Virtual Development Environment for Mixed Reality Anchor Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional workflows for creating mixed reality applications require developers to access a physical modeled environment and use gestural inputs, which can be limiting, especially when access to physical environments is restricted or when using expensive or complex equipment.
Innovation Solution
A software and/or hardware facility that enables developers to create mixed reality applications in a virtual development environment by receiving a reference model of a physical object, arranging an anchor and animation within the virtual environment, and constructing a mixed reality application that displays the animated reference model when the anchor is detected in a physical environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If developers access physical modeled environment and use gestural inputs to create MR applications, then development accuracy and spatial reference alignment are improved, but device complexity and accessibility requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies of physical environments, anchor points, and artifacts that can be manipulated in a desktop-based virtual development environment. These virtual representations preserve the spatial relationships and geometric data needed for MR application development without requiring physical presence. The virtual scene graph maintains anchor-point-artifact relationships that mirror the physical environment structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtual development environment as an intermediary between the developer and the physical MR environment. This intermediary layer allows developers to work with virtual representations of physical spaces, anchors, and artifacts using standard desktop input devices, while the system handles the translation to actual MR spatial references when deployed.
2Measurement precision
If developers use gestural inputs in physical environment to develop MR applications, then spatial accuracy is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to limited access and complex equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates virtual copies of the physical environment, anchor points, and MR artifacts that can be manipulated on desktop devices. These virtual copies preserve all spatial accuracy information needed for MR development while allowing developers to interact using familiar mouse, keyboard, and screen-based interfaces rather than requiring physical presence and specialized gestural input devices.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having developers physically enter the MR environment and use gestural inputs to manipulate real-world objects, the patent inverts the approach by bringing the environment, anchors, and artifacts to the developer through virtual representations. The developer manipulates virtual versions locally, and the spatial accuracy is maintained through the virtual scene graph's preservation of geometric relationships.
3Manufacturing precision
If physical modeled environment is accessed for MR application development, then development precision is improved, but loss of time increases due to travel and setup requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies of the physical environment, anchor points, and artifacts that can be accessed immediately on desktop devices. This eliminates the time required for developers to travel to physical locations and set up equipment, while the virtual scene graph preserves all the geometric and spatial data needed for precise MR application development.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-processing the physical environment data into virtual representations that include all necessary spatial references, anchor point definitions, and artifact geometries. This preliminary virtualization allows developers to begin work immediately without needing to physically access the environment during the development process.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for developing mixed reality applications in connection with a virtual development environment are disclosed. A reference model corresponding to a physical object is received. Then, the reference model is displayed in a virtual development environment. First input arranging an anchor with the reference model in the virtual development environment is received. Then, second input specifying an animation to apply to the reference model is received. The arrangement in the virtual development environment is used to construct a mixed reality application usable to display, in response to detecting an instance of the anchor in a physical environment, the animated reference model in accordance with the arrangement in the virtual development environment.