VR Path Planning Using Visual Suppression for Immersive Navigation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional virtual reality systems face challenges in providing an immersive experience due to the mismatch between large virtual spaces and small, irregular physical spaces, leading to interruptions and discomfort from physical boundaries and obstacles, especially when using traditional redirection techniques that can cause visual and vestibular discomfort.
Innovation Solution
A method that utilizes visual suppression events, such as rapid eye movements, to imperceptibly redirect the user's path within the virtual environment by modifying the virtual camera orientation, allowing for more frequent and aggressive redirection without causing simulator sickness, combined with static-dynamic path planning to adapt to dynamic environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If redirected walking techniques are used to guide users around physical boundaries, then user immersion and visual-vestibular comfort are enhanced, but the technique is limited by the size, shape, and content of the physical environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic path planning that continuously adapts the virtual path based on real-time user position, velocity, and environmental constraints. The system transitions from static pre-defined paths to dynamic reconfigurable paths that adjust to changing physical conditions and user behavior, enabling the VR system to adapt to various physical environment configurations while maintaining immersion and comfort
Solution Approach 2:
The system modifies multiple parameters including path geometry, redirection angle, camera transformation matrices, and timing of redirection events. By dynamically adjusting these parameters based on environmental constraints and user state, the system optimizes the balance between maintaining user immersion and adapting to different physical space configurations
2Ease of operation
If rotation/transformation gains are increased to redirect user head movement, then the degree of head rotation visually perceived differs from actual rotation, but head movement and redirection amount must be limited to avoid negatively impacting user experience
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial redirection by using moderate transformation gains rather than extreme values. The system applies just enough camera transformation to guide users along the desired path while staying within perceptual thresholds that prevent discomfort or breakdown of immersion. This partial action approach maintains effectiveness while preserving user experience quality
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors user position, velocity, and path deviation to dynamically adjust redirection intensity. By providing feedback loops that measure actual user movement against the planned path and adjusting transformation gains accordingly, the system optimizes redirection effectiveness while preventing excessive transformations that would degrade user experience
3Ease of operation
If scene geometry is warped to guide user movements through modified scenes, then user movements are redirected, but warping causes distortion and is not suitable for open spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the redirection function from geometric warping of the entire scene and applies it selectively only to the camera view transformation. By separating the redirection operation from global scene modification, the system achieves movement guidance without introducing unwanted distortion to the virtual environment geometry, making it suitable for open spaces
4Ease of operation
If virtual orientation is reset when users hit physical boundaries, then users can continue moving, but for large virtual environments the viewpoints need to be reset often which interrupts and degrades user experience quality
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary path planning that anticipates boundary conditions and pre-calculates redirection paths before users actually reach physical boundaries. By proactively guiding users along pre-computed paths that avoid boundaries, the system eliminates the need for frequent orientation resets and maintains continuous immersive experience
Data Source
AI summary
A method, computer readable medium, and system are disclosed for computing a path for a user to move along within a physical space while viewing a virtual environment in a virtual reality system. A path for a user to physically move along through a virtual environment is determined based on waypoints and at least one characteristic of the physical environment within which the user is positioned, position data for the user is received indicating whether and how much a current path taken by the user has deviated from the path, and an updated path is computed through the virtual environment based on the waypoints and the at least one characteristic of the physical environment.