Apparatus, system, and method for directional acoustic sensing via wearables donned by users of artificial reality systems

1. An apparatus comprising:

a wearable dimensioned to be donned by a user of an artificial reality system;

a plurality of transmitters, incorporated into the wearable, that generate acoustic waves that, when the wearable is donned by the user, couple to the user and propagate toward a set of fingers on a hand of the user;

at least one acoustic sensor, incorporated into the wearable, that detects acoustic reflections of the acoustic waves generated by the plurality of transmitters; and

at least one processor, communicatively coupled to the acoustic sensor, that:

determines, based at least in part on one of the acoustic reflections, that a specific finger included in the set of fingers has made physical contact with an object; and

in response to determining that the specific finger has made physical contact with the object, generates an input command for the artificial reality system that accounts for the specific finger making physical contact with the object.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the plurality of transmitters comprise a plurality of directional transducers that emits the acoustic waves in specific directions; and

the plurality of transmitters are positioned within the wearable such that the plurality of directional transducers propagate the acoustic waves toward the set of fingers via a body of the user.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of directional transducers are calibrated to steer the acoustic waves toward the set of fingers via the body of the user.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the wearable comprises a wristband dimensioned to be donned on a wrist of the user.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of transmitters are positioned within the wristband to be proximate to a skin surface of the user such that the plurality of directional transducers propagate the acoustic waves toward the set of fingers via at least one of:

the skin surface of the user; or

one or more bones of the user.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the acoustic sensor is positioned within the wristband to be proximate to a skin surface of the user to facilitate detection of the one of the acoustic reflections via the body of the user, the one of the acoustic reflections having propagated from the specific finger to the wristband via at least one of:

the skin surface of the user; or

one or more bones of the user.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic sensor comprises a plurality of acoustic sensors that are positioned within the wearable such that the plurality of acoustic sensors are able to detect the acoustic reflections of the acoustic waves generated by the plurality of transmitters.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor:

monitors the acoustic reflections over a certain period of time;

detects, while monitoring the acoustic reflections, a change in the one of the acoustic reflections; and

determines that the change detected in the one of the acoustic reflections is indicative of physical contact made by the specific finger.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor:

detects, while monitoring the acoustic reflections, a dampening in the one of the acoustic reflections; and

determines that the dampening detected in the one of the acoustic reflections is indicative of physical contact made by the specific finger.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor:

detects, while monitoring the acoustic reflections, a subsequent change in the one of the acoustic reflections;

determines, based at least in part on the subsequent change detected in the one of the acoustic reflections, that the specific finger is no longer in physical contact with the object; and

generates a subsequent input command for the artificial reality system that accounts for the specific finger no longer being in physical contact with the object.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor:

detects, while monitoring the acoustic reflections, a rebound in the one of the acoustic reflections; and

determines that the rebound detected in the one of the acoustic reflections is indicative of the specific finger releasing the object.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor:

compares the one of the acoustic reflections to at least one signature that represents an acoustic profile of the specific finger making physical contact with the object;

determines, based at least in part on the comparison of the one of the acoustic reflections and the signature, that the one of the acoustic reflections matches the signature; and

determines, due at least in part to the one of the acoustic reflections matching the signature, that the specific finger has made physical contact with the object.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processor:

processes the one of the acoustic reflections via a machine learning model;

detects, within the one of the acoustic reflections via the machine learning model, a pattern indicative of the specific finger making physical contact with the object; and

determining, based at least in part on the pattern detected within the one of the acoustic reflections via the machine learning model, that the specific finger has made physical contact with the object.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor facilitates modifying at least one virtual component of the artificial reality system to account for the specific finger making physical contact with the object.

15. A wearable comprising:

a fastener dimensioned to facilitate securing the wearable to a user of an artificial reality system;

a plurality of transmitters generate acoustic waves that, when the wearable is donned by the user, couple to the user and propagate toward a set of fingers on a hand of the user;

at least one acoustic sensor that detects acoustic reflections of the acoustic waves generated by the plurality of transmitters; and

at least one processor, communicatively coupled to the acoustic sensor, that:

determines, based at least in part on one of the acoustic reflections, that a specific finger included in the set of fingers has made physical contact with an object; and

in response to determining that the specific finger has made physical contact with the object, generates an input command for the artificial reality system that accounts for the specific finger making physical contact with the object.

16. The wearable of claim 15 , wherein:

the plurality of transmitters comprise a plurality of directional transducers that emits the acoustic waves in specific directions; and

the plurality of transmitters are positioned within the wearable such that the plurality of directional transducers propagate the acoustic waves toward the set of fingers via a body of the user.

17. The wearable of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of directional transducers are calibrated to steer the acoustic waves toward the set of fingers via the body of the user.

18. The wearable of claim 16 , wherein the wearable comprises a wristband dimensioned to be donned on a wrist of the user.

19. The wearable of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of transmitters are positioned within the wristband to be proximate to a skin surface of the user such that the plurality of directional transducers propagate the acoustic waves toward the set of fingers via at least one of:

the skin surface of the user; or

one or more bones of the user.

20. A method comprising:

propagating, by a plurality of transmitters incorporated into a wearable donned by a user of an artificial reality system, acoustic waves via a body of the user toward a set of fingers on a hand of the user;

detecting, by at least one acoustic sensor incorporated into the wearable, acoustic reflections of the acoustic waves generated by the plurality of transmitters;

determining, based at least in part on the acoustic reflections detected by the acoustic sensor, that a specific finger included in the set of fingers has made physical contact with an object; and

in response to determining that the specific finger has made physical contact with the object, generating an input command for the artificial reality system that accounts for the specific finger making physical contact with the object.