VR Avatar Movement Control for Simulator Sickness Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing virtual reality systems suffer from simulator sickness and visual discomfort due to artificial locomotion and teleportation methods, which reduce user immersion and willingness to explore VR environments.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that generate virtual reality images in both first-person and third-person perspectives using a controller to simulate avatar movement, allowing users to switch between first-person control for relative position display and third-person control for avatar location display, reducing simulator sickness and enhancing continuity during location changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If artificial locomotion movement is used to allow users to explore a bigger area in VR environment, then user mobility is improved, but simulator sickness occurs due to conflicting signals from eyes and inner ear
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between first-person control (for mobility) and third-person control (to reduce sickness). The controller detects user intent and automatically transitions between perspectives, allowing the system to adapt its display mode based on the current operational context rather than being static in one control mode
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the controller with gesture recognition) that mediates between the user's movement intent and the VR environment response. The controller detects gestures and translates them into appropriate avatar movements, providing a buffer that helps reconcile the conflict between visual movement and inner ear sensations
2Object-affected harmful factors
If teleportation movement is used to decrease simulator sickness, then simulator sickness is reduced, but user experience suffers due to no transition between locations and visual discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the transition style based on distance and context. For short distances, it uses smooth avatar walking (first-person control). For longer distances, it transitions to third-person control with visualized path following. This dynamic adaptation eliminates abrupt teleportation while managing simulator sickness risk
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the control parameter from direct viewpoint manipulation (teleportation) to avatar position control (third-person control). This parameter change allows the system to maintain continuity of experience while achieving location changes, as the user controls avatar movement rather than experiencing instantaneous viewpoint jumps
3Ease of operation
If first-person control is used to display user movement by relative position, then user immersion is improved, but simulator sickness occurs due to direct dragging of user view
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between first-person control (for immersion) and third-person control (to prevent sickness). When sickness is detected or during transitions, the system automatically shifts to third-person perspective, providing a protective mechanism that preserves immersion while mitigating harmful effects
Data Source
AI summary
A method of display user movement in a computing device of a virtual reality system is disclosed. The method comprises generating a first image in a first-person perspective with a first-person control, simulating an avatar according to a first control signal received from a controller of the virtual reality system, and generating a second image including the avatar in the first-person perspective with a third-person control, wherein the first-person perspective indicates that a user sees images as if seen through the avatar's eyes, and a field of view of the avatar is controlled by the user, the first-person control indicates that a user's movement is displayed by a relative position between the avatar and a scene of the images, and the third-person control indicates that the user's movement is displayed by different locations of the avatar in the images.