Surjective Mapping of Virtual and Physical Reality Image Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current virtual reality systems restrict natural human locomotion, causing discomfort, nausea, and disorientation due to the inability to safely navigate in physical spaces while experiencing virtual environments, and lack effective methods for mapping virtual and real worlds for immersive VR experiences.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that uses a wearable communication device, image capturing device, and computing device to generate a progressive representation of surjectively mapped virtual and physical reality image data, allowing real walking while maintaining visual fidelity and navigation comfort by creating a planar map between virtual and physical floor plans, minimizing angular and distal distortions, and dynamically updating the virtual map based on user navigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If linear treadmill or wheelchair is used to simulate user motion in virtual space, then navigation control is achieved, but user movement is restricted to one direction and lacks natural locomotion
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the virtual environment mapping based on the user's real-world movement direction and position. The planar map between virtual and physical floor plans is updated in real-time to accommodate arbitrary movement directions, transforming the static one-directional treadmill control into a dynamic multi-directional navigation system that adapts to user locomotion choices.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from one-dimensional linear treadmill movement to two-dimensional arbitrary direction movement by implementing a planar mapping system. This allows users to move in any direction on the physical floor plan while maintaining corresponding navigation in the virtual environment, effectively adding dimensional freedom to the navigation control.
2Adaptability or versatility
If virtual reality environment is immersive, then user engagement increases, but user safety and comfort in physical space navigation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously tracks user position and movement in the physical environment and provides real-time feedback by updating the virtual map representation accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures that the virtual environment remains synchronized with physical navigation, preventing disorientation while maintaining immersion, as users can see their virtual position correspond to their actual location.
Solution Approach 2:
The planar map between virtual and physical floor plans serves as an intermediary representation that mediates between the immersive virtual environment and the physical navigation space. This intermediate mapping layer allows users to experience immersion while maintaining spatial awareness of their physical surroundings, reducing discomfort and disorientation.
3Area of stationary object
If virtual scene map is folded into real scene map for space efficiency, then physical space utilization improves, but mapping complexity and distortion increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the virtual scene map into discrete regions or tiles that can be independently folded and mapped to corresponding regions in the real scene map. This segmentation approach simplifies the overall mapping complexity by breaking down the complex global folding problem into manageable local transformations, while still achieving space efficiency.
4Reliability
If surjective mapping is applied between virtual and physical reality, then complete coverage of physical space is achieved, but information redundancy and processing load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different mapping qualities and levels of detail to different regions of the virtual and physical spaces. High-precision surjective mapping is applied only to currently active or frequently accessed regions, while less critical regions use coarser mappings. This local quality approach maintains navigation accuracy where needed while reducing overall data redundancy and processing load.
Data Source
AI summary
A system of generating a progressive representation associated with virtual and physical reality image data is disclosed. The system receives virtual image data associated with a virtual scene map of a virtual scene, and receives physical image data from the image capturing device, associated with a physical environment of a real scene. Perimeter information of the physical environment is determined. Boundary information of an obstacle associated with the physical environment is determined. A real scene map associated with the physical environment including an obstacle and one or more free space areas is generated. A corresponding virtual barrier is generated in the real scene map, the virtual barrier associated with the boundary information of the obstacle in the real scene map. A folding of the virtual scene map into the one or more free space areas of the real scene map is implemented, the free space areas surround or are adjacent the generated virtual barrier. A progressive representation to the wearable communication device is generated that is associated with virtual scene pixels of the virtual map corresponding to real scene points of the real scene map in a time interval. A corresponding method and computer-readable device are also disclosed.