Wearable IMU Sensor Assemblies for Line-of-Sight-Free VR Pose Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current positioning solutions for objects in computer applications, such as VR/AR, often require a line of sight between sensors and objects, which can be obstructed, and rely on visual tracking, making it difficult to capture motion without cameras.
Innovation Solution
The use of plural motion sensor assemblies attached to body parts that output pose information wirelessly, allowing for the presentation of body poses in a VR environment or control of robots without the need for external power or visual tracking, using machine learning to prevent the robot from falling by collecting and analyzing pose, sensor, and command data over time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If visual tracking with video camera or laser beam is used to track pose of objects, then pose information can be obtained, but line of sight must be maintained and external sensors are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the tracking function from external sensors and relocates it to wearable motion sensor assemblies attached directly to the body parts being tracked. This eliminates the need for external cameras and laser beams, allowing pose tracking without line of sight requirements while maintaining measurement precision through inertial measurement units (IMUs) and wireless data transmission.
2Loss of information
If visual tracking methods are used, then pose capture is possible, but line of sight is blocked by obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces optical tracking mechanisms (cameras and laser beams requiring line of sight) with inertial measurement units (IMUs) that use accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers. These mechanical/sensor-based systems measure motion directly at the body part location, eliminating dependence on visual line of sight and allowing accurate pose capture even when obstacles block the path between sensors and body parts.
3Adaptability or versatility
If motion sensor assemblies are attached to body parts, then pose information can be obtained without external sensors, but wireless communication and data processing are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs motion sensor assemblies with multi-functionality, integrating inertial measurement, wireless communication (Bluetooth Low Energy), and pose calculation capabilities into a single wearable unit. This universal design allows the same system to serve multiple applications including virtual reality, augmented reality, robotics control, and motion analysis, justifying the wireless communication complexity through broad adaptability across different use cases.
Data Source
AI summary
Plural individual sensor assemblies are engaged with respective parts of a person's body. Each assembly may include accelerometers, magnetometers, and gyroscopes. Sensor data is fused together to get the orientation at each body location. To simplify, the body is assumed to consist of rigid bars of known length connected with ball joints so that once the relative orientations of all bars are given by the respective assemblies, body pose can be computed. Then the body pose is translated as a virtual body into a virtual world either by a ray cast method that anchors a foot of the virtual body to the ground assuming infinite gravity and infinite friction and then translating the other body parts to make the ground contact point fixed, or by implementing an approximate dynamics physics engine on the virtual body. The technique may be used in VR location-based entertainment and for motion capture.