Co-presence Manager for Virtual Reality Avatars
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Solution Overview
Problem
In virtual reality environments, users may engage in inappropriate behavior such as unauthorized contact or cheating due to the anonymity and lack of social norms, leading to a negative experience for others.
Innovation Solution
A co-presence manager defines restricted spaces for users, providing data to modify the virtual environment to prevent such behavior by repositioning avatars, changing the appearance of avatars, or removing them from the environment when they enter restricted spaces, and allowing users to define safe spaces to maintain personal boundaries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users are allowed free movement and interaction in the virtual environment, then user freedom and interaction capability are improved, but inappropriate behavior and harassment increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by proactively preventing inappropriate behavior before it occurs. When a user approaches another user's restricted space, the system automatically generates and applies environment modifications (such as visual barriers, audio changes, or haptic feedback) to deter further approach, thereby preventing harassment before it can happen while still allowing legitimate interaction.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary mechanism in the form of automatic environment modifications that mediate between users. These modifications act as a buffer or mediator that prevents direct harmful interaction while allowing the underlying social interaction to continue. The modifications serve as an automated mediator that enforces social boundaries without requiring direct user intervention.
2Reliability
If the system monitors and restricts user behavior to prevent inappropriate actions, then user safety is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies self-service by enabling users to define their own restricted spaces and having the system automatically enforce these boundaries without requiring constant user input or monitoring. Once a user defines their restricted space parameters, the system autonomously detects violations and applies appropriate environment modifications, reducing the need for complex centralized monitoring while maintaining safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by requiring users to pre-define their restricted space parameters before entering the virtual environment. This preliminary configuration allows the system to automatically enforce boundaries without needing complex real-time decision-making, thereby improving safety while keeping system complexity manageable through pre-established rules.
3Loss of information
If graphic indicators are displayed to instruct users to exit restricted spaces, then user awareness is improved, but visual clutter and distraction increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by providing targeted, localized visual feedback only in the specific area where a boundary violation occurs. Rather than displaying global notifications throughout the entire view, the system renders graphic indicators specifically at the boundary location, maintaining user awareness of the violation while minimizing overall visual clutter and distraction in the rest of the environment.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A~2C
AI summary
A method for controlling a co-presence virtual environment for a first user and a second user includes: determining a first avatar's restricted space in the co-presence virtual environment, the first avatar correspond to the first user of the co-presence virtual environment; receiving user position data from a first computing device associated with the first user and determining the first avatar's location within the co-presence virtual environment; when the first avatar's location is within the first avatar's restricted space, communicating first co-presence virtual environment modification data to the first computing device; and communicating second co-presence virtual environment modification data to a second computing device associated with the second user.