Patent attributes
The present invention is directed to an input device, system, and method for modeling complex surfaces in a CAD environment. The system and method include a computer communicatively coupled to a user interface, such that the computer is configured to display a modeled surface on the user interface. The system and method further include the input device of the present invention communicatively coupled to the computer by a connection interface. The input device comprises a malleable outer surface that corresponds to the initial modeled surface displayed on the user interface, and a user provides input to the input device by applying pressure to deform the malleable outer surface. The input device further comprises transducers operatively coupled to the malleable outer surface to measure the pressure applied to deform the malleable outer surface. The input device also includes a processor operatively coupled to the transducers to determine displacement of the malleable outer surface based on the measured pressure. The computer of the system and method receives the determined displacement from the connection interface and converts the determined displacement to a corresponding displacement of the displayed modeled surface, such that the displayed modeled surface is updated to reflect the deforming of the malleable outer surface.
