Avatar Navigation in Motion Capture Simulation

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Solution Overview

Problem

In motion capture simulation environments, the dimensional constraints of the capture volume can cause collisions between participants when their relative positions in the real world differ from those in the virtual environment, limiting group activities that require precise formations and alignment.

Innovation Solution

A method is implemented to receive motion capture data of entities in the capture volume, determine their locations and orientations, and compute modified locations for their avatars in the virtual environment to prevent collisions, using transformations to ensure the avatars' relative positions match those in the real world, with graphical cues displayed to guide participants to avoid collisions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If participants are allowed to move freely in the capture volume, then navigation freedom in the virtual environment is improved, but collisions between participants occur due to dimensional constraints

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenavigation freedomVSAvoidcollisions between participants

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces graphical cues as an intermediary element between participants' physical positions and their virtual representations. These cues provide visual information about other participants' locations in the virtual environment, allowing participants to navigate freely while avoiding collisions by being aware of others' positions through the cues rather than direct physical awareness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates virtual copies (avatars) of participants in the virtual environment that mirror their physical positions and movements. These avatars serve as representations that allow participants to interact with the virtual world while the system monitors and manages their physical positions to prevent collisions, effectively decoupling physical constraints from virtual freedom

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Device complexity

If the capture volume is kept compact for practical reasons, then device complexity is reduced, but the virtual environment size is constrained limiting group activities

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecapture volume setupVSAvoidvirtual environment size

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies transformation matrices that map the compact three-dimensional capture volume to a scaled-up virtual environment, effectively adding a dimensional scaling factor. This allows the physical space to remain small and manageable while the virtual representation expands to accommodate large-scale group activities and formations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts transformation parameters including scaling factors, rotation matrices, and translation vectors to map participant positions from the capture volume coordinate system to the virtual environment coordinate system. These parameter changes enable flexible resizing and reconfiguration of the virtual environment without physical modifications to the capture volume

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If redirection is applied at capture volume boundaries, then navigation within constraints is improved, but relative position alignment between participants and avatars is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenavigation within constraintsVSAvoidrelative position alignment

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors participant positions in the capture volume and provides visual feedback through graphical cues that display the virtual positions of other participants. This feedback loop allows participants to adjust their movements to maintain proper relative positioning, compensating for redirection effects and preserving formation alignment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the mapping transformations when participants approach or cross capture volume boundaries. Rather than using fixed static mappings, the transformation matrices are updated in real-time to account for redirections, ensuring that the virtual environment continuously reflects the intended relative positions and formations of participants

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS9311742B1Navigating an avatar through a virtual world in a motion capture simulation environment

Publication Date: 2016.04.12 MOTION REALITY

AI summary

A computer determines a modified location for an avatar of a first entity in a virtual environment based on a location of the first entity in a capture volume and a transformation used to map a second entity from the capture volume to the virtual environment. The modified location of the avatar of the first entity relative to a location of an avatar of the second entity is consistent with the location of the first entity relative to the location of the second entity in the capture volume. Once the modified location is determined, the computer displays a graphical cue corresponding to the first entity at the modified location of the avatar of the first entity provided that a distance between the modified location of the avatar of the first entity is different from a current location of the avatar of the first entity in the virtual environment.