Virtual Walking Platform With Foot Tracking to Reduce VR Dizziness
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current virtual reality technologies for controlling virtual character movement often cause dizziness due to a mismatch between visual and physical perceptions, and existing solutions are either expensive, bulky, or limited in range and user experience.
Innovation Solution
A device and method combining an omnidirectional exercise machine with foot wearable devices equipped with inertial and laser sensors, using inverse kinematic algorithms to track human body posture and foot displacement, allowing for stable and immersive virtual walking experiences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If directional control buttons are used to control virtual character movement, then the control method is cheap and reliable, but the user experiences strong dizziness due to mismatch between visual and physical perception
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical control buttons with an omnidirectional movement platform that uses mechanical forces to physically move the user. This substitution allows the user's body to actually perceive the movement through vestibular organs, eliminating the sensory mismatch that causes dizziness while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The omnidirectional movement platform serves as an intermediary between the user and the virtual environment. It translates user intentions into physical movements and provides tactile feedback, mediating the interaction between visual perception and physical sensation to reduce dizziness.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If an omnidirectional movement platform is used to control virtual character movement, then the difference between visual and physical perception is greatly reduced and dizziness is eliminated, but the device becomes bulky and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the omnidirectional movement platform into modular components including a base, support piece, running plate, and back support rods. This segmentation allows the system to achieve omnidirectional movement functionality while reducing overall bulkiness and facilitating easier assembly and storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic elements such as bearings for rotation, rotating beams for movement, and adjustable back support rods. These dynamic components enable the platform to adapt its configuration, reducing bulkiness when not in use while maintaining full omnidirectional movement capability during operation.
3Measurement precision
If position tracking devices are mounted around a fixed environment to capture user position, then movement control in a certain space is realized, but the method has high environmental requirements and cannot realize movement in a large range
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses laser sensors to create optical copies or projections of the user's foot positions on the running plate. This copying mechanism allows for precise position tracking without requiring physical markers or sensors in the environment, enabling accurate measurement while maintaining adaptability to different spaces and large movement ranges.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical position tracking systems with optical laser sensors. This substitution eliminates the need for physical infrastructure in the environment while achieving high measurement precision and enabling unrestricted movement within the sensor's detection range.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a comfortable and immersive virtual walking experience by aligning visual and physical perceptions, reducing dizziness and enabling a wide range of movement in virtual environments while being adaptable and cost-effective.
Implementation Method 1
an inertial sensor is arranged inside the waist omnidirectional motion controller
Implementation Method 2
obtaining an orientation of the torso of the human body and an attitude angle of the torso of the human body by performing fusion correction on the due north direction and the direction of gravity
Implementation Method 3
measuring an orientation of the torso of the human body by measuring a earth's magnetic field by a magnetometer
Implementation Method 4
A laser sensor is arranged on a front end of the bottom portion of each wrapping body
Implementation Method 5
obtaining displacement data of a left foot and a right foot of the human body; wherein the displacement data is obtained by tracking feet of the human body through the laser sensors
Implementation Method 6
A support piece is arranged on the base through a bearing
Implementation Method 7
a middle portion of each roller is wrapped with rubber
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A device for visual walking includes an omnidirectional exercise machine and foot wearable devices. A method for visual walking is applied to the device for visual walking. When a user wears the omnidirectional exercise machine and uses the loading frame (9) to adjust a height of the omnidirectional exercise machine, and wears the foot wearable devices to stand and run on a running plate (3), human body posture data is obtained by tracking a human body torso. Then displacement data of left and right feet is obtained by tracking the feet. A virtual position and a movement speed of the feet are respectively obtained according to the displacement data, the leg posture is inferred by the IK algorithm according to the virtual position and the walking action of the virtual character is controlled according to the human body posture data, the movement speed of the feet, and the leg posture.