Virtual Hand Representation for Immersive VR Interaction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Fully immersive head-mounted displays (HMDs) limit user interaction with real objects due to the user's inability to see their hands, making it difficult to interact with objects that are not in direct contact or require specific orientations, which restricts the range of interaction with virtual reality (VR) content.

Innovation Solution

A system that includes a head-mounted display (HMD) device with a real object and hands tracking module, which uses sensors and communication channels to track the user's hands and sensor-embedded objects, allowing for the presentation of hand and object representations in VR content and determining inputs based on sensor data to modify the VR experience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If fully immersive HMDs are used to present VR content, then immersion quality is improved, but user interaction with real objects deteriorates due to inability to see hands

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimmersion qualityVSAvoiduser interaction capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a visual copy or representation of the user's hand within the VR environment. This virtual hand representation allows the user to see their hand movements while maintaining full immersion in the VR content, thereby resolving the contradiction between immersion quality and interaction capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary element (the virtual hand representation) that mediates between the user's real hand and the VR environment. This intermediary allows the user to interact with virtual objects while maintaining awareness of their hand movements, thus improving ease of operation without sacrificing immersion

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Illumination intensity

If fully immersive HMDs are used, then VR content immersion is improved, but interaction with objects requiring specific orientations deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveVR content immersionVSAvoidobject interaction versatility

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The virtual representation of the hand provides visual feedback that enables users to understand the orientation and position of their hand relative to virtual objects, allowing for more versatile interaction with objects requiring specific orientations while maintaining immersion

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Illumination intensity

If fully immersive HMDs are used, then immersion quality is improved, but ability to catch or interact with thrown objects deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimmersion qualityVSAvoidobject interaction reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The virtual hand representation provides continuous visual feedback of hand position and movement, enabling users to track and catch thrown objects reliably while maintaining full immersion in the VR experience

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS10942576B2Techniques for real object and hand representation in virtual reality content

Publication Date: 2021.03.09 INTEL CORP

AI summary

Examples include techniques for real object and hand representation in virtual reality content. In some examples, one or more hands of a user of a head-mounted display (HMD) may be tracked while receiving sensor data from an identified object including one or more embedded sensors. Virtual reality content visible to the user on the HMD may be modified based on the tracking of the one or more hands and based on the received sensor data.