Localized Virtual Reality via Pre-fetched Panoramic Images
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing augmented reality environments face challenges in providing accurate object tracking for mixed reality experiences, especially in environments with limited processing resources and six degrees of freedom, leading to mis-registration of virtual and real objects, which degrades user experience.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using a mobile terminal's location and orientation information to display a pre-fetched panoramic view from a stored image, allowing for easier tracking of virtual objects by correlating them with real objects within the image, thereby simplifying object tracking and enhancing the mixed reality experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If pixel accurate tracking is performed to ensure virtual object stays accurately correlated to the specific object, then the quality of user experience is improved, but the device complexity and processing requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-fetches panoramic images and pre-processes them with embedded metadata describing real-world objects and their spatial relationships before the user needs them. This preliminary action eliminates the need for complex real-time tracking computations, as the virtual objects can be directly positioned using the pre-computed spatial information from the panoramic images.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of performing complex real-time tracking of real objects, the system creates a copy of the spatial environment through pre-captured panoramic images that contain embedded object location information. This copying approach replaces the need for continuous real-time tracking with static, pre-processed spatial data that can be directly used for virtual object placement.
2Adaptability or versatility
If real-time tracking is performed in six degrees of freedom environment, then the virtual object can be dynamically positioned, but the processing requirements and computational load increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs all necessary spatial computations and object tracking calculations in advance when capturing panoramic images, storing the results as metadata. This eliminates the need for energy-intensive real-time 6DOF tracking computations, as the virtual object positioning can be achieved by simply retrieving and applying the pre-computed spatial information.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces the mechanical real-time tracking system with an information-based system using pre-captured panoramic images and their embedded metadata. This substitution eliminates the need for continuous sensor processing and real-time computational geometry operations, significantly reducing energy consumption while maintaining virtual object positioning capability.
3Productivity
If panoramic views are pre-fetched and stored locally, then the object tracking is simplified and processing requirements are reduced, but the device memory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential spatial information and object metadata from panoramic images, storing them separately as compact data structures. This extraction approach allows the system to retain high tracking efficiency while minimizing storage requirements, as only the critical spatial relationships are preserved rather than complete high-resolution panoramic images.
Solution Approach 2:
The system stores panoramic images and metadata at remote servers or cloud storage, making them available on-demand rather than pre-loading them all into local device memory. This local quality approach allows the device to maintain fast access to spatial information when needed while avoiding the memory burden of storing complete panoramic datasets locally.
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus for enabling provision of a localized virtual reality environment may include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured, with the processor, to cause the apparatus to perform at least receiving information indicative of a current location of a mobile terminal, receiving information indicative of an orientation of the mobile terminal with respect to the current location, causing a stored image including a panoramic view of the current location to be displayed at the mobile terminal based on the orientation, and enabling provision of a virtual object on the panoramic view. A corresponding method and computer program product are also provided.