Projector Overlay for Virtual Object Distinction in Immersive Reality
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Solution Overview
Problem
In immersive reality environments, users often struggle to distinguish between real and virtual objects, leading to confusion and potential safety concerns as the distinction between physical and projected elements becomes unclear, especially in situations that may appear threatening.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a camera, processing system, and projector that captures and analyzes images of the immersive environment, detects virtual objects, and modifies their visual appearance to clearly identify them as virtual, thereby reassuring users and maintaining a safe and immersive experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the immersive experience uses projected virtual objects to enhance user engagement, then user participation and immersion are improved, but the ability to distinguish real from virtual objects deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system overlays colored indicators (e.g., red outlines or highlights) on virtual objects to visually distinguish them from real objects. This color-based differentiation allows users to maintain high engagement with immersive content while clearly identifying which elements are virtual projections versus physical objects in the environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary visual indicator layer between the user and the virtual objects. This intermediary signaling system (through cameras, processors, and display overlays) mediates the user's perception, providing meta-information about object authenticity without disrupting the immersive experience itself.
2Reliability
If the system provides clear visual indicators to distinguish virtual objects, then user safety and clarity are improved, but the immersive experience quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential safety-critical information (object authenticity) and presents it through minimal visual indicators rather than comprehensive system modifications. By taking out only the necessary distinction signals rather than redesigning the entire immersive system, safety is improved without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The distinction indicators are applied locally to specific virtual objects rather than uniformly across the entire environment. This localized approach provides clear safety information where needed while maintaining the overall aesthetic and immersive quality of the experience in other areas.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a camera positioned to capture image information of an immersive experience presented to one or more users engaged in the immersive experience and located in an immersive experience space, a processing system and a memory that stores executable instructions to facilitate performance of operations including receiving the image information from the camera, detecting objects located in the immersive experience space with the one or more users, the objects including at least one virtual object created by the immersive experience, determining the at least one virtual object is a projected virtual object of the immersive experience, generating a signal indicating the at least one virtual object is a projected virtual object, and a projector, responsive to the signal, to provide a visual indication in the immersive experience space to identify the projected virtual object as a virtual object to the one or more users engaged in the immersive experience. Other embodiments are disclosed.