Walkable 360-Degree VR Video With Treadmill-Driven Playback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing virtual reality systems face challenges in providing immersive and realistic locomotion within virtual environments, with techniques like photogrammetry being inaccurate, computationally intensive, and limiting user interaction, leading to glitchy and unconvincing experiences.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for generating walkable virtual reality environments using 360-degree video captured along predetermined or dynamic paths, incorporating pre-processing steps such as stabilization, mirroring, and user-controlled locomotion to create an immersive experience from user-generated content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If photogrammetry is used to create virtual reality environments, then 3D geometry can be captured from real-world environments, but the process becomes massively computationally intensive and impractical
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses 360-degree video footage as a visual copy of the real-world environment, replacing the need for computationally intensive photogrammetric 3D reconstruction. The video frames serve as direct visual representations that can be displayed without complex geometric processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical photogrammetry process (involving multiple camera angles, 3D point cloud generation, and mesh reconstruction) with a simpler video playback system that uses pre-captured 360-degree footage, eliminating the need for real-time geometric computation.
2Measurement precision
If photogrammetry is used to create virtual reality environments, then 3D representation can be obtained, but the process yields glitchy and unconvincing experiences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses direct video capture copies of the real-world environment rather than reconstructed 3D models, preserving the visual fidelity and eliminating the glitches associated with photogrammetric reconstruction and skinning processes.
3Reliability
If 360-degree video is used for virtual reality, then user immersion is improved, but user locomotion and interaction remain limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic video playback that responds to user locomotion inputs, allowing users to move through the environment at different speeds and directions. The system dynamically selects and sequences video frames based on user movement, creating an interactive walking experience rather than static 360-degree viewing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the 360-degree video into multiple sequential frames or segments that can be individually selected and played back. This segmentation allows the system to present specific video frames corresponding to different user positions and movements, enabling controlled locomotion through the environment.
4Manufacturing precision
If photogrammetrically rendered scenes are created, then virtual environment detail is improved, but storage and processing requirements become excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses compressed video file copies instead of large photogrammetric datasets. Video compression techniques reduce the storage requirements while maintaining visual quality, making the content manageable for delivery and playback on standard devices.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are systems and methods for generating a walkable 360-degree video or virtual reality (VR) environment. 360-degree video data is obtained for a real-world environment and comprises a plurality of chronologically ordered frames captured by traversing a first path through the real-world environment. One or more processing operations are applied to generate a processed 360-degree video, which can be displayed to a user of an omnidirectional treadmill. Locomotion information is received from one or more sensors of the omnidirectional treadmill, wherein the locomotion information is generated based on a physical movement on or within the omnidirectional treadmill. Using the received locomotion information, one or more playback commands for controlling playback of the processed 360-degree video are generated. One or more selected frames of the processed 360-degree video are rendered for presentation and display to the user, based on the one or more playback commands.