Adaptable Facial Interface for Stable Head-Mounted Display Fit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Head-mounted displays restrict facial movements and are prone to movement due to facial expressions, causing discomfort and instability.
Innovation Solution
A head-mounted display with a facial interface that distributes loading differently across facial regions, providing greater support to bony areas above the eyes and allowing for higher compliance in softer areas below the eyes, using mechanisms like pivots and compliant seals to adapt to facial movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the head-mounted display engages the face to support the display assembly, then the display is stabilized on the face, but facial movements are restricted and the display may be moved by facial expressions
Solution Approach 1:
The facial interface is divided into different regions with different stiffness characteristics. The upper facial support engages the forehead with higher stiffness to provide stable support, while the lower facial support engages the cheek area with lower stiffness to allow facial expressions. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by providing stability where needed while maintaining flexibility where facial movements are required.
Solution Approach 2:
The facial interface uses compliant materials and structures that can dynamically adapt to facial movements. The lower facial support incorporates materials with viscoelastic properties that allow temporary deformation during facial expressions while maintaining overall support. This dynamic compliance enables the interface to accommodate facial movements without compromising display stability.
2Force
If the facial interface provides uniform support across all facial regions, then the display is well-supported, but softer facial areas below the eyes cannot accommodate facial movements
Solution Approach 1:
The facial interface provides non-uniform support by engineering different stiffness levels in different regions. The upper facial support uses stiffer materials to provide strong support on the forehead, while the lower facial support uses softer, more compliant materials on the cheeks. This local quality differentiation allows the interface to provide appropriate support force in each region while accommodating the specific mechanical properties of different facial areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The facial interface incorporates composite material structures with varying mechanical properties. The upper region may use rigid polymers or metal alloys for strong support, while the lower region uses softer elastomers or viscoelastic materials that can deform with facial expressions. This composite approach enables the interface to provide both strong support and regional compliance simultaneously.
3Manufacturing precision
If the head-mounted display uses rigid support structures, then the display positioning is precise, but the interface cannot adapt to facial movements and expressions
Solution Approach 1:
The facial interface uses flexible shell structures and thin film materials that can maintain precise positioning while adapting to facial movements. These flexible structures are engineered with specific thickness and material properties that provide sufficient rigidity for accurate display positioning while allowing controlled deformation during facial expressions. This resolves the contradiction by achieving both precision and adaptability through careful material and structural design.
Data Source
AI summary
A facial interface for a head-mounted display, which is to be worn on a head of a user, includes a chassis, an upper portion, and a lower portion. The upper portion engages an upper facial region above eyes of the user. The lower portion engages a lower facial region below the eyes of the user. The lower portion includes a lower facial support. The lower facial support includes a rolling contact, a first arm, and a second arm. The rolling contact defines an axis. The first arm and the second arm are each coupled to the chassis and support the rolling contact. The rolling contact rotates about the axis relative to the first arm and the second arm to allow displacement of the lower facial support relative to the lower facial region of the user.