Virtual Reality User Representation Scaling for Spatial Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current virtual reality systems limit user experience by restricting movement within virtual spaces that exceed the boundaries of the real-world environment, making it difficult for users to explore and interact with content located outside the physical space, especially when the virtual space is larger than the real-world space.
Innovation Solution
The system allows for scaling of the user's representation in the virtual space based on distance from the object of interest and the real-world space boundary, enabling faster movement and increased size or speed of the user's avatar to facilitate navigation beyond physical constraints, allowing users to interact with virtual objects outside the real-world space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the virtual space is made larger than the real-world space to provide more content, then the content availability is improved, but the user's ability to reach and interact with content is worsened due to physical movement limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the user's representation size in the virtual space based on their distance from objects of interest. When a user approaches an object, their avatar automatically scales up in size, enabling them to reach and interact with virtual objects that would otherwise be inaccessible due to real-world space constraints. This dynamic scaling resolves the contradiction by maintaining a large virtual space while adapting user reachability to contextual needs.
2Ease of operation
If the user's representation size is increased to enable interaction with distant objects, then the interaction capability is improved, but the navigation efficiency is worsened due to slower movement
Solution Approach 1:
The user's representation size changes dynamically based on proximity to objects of interest. When far from objects, the user maintains normal size for efficient navigation. When approaching an object of interest, the system automatically scales up the user's avatar, enabling interaction while minimizing the time spent at reduced navigation speed. This temporal and spatial conditioning resolves the contradiction between interaction capability and navigation efficiency.
3Speed
If the user moves faster through the virtual space to reach distant objects, then the navigation efficiency is improved, but the sense of immersion and spatial accuracy is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the scale parameter of the user's representation based on contextual factors such as distance to objects of interest and movement direction. By adjusting the avatar size rather than the fundamental movement speed, the system maintains spatial perception accuracy while enabling faster effective navigation through scaled representation. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by decoupling movement speed from representation size.
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus and method is disclosed comprising means for providing virtual reality video content in a virtual space, means for determining selection of an object of interest in the virtual space, and means for scaling a representation of a user in the virtual space based at least on a distance V in the virtual space between the user and the object of interest.