Distributed Haptic Stimulation for Virtual Reality Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional haptic devices for virtual reality systems struggle to provide an intuitive and immersive tactile experience, especially for large objects like automobiles, due to limitations in portability and the inability to adjust stimulation intensity based on user awareness of contact with virtual objects.
Innovation Solution
An information-processing apparatus that determines whether a user is consciously contacting a virtual object and adjusts stimulation intensity accordingly, using a system with stimulation generation units mounted on the body and a calculation processing apparatus to control the intensity based on position and orientation information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a force feedback providing apparatus is used to express tactile sense information, then the user can feel the reaction from a virtual object, but the apparatus becomes large-sized and poor in portability
Solution Approach 1:
The force feedback apparatus is divided into multiple independent stimulation generation units that can be distributed across different body parts. Each unit is small and lightweight, allowing the system to maintain comprehensive tactile feedback capability while improving portability through distributed architecture rather than a single large apparatus.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-point force feedback approach to a distributed multi-point stimulation system across the user's body. This spatial distribution enables comprehensive tactile feedback for large virtual objects while using multiple small units instead of one large apparatus, resolving the portability contradiction.
2Reliability
If a conventional force feedback providing apparatus is used, then tactile feedback can be provided, but the scope of virtual objects available for evaluation is restricted due to poor portability
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the force feedback system into multiple portable stimulation units that can be placed on different body parts, the system becomes adaptable to various virtual object evaluation scenarios. Users can evaluate different objects in different positions and orientations without being constrained by a single large apparatus.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts to different evaluation scenarios by selectively activating appropriate stimulation units based on the virtual object's position and the user's interaction state. This dynamic configuration enables versatile evaluation of various objects while maintaining portability.
3Device complexity
If only one force point is available in a force feedback apparatus, then the apparatus remains simple, but the user cannot feel a sense of immersion over the whole body
Solution Approach 1:
The single force feedback point is segmented into multiple stimulation generation units distributed across the user's body. Each unit provides localized tactile feedback, and collectively they create a comprehensive sense of immersion across the whole body while maintaining relative simplicity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
Different stimulation units are placed at specific locations on the user's body to provide localized tactile feedback corresponding to different regions of virtual objects. This local quality approach enables whole-body immersion by addressing each body region's specific tactile needs independently.
4Device complexity
If stimulation is provided without considering user awareness of contact, then the system is simple to control, but the user cannot intuitively verify virtual object contacts
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms that detect the user's line of sight and awareness state, then adjusts stimulation accordingly. This feedback loop enables intuitive contact verification by providing tactile feedback only when the user is aware of the virtual object contact, combining control simplicity with enhanced usability.
Solution Approach 2:
The stimulation system dynamically adjusts its operation based on real-time detection of user awareness and contact state. This dynamic control simplifies the overall system by using conditional logic rather than continuous monitoring, while simultaneously improving ease of operation through context-aware feedback.
Data Source
AI summary
An information-processing apparatus determines whether a stimulation generation unit and a background virtual object contact each other based on position and orientation information about the stimulation generation unit and position and orientation information about the background virtual object. If it is determined that the stimulation generation unit and the background virtual object contact each other, the information-processing apparatus determines whether the stimulation generation unit is included within an attention range. The information-processing apparatus generates operation setting information for controlling an operation of the stimulation generation unit according to a result of the determination and outputs the generated operation setting information to the stimulation generation unit.