Visual Inertial Navigation for AR Position Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Augmented reality devices face inaccuracies in displaying virtual content due to inadequate tracking of their position in space, leading to misalignment with real-world objects as the user moves.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a visual inertial navigation module that combines camera frames and inertial measurement unit data to accurately track the device's dynamic state, including position, orientation, and 3D geometry, allowing for real-time adjustment of virtual content display based on the device's position relative to stationary objects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If visual inertial navigation module is implemented to accurately track device position, then alignment precision of virtual content is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines visual data from cameras and inertial data from IMU sensors into a unified navigation module. This merging of multiple sensing modalities allows the system to achieve high position tracking accuracy while sharing computational infrastructure, thereby reducing overall system complexity despite the advanced functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The visual inertial navigation module serves multiple functions simultaneously: it tracks device position, determines device orientation, and provides spatial mapping information. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized systems, thereby improving measurement precision without proportionally increasing device complexity.
2Measurement precision
If real-time position tracking is implemented, then virtual content alignment is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary processing of visual and inertial data streams, pre-synchronizing and pre-fusing sensor data before final position calculation. This preliminary action reduces the computational burden during real-time rendering, thereby maintaining high alignment accuracy while minimizing processing latency.
Solution Approach 2:
The visual inertial navigation module operates continuously, maintaining constant tracking of device position and orientation. This continuous operation allows the system to use predictive algorithms that estimate device state between measurement cycles, reducing processing time while maintaining accurate virtual content alignment.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for visual inertial navigation for augmented reality are described. In some embodiments, at least one camera of a wearable device generates a plurality of video frames. At least one inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors of the wearable device generates IMU data. Features in the plurality of video frames for each camera are tracked. The plurality of video frames for each camera are synchronized and aligned based on the IMU data. A dynamic state of the wearable device is computed based on the synchronized plurality of video frames with the IMU data for each camera. Augmented reality content is generated and positioned in a display of the wearable device based on the dynamic state of the wearable device.