Telepresence Camera Array Head Orientation Switching
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing telepresence and virtual reality systems fail to provide a realistic experience as users are distracted by their real environment and require navigation tools to move around in remote locations, limiting their ability to immerse themselves fully.
Innovation Solution
A telepresence system comprising a plurality of cameras with overlapping fields of view, a head-mounted display, and orientation sensors that allow users to move around in a remote world by rotating their head or body, eliminating the need for navigation tools by automatically switching camera views based on orientation changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If graphical user interface or navigation means (keyboard, joystick) are used to change cameras and move around in the remote world, then the user can navigate through the environment, but the user experience is broken by the need to operate navigation tools instead of feeling naturally present
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the user's own head movements and body orientation to automatically control the viewing angle and camera selection. The orientation sensor detects the user's natural movements and the processing system automatically switches between cameras based on the detected orientation, eliminating the need for separate navigation controls. This makes the system serve itself by using the user's inherent movements as the control mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical navigation controls (keyboard, joystick) with an orientation sensor that detects the user's head and body orientation. This substitution transforms the mechanical interaction into an automatic sensor-based system that seamlessly follows the user's natural movements, maintaining the feeling of presence while enabling navigation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple cameras are used to provide different viewpoints in the remote environment, then the user can look around from different angles, but the system complexity increases requiring camera arrays and switching mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically selects and switches between multiple cameras based on the real-time orientation detected from the sensor. Rather than using a fixed camera setup, the system adapts the active camera configuration according to the user's head and body movements, providing versatile viewing angles through dynamic camera selection and switching.
Solution Approach 2:
The orientation sensor serves multiple functions: it detects head orientation, determines body orientation, and controls camera selection. This multi-functional approach allows a single sensor to manage the complexity of coordinating multiple cameras, providing versatile viewing capabilities without requiring separate control mechanisms for each function.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the user moves or changes orientation in the remote environment, then the user can explore different locations, but the immersion is broken when navigation controls are required
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects the user's body orientation changes and uses this information to switch between cameras and update the displayed viewpoint. The user's natural body movements serve as the control input, eliminating the need for separate navigation controls and maintaining continuous immersion while enabling exploration of the remote environment.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a telepresence system comprising a plurality of cameras, a head mounted display device, a processing system and a first orientation sensor, wherein the cameras are positioned at different viewpoints that are aligned so that each camera's field of view at least partly overlaps with those of an adjacent camera, wherein the processing system is arranged to receive image data from each one of the plurality of cameras, to receive orientation information from the orientation sensor, to select one or two cameras, the selection of the one or two cameras depending on the received orientation information, to send image data received from currently selected cameras to the head mounted display device, and if newly received orientation information indicates an orientation change across a predefined threshold, switch from the currently selected cameras to one or two newly selected cameras located at other viewpoints.