VR Headset Collision Avoidance Using Rotators and Teleporters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing virtual reality systems limit players to a physically confined space, restricting the experience of a large virtual world within a small room, often causing unnatural interruptions and collisions with virtual obstacles.
Innovation Solution
Implementing rotators and teleporters in the virtual environment that allow players to change direction in the physical world without altering their direction in the virtual world, using devices like rotating discs and barriers to facilitate seamless navigation and expand the playable area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If players physically walk around a room using virtual reality headset, then they can experience motion in the virtual world corresponding to their physical movement, but they are restricted to a physically confined space and cannot explore a large virtual world
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensionality change by introducing rotational movement around a central axis (vertical dimension) to expand the playable area. Players can rotate 360 degrees around the center of the room while maintaining their radial distance, effectively creating a larger virtual exploration space from a confined physical footprint. This is achieved through collision detection that allows angular movement without radial displacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts player movement constraints based on detected obstacles. When no obstacles are detected in a direction, players can rotate freely; when obstacles are detected, the system prevents movement in that direction. This dynamic adaptation allows maximum utilization of the physical space while maintaining safety, effectively expanding the usable area over time as players learn the spatial boundaries.
2Reliability
If the system prevents players from moving beyond physical boundaries, then collision safety is maintained, but players experience unnatural interruptions and collisions with virtual obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary collision detection system that acts as a mediator between the player and the virtual environment. Instead of allowing direct physical contact with boundaries (which causes interruptions), the system detects obstacles beforehand and prevents movement in advance. This intermediary layer maintains safety while eliminating the need for reactive stopping and starting, ensuring continuous gameplay.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary collision detection before allowing player movement. By scanning for obstacles in advance and pre-calculating safe movement paths, the system prevents collisions before they occur rather than reacting to them. This preliminary action ensures both safety and uninterrupted gameplay flow.
3Area of stationary object
If players are confined to a small physical room, then the physical space requirement is minimized, but the virtual playing area size is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms a two-dimensional floor plan limitation into a three-dimensional solution by utilizing vertical rotation around the center point. Players can complete full 360-degree rotations around the radial axis, effectively creating a circular virtual playing area that extends beyond the linear dimensions of the physical room. This dimensional transformation allows a small physical space to support a large virtual area.
Solution Approach 2:
The system makes the central rotation point serve multiple functions: it acts as the pivot for angular movement, the reference point for collision detection, and the center of the virtual playing area. This multi-functional design maximizes the utility of the limited physical space, allowing one central location to enable extensive virtual exploration.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, apparatus, and computer readable storage medium directed to implementing a room scale virtual reality system which enables players to walk through a large virtual playing area in a physically limited size room. Physical tracking of a virtual reality headset is used so that the position and orientation of the virtual reality headset is identified to translate the physical player's motion into the virtual world which is displayed on the virtual reality headset. Relocation objects are placed in the virtual world so they correspond to physical location against physical walls. Relocation objects in the virtual world rotate and/or relocate the player in the virtual world which would typically cause the player in the physical world to turn around and thus walk away from the physical wall. Placement of relocation objects throughout the virtual world enable a large virtual world to be implemented using a small finite sized physical room.