Dynamic Personal Safe Area Control for Shared XR Spaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing XR technologies face challenges in preventing accidental collisions between users of XR devices in shared physical spaces, as users may not be aware of their surroundings due to immersion in virtual environments. Current solutions, such as manually defining safe areas, are inefficient, prone to errors, and do not account for dynamic changes in user needs or space usage.
Innovation Solution
The system dynamically allocates personal safe areas to XR devices based on the size of the user, using a circle with a radius determined by the user's arm length. These safe areas are continuously updated in real-time as the user moves, and the system warns users of potential collisions or obstacles, ensuring safe and efficient use of shared physical space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If users manually define fixed safe areas using controllers during calibration, then safe play boundaries are established, but the process is tedious, prone to error, and requires users to interrupt their XR sessions
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically determines safe areas by tracking multiple XR devices and computing their spatial relationships, eliminating the need for manual user intervention. The devices self-configure their safe play zones through automated spatial analysis and coordination protocols
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary spatial mapping and device positioning before XR sessions begin, establishing safe areas in advance through automated calibration routines that track device locations and compute appropriate boundaries without requiring user intervention during actual play
2Reliability
If fixed safe areas are allocated to each XR device, then collision prevention is achieved, but physical space utilization is inefficient when users have varying needs
Solution Approach 1:
The safe area boundaries are dynamically adjusted based on real-time tracking of XR device positions, user movement patterns, and spatial relationships. The system continuously recalculates safe zones to adapt to changing user needs and environmental conditions while maintaining collision prevention
Solution Approach 2:
The system modifies safe area parameters such as radius, shape, and position based on detected user characteristics, device type, and spatial context. These parameter adjustments enable flexible space allocation that responds to varying user requirements while maintaining safety guarantees
3Ease of operation
If users verbally communicate boundaries to coordinate safe areas, then collision avoidance is attempted, but overlap conflicts occur and users remain immersed without awareness
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides real-time feedback to users through haptic cues, visual indicators, or audio signals when their safe area boundaries approach or conflict with other users' zones. This automated feedback mechanism prevents overlaps without requiring complex verbal coordination, maintaining both simplicity and reliability
Data Source
AI summary
A personal safe area is determined for extended reality (XR) devices, such as head mounted devices in virtual reality (VR) sessions, sharing a common larger play area. The personal safe areas may be sized based on user size, may have radii centered on the XR device and parallel to a floor, and may move with the XR device as the XR device moves in an immersive reality session. A notification indicating proximity to another XR device may be generated, and the notification may indicate the direction from which the other XR device is approaching. Also contemplated is real time adjusting an XR gameplay, game display or game flow of one or more XR devices to avoid overlap of safe spaces by shifting virtual game objects in a safer direction.