Gaze-Based Virtual Magnet for 3D Object Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
In 3D visualization systems, precise and efficient placement of objects is challenging due to the complexity of visualizing object locations in depth, and existing tools often compromise between placement precision and speed, especially as scene complexity increases.
Innovation Solution
A 'virtual magnet' object placement tool that assists users in picking up and placing holographic objects by using gaze detection, hand gestures, or voice commands, providing a cursor to preview orientation and placement, and employing sphere casting for precise alignment on target objects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional snap and glue functions are used for object placement, then placement precision is improved, but operation speed and efficiency deteriorate due to the tedium of precise positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses gaze detection to automatically identify which object the user wants to manipulate and which surface the user intends to place it on, eliminating the need for manual precise positioning. The objects and surfaces automatically become selected based on where the user is looking, making the system serve itself in determining user intent.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical positioning operations with automated gaze-based selection and magnetic attraction forces. Instead of requiring users to manually move objects precisely to target locations, the system uses virtual magnetic fields to automatically snap objects to intended surfaces based on gaze direction.
2Ease of operation
If manual positioning methods are used, then operation flexibility is maintained, but placement precision deteriorates due to difficulty in visualizing object locations in depth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual magnet as an intermediary tool between the user and the objects. This magnet is controlled by gaze detection and serves as a mediator that automatically positions objects onto target surfaces, bridging the gap between user intent and precise placement without requiring manual positioning efforts.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses visual indicators such as colored bounding boxes and highlights to show which objects are selected and where they will be placed. These visual changes help users understand the placement outcome before committing to it, improving precision while maintaining operational ease.
3Adaptability or versatility
If existing placement tools are used in complex scenes, then basic placement functionality is provided, but user intent recognition accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary gaze detection and object identification before the actual placement action. By continuously monitoring user gaze and pre-selecting objects and surfaces in advance, the system ensures accurate intent recognition even in complex scenes with many objects, resolving ambiguities before placement occurs.
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is a method, implemented in a visualization device, to assist a user in placing 3D objects. In certain embodiments the method includes displaying, on a display area of the visualization device, to a user, various virtual 3D objects overlaid on a real-world view of a 3D physical space. The method can further include a holding function, in which a first object, of the various virtual 3D objects, is displayed on the display area so that it appears to move through the 3D physical space in response to input from the user, which may be merely a change in the user's gaze direction. A second object is then identified as a target object for a snap function, based on the detected gaze of the user, the snap function being an operation that causes the first object to move to a location on a surface of the target object.