AR Geofenced Walkways for Contamination-Aware Pedestrian Routing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Public spaces such as airports and shopping centers are hotbeds for the spread of infectious bacteria and diseases due to frequent congregation, posing a significant health hazard and risk of disease dissemination.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing augmented reality technology to define virtual spaces and geofences, rendering risk-free walkways that avoid contaminated areas, providing real-time visualization of contamination zones and guiding users to their destinations while avoiding collisions and exposure to harmful contaminants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If augmented reality technology is used to display virtual zoning and contamination visualization, then user awareness of contamination zones is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an augmented reality display as an intermediary between the contamination detection system and the user. The AR display visualizes contamination zones and safe walkways by overlaying digital information on the physical environment, making invisible contamination data visible and actionable without requiring direct interaction with complex detection systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital copy or representation of the physical environment's contamination state through augmented reality overlays. Virtual zoning and contamination visualizations are rendered as copies of the real-world space, allowing users to perceive and navigate based on this digital representation without directly engaging with the underlying complex detection and processing systems.
2Reliability
If geofencing is used to define risk-free walkways avoiding contaminated areas, then user safety is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the physical environment into distinct virtual zones using geofencing technology. Contaminated areas are separated from safe areas by creating virtual boundaries (geofences) that define risk-free walkways. This segmentation allows the system to manage complexity by dividing the environment into manageable zones with different safety characteristics, making navigation and safety management more straightforward.
Solution Approach 2:
Geofences act as an intermediary layer between the contamination detection system and user navigation. The virtual boundaries automatically manage the complex logic of safe route determination, preventing users from entering contaminated zones without requiring manual intervention or complex real-time calculations during navigation.
3Productivity
If virtual spaces are defined in augmented reality to guide pedestrians, then navigation efficiency is improved, but information processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining virtual spaces, geofences, and risk-free walkways before users need to navigate. Contamination zones are identified and virtual boundaries are established in advance, allowing users to receive ready-to-use navigation guidance without requiring complex real-time processing during movement, thus reducing energy consumption during active navigation.
Solution Approach 2:
The augmented reality system provides self-service navigation by automatically rendering virtual zoning and safe walkway guidance based on pre-established geofence data. Users simply follow the visual guidance without needing to manually process contamination data or make complex navigation decisions, reducing the computational burden and energy requirements for both the device and the user.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are described with respect to a system, method, and computer product for managing a risk-free walkway. An associated method includes defining a virtual space in augmented reality and determining a geofence between at least a contaminated area and the risk-free walkway that avoids the contaminated area. The method further includes rendering augmented reality content in the virtual space with the risk-free walkway being associated with a user.