VR Pull Locomotion Using Grab Targets to Reduce Motion Sickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing virtual reality locomotion methods, such as teleportation and grabbing and pushing, fail to provide fast, comfortable, and immersive experiences, often causing motion sickness and distorted time perception.
Innovation Solution
A pull locomotion method using virtually rendered objects as grab handles, where users move towards or away from these targets by pulling or pushing their controllers, incorporating easing functions to smooth movements and minimize disorientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If teleportation method is used for virtual reality locomotion, then users can avoid motion sickness, but users experience distorted time perception and never feel actual motion
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of moving the user forward to the destination, the system pulls the user backward by anchoring virtual grab handles to the user's current position and dragging the user along a curved path to the target location. This inverted approach maintains immersion while avoiding the time distortion of instant teleportation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system constructs a three-dimensional complex proxy surface (curved path) between the user's current position and the pull target, rather than using a straight line. This curved trajectory creates a more natural, immersive motion experience that reduces motion sickness while maintaining accurate time perception.
2Speed
If grabbing and pushing method is used for locomotion, then users can experience motion, but the method is only suitable for zero gravity simulations
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of having users push against the environment to move forward, the system anchors virtual grab handles to the user's position and pulls the user backward along a curved path. This inversion allows the method to work effectively in gravitational environments while still providing continuous motion feedback.
3Ease of operation
If pull locomotion with curved paths is used, then users experience immersive motion, but the system complexity increases due to proxy surface construction
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a virtual copy (proxy surface) of the curved path between user and target, rather than directly implementing complex physics calculations. This proxy surface serves as an intermediate representation that simplifies the rendering and interaction while maintaining the immersive curved motion experience.
Data Source
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AI summary
The described technology is generally directed towards pull locomotion, which allows users to move around a virtual reality environment (typically larger than their physical environment) by interacting with pull targets, which comprise interactive objects displayed in the reality environment. When (e.g., via a controller) the user reaches grabs a pull target and pulls the controller back towards the user, the user's perceived position moves toward the target, as if the environment is being pulled to the user. A push motion generally results in moving the user's perceived position away from the target. The perceived movement can be gradual in the environment, relative to the speed of the pull or push. The pulling and pushing facilitate an interactive narrative experience or enhance interactive game play.