Polarized Light Play Field Edge Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users wearing head-mounted displays and robots equipped with imaging devices can lose orientation and collide with obstacles due to immersion in virtual or augmented reality environments, as they cannot visually detect real-space boundaries, leading to potential collisions or falls.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus that uses polarized light images to detect the peripheral edge of a play field by evaluating high polarization degree regions, generating output data to prevent movement beyond these boundaries, thereby ensuring safe navigation within a predetermined area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a head-mounted display is worn to play games or view content, then the user becomes immersed in the virtual/augmented reality experience, but the user cannot see the outside real space and may lose direction or move to unexpected positions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system consisting of an imaging device, polarization degree calculation unit, and boundary detection algorithm that mediates between the virtual reality immersion and real space awareness. The imaging device captures polarized light images, the system calculates polarization degrees to identify high polarization degree regions (which correspond to play field boundaries), and generates boundary information to guide the moving body, thus resolving the contradiction by providing real space boundary information without breaking the VR/AR immersion experience
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/visual system of direct human vision with an optical sensing system (imaging device with polarized light detection). Instead of relying on the user's natural vision to detect boundaries, the system uses polarized light imaging to automatically detect and identify play field boundaries through polarization degree analysis, substituting human visual processing with automated optical measurement and computational analysis
2Adaptability or versatility
If a robot is provided with an imaging device to recognize surrounding objects, then the robot can perform target operations flexibly, but the robot may move to unexpected directions due to erroneous recognition of surrounding objects and conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from standard intensity-based image recognition to polarization degree-based boundary detection. By utilizing the polarization parameter of light rather than just intensity information, the system can more accurately distinguish play field boundaries from other objects, reducing recognition errors and improving the precision of spatial boundary measurement while maintaining flexible operation capabilities
3Ease of operation
If the user or robot moves freely in the virtual/augmented reality environment, then the experience is immersive and flexible, but there is a danger of collision with walls or obstacles or falling at level differences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by detecting and identifying play field boundaries before the moving body (user or robot) reaches them. The system continuously captures polarized light images, calculates polarization degrees, identifies high polarization degree regions corresponding to boundaries, and generates boundary information in advance, allowing the moving body to be guided away from boundaries before collision or fall can occur, thus preventing harmful outcomes while maintaining free movement within the safe play field area
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively controls the movement of users and robots within a safe range by accurately detecting play field edges using polarized light, reducing the risk of collisions and falls by providing real-time warnings or control signals.
Implementation Method 1
obtain data of polarized light images in a plurality of directions, the polarized light images being photographed by an imaging device provided to a moving body; obtain distribution of degrees of polarization by using the polarized light images
Data Source
AI summary
An image obtaining section of an information processing apparatus obtains polarized light images in a plurality of directions from an imaging device provided to a moving body. A polarization degree obtaining section of an image analyzing section obtains a degree of polarization on the basis of direction dependence of luminance of polarized light. A high polarization degree region evaluating section detects the peripheral edge of a play field on which the moving body is present, by evaluating the shape of a high polarization degree region having degrees of polarization higher than a threshold value in a state in which the high polarization degree region is overlooked. An output data generating section generates and outputs output data for avoiding movement to the peripheral edge.