The problem with playing games in VR is that you need to have ample room to move about. This is because sometimes VR gets a bit too immersive and you might find yourself bumping into furniture and knocking things down. However, since having access to a wide and open space isn’t always possible, Apple has come up with a way to deal with that problem.
According to Patently Apple, they have come across a patent filed by Apple in which it describes a system where the VR headset can detect objects around it, and when the user walks too close to an object, like a desk or a chair, it will alert them to it so that they do not walk any further and avoid potentially injuring themselves.
However, wouldn’t suddenly alerting users to objects near them startle them, especially if they’re not sure if it’s too their left, right, or right in front of them? Perhaps, which is why the patent also describes how when the user starts approaching an obstacle in real life while wearing the VR headset, it will start to transition where a view from the outside starts to blend into the in-game footage.
This is to provide users with more context of their surroundings, and the closer the user gets, the more clear the image will be of the real world objects. It’s an interesting system and we have to wonder if it will make the cut in Apple’s rumored VR headset.
Filed in . Read more about Patent and Virtual Reality (VR). Source: patentlyapple