AR navigation aid for user guidance
Augmented reality (AR) methods are provided for guiding user movement within an AR environment. The methods involve calculating an angle between the user's current viewing direction and a target location, and determining if this angle exceeds a visibility threshold of an AR display device. A guidance vector is computed to account for user movement, and a visual navigation aid corresponding to this vector is generated to direct the user towards the target. The visual aid may be an arrow or pointer displayed on a heads-up display (HUD). The guidance vector is adjusted by a correction factor to prioritize lateral head movements and may include additional visual elements to indicate the required rotation. The system includes at least one processor and memory to execute these operations. A computer-readable storage medium contains instructions for executing the method, facilitating real-time updates of the navigation aid as the user's viewing direction changes.
1 . A method for generating a guidance vector for user movement in an augmented reality (AR) environment, comprising:
using at least one processor, calculating an angle between a current viewing direction of a user and a target location within the AR environment, the target location corresponding to a virtual object or feature that is part of an interactive AR application;
using the at least one processor, determining that the angle transgresses a threshold angle that defines a visibility range of an AR display device;
based on the determining that the angle transgresses the threshold angle, computing the guidance vector that accounts for movement of the user; and
generating a visual navigation aid within the AR environment that corresponds to the guidance vector to facilitate user movement towards the target location.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the guidance vector is computed by applying a correction factor that modifies at least one component of the guidance vector to prioritize lateral head movements over vertical head movements.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the correction factor is determined using an iterative approach that adjusts the correction factor based on predefined angular ranges relative to the current viewing direction of the user.
4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the correction factor is determined using a continuous mathematical function that scales the correction factor in proportion to an angular deviation.
5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the computing of the guidance vector further includes casting the target location onto a virtual representation of a display plane to determine an initial direction vector before applying the correction factor.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the initial direction vector is normalized prior to the application of the correction factor to ensure the visual navigation aid is proportionally scaled within a user interface of the AR display device.
7 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the correction factor is dynamically adjusted based on an orientation and movement of the user within the AR environment.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the visual navigation aid is at least one of an arrow or pointer that appears within a heads-up display (HUD) of the AR display device.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the visual navigation aid includes additional visual elements that indicate a degree of rotation to align the viewing direction of the user with the target location.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the additional visual elements comprise a series of incremental indicators that visually represent a progression of movement of the user towards the target.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold angle is based on an aspect ratio and dimensions of the AR display device.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the visual navigation aid is displayed in a predetermined horizontal direction when the target location is behind the user.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the AR display device is a pair of AR glasses, and the visual navigation aid is overlaid on a real-world view of the user.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the visual navigation aid dynamically updates in real-time as the viewing direction of the user changes within the AR environment.
15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the visual navigation aid is configured to fade in intensity or change color based on a proximity of a current viewing direction of the user to the target location.
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the visual navigation aid is further configured to provide haptic feedback through the AR display device when the viewing direction of the user aligns with the target location.
17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the visual navigation aid is adapted to account for obstacles detected in an environment of the user that may impede direct movement towards the target location.
18 . A system for generating a guidance vector for user movement in an augmented reality (AR) environment, comprising:
at least one processor; and
a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system perform operations comprising:
calculating an angle between a current viewing direction of a user and a target location within the AR environment, the target location corresponding to a virtual object or feature that is part of an interactive AR application;
determining that the angle transgresses a threshold angle that defines a visibility range of an AR display device;
based on the determining that the angle transgresses the threshold angle, computing the guidance vector that accounts for movement of the user; and
generating a visual navigation aid within the AR environment that corresponds to the guidance vector to facilitate user movement towards the target location.
19 . A machine-storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method for generating a guidance vector for user movement in an augmented reality (AR) environment, the method comprising:
calculating an angle between a current viewing direction of a user and a target location within the AR environment, the target location corresponding to a virtual object or feature that is part of an interactive AR application;
determining that the angle transgresses a threshold angle that defines a visibility range of an AR display device;
computing the guidance vector that accounts for movement of the user based on the determination that the angle transgresses the threshold angle; and
generating a visual navigation aid within the AR environment that corresponds to the guidance vector to facilitate user movement towards the target location.