elements on or in the spherical body and a magnetic field generator selectively generating magnetic forces interacting with the magnetic elements to position the spherical body within the outer shell,
wherein the magnetic elements comprise a plurality of permanent magnets positioned equidistally on a great circle of the spherical body, and
wherein the suspension liquid fills a space between the spherical body and the outer shell and the suspension liquid has a specific gravity to provide a neutral buoyancy to the spherical body.

9. The assembly of claim 8 , further comprising a controller providing drive signals to the magnetic field generator to drive the spherical body to have yaw and pitch movements tracking movement of a functioning eye of the prosthesis recipient.

10. The assembly of claim 9 , further comprising means for tracking the movement of the functioning eye.

11. The assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a frame wearable by the prosthesis recipient, wherein the magnetic field generator and tracking means are mounted in the frame with the magnetic field generator adjacent the spherical body.

12. An eye assembly, comprising:
a spherical, hollow outer shell for positioning within an eye socket;
a suspension liquid contained within the outer shell;
a spherical body suspended in the suspension liquid within the outer shell, wherein the suspension liquid has a specific gravity to provide a neutral buoyancy to the spherical body;
a magnetic drive assembly comprising one or more magnetic elements on or in the spherical body and a magnetic field generator generating magnetic forces acting on the magnetic elements for rotating the spherical body;
means for tracking the movement of the functioning eye; and
a frame wearable by the prosthesis recipient, wherein the magnetic field generator and the tracking means are mounted in the frame with the magnetic field generator adjacent the spherical body.

13. The assembly of claim 12 , wherein the magnetic elements comprise a plurality of permanent magnets provided on a great circle of the spherical body.

14. The assembly of claim 12 , wherein the suspension liquid fills a space between the spherical body and the outer shell.

15. The assembly of claim 12 , further comprising a controller providing drive signals to the magnetic field generator to drive the spherical body to have yaw and pitch movements tracking movement of a functioning eye.

Assignees

• Disney Entpr Inc

Inventors

• Smoot Lanny Starkes
• Bassett Katherine May
• Hammond Marcus

Classifications

• H04N23/50

  Constructional details · CPC title

• B29D11/02

  Artificial eyes from organic plastic material {(implantable eye parts, artificial eyes A61F2/14)} · CPC title

• H04N5/2251

  Electricity · mapped topic

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• A63H33/26

  Magnetic or electric toys (electric drives A63H29/22 {; indoor games played with small balls using magnetic power A63F7/0088, A63F7/068}) · CPC title