Patent ID: 11935429
Assignee: AIRWAY LIMITED
Field: Control (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 7:
8. An engine for simulating the path of an endoscope in a human or animal passageway or cavity, the engine comprising:
a memory storing encoded instructions;
a processor; and
a display;
wherein the encoded instructions, when executed by the processor, performs a method comprising:
representing an object in a virtual environment as a plurality of segments, the object having at least one body segment and a tip segment;
determining a position and/or orientation of only the tip segment of the object;
receiving input signals, said input signals based at least in part on commands of a user indicative of a desired motion of the object; and
determining a movement of said object in the virtual environment in response to the input signals, said determining including:
detecting whether the tip segment impacts a wall of the virtual environment; and
if so, determining a direction of motion of a said tip segment following the impact by combining data representing each wall being impacted and resolving to determine an escape direction for the segment,

wherein said movement of the object is translated into the addition or subtraction of the tip segment thereof to determine a user's path, and
assessing the performance of a user manipulating the object in the virtual environment by comparing a measure of variance of the user's path from one or more preferred paths through the virtual environment.