Facebook Technologies, LLC

Oculus, Vr, LLC

Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC

University of California

Facebook, Inc.

Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Sean Jason Keller

Tristan Thomas Trutna

David R Perek

Nicholas Roy Corson

Raymond King

Garett Andrew Ochs

Brian Michael Scally

Bruce A Cleary, Iii

Jack Lindsay

Riccardo DeSalvo

Serol Turkyilmaz

Hrvoje Benko

Bruce A Cleary

Selso Luanava

Andrew Stanley

Vincenzo Casasanta, Iii

Ravish Mehra

Joseph Minh Tien

Elia Gatti

Christoph Omid Hohnerlein

Matthew Robert Schwab

Charles Stewart

Ke-Yu Chen

Yon Visell

Yitian Shao

Bharat Dandu

John Michael Lutian

Robert Manson

Yigit Mengue

Massimiliano Di Luca

Nicholas Colonnese

Erik Samuel Roby

Justin Avram Clark

Yigit Menguc

Casey Glick

Dustin Jeffery Gordon Krogstad

Laura Cristina Trutoiu

Ian Andreas Marquez

Sabrina Monique Sandoval

Yang Lou

Garrett Andrew Ochs

Cleveland-Joel Chavez Wilcox

Andrew Arthur Stanley

A wearable glove for interacting with virtual objects in an artificial-reality environment is described herein. The wearable glove comprises a matrix made of an elastic polymer, the matrix including a plurality of voids, each respective void (i) including at least one fluidic actuator and ii) not being fluidically coupled with a positionally adjacent void of the plurality of voids included in the matrix. The wearable glove further comprises at least one fluidic control device coupled to the at least one fluidic actuator. The at least one fluidic control device provides (i) a first fluid pressure to the at least one fluidic actuator, which causes the at least one fluidic actuator to enter a high-pressure state and (ii) a second fluid pressure to the at least one fluidic actuator, which causes the at least one fluidic actuator to enter a low-pressure state.

Wearable glove with a plurality of fluidic actuators and a plurality of fluidic control devices and system of use thereof

A virtual reality system enables a user to interact with virtual objects. The system includes a fiducial ring, an imaging device and a console. The fiducial ring includes a ring body that includes a plurality of fiducial markers that each correspond to a different location on the ring body. An imaging device is configured to capture one or more images of the fiducial ring. The console receives the images that include an image of one or more fiducial markers. Based on the received images of the fiducial markers, the console determines a location on the fiducial ring that corresponds to the imaged fiducial marker. The console determines a position of the fiducial ring based on the determined location of the fiducial marker on the fiducial ring. The console provides content to a head mounted display (HMD) based on the determined position of the fiducial ring.

Fiducial rings in virtual reality

A method for large scale integration of haptic devices is described. The method comprises forming a first elastomer layer of a large scale integration (LSI) device on a substrate according to a specified manufacturing process, the first elastomer layer having a plurality of fluid based circuits, the first elastomer layer adhering to a plurality of formation specifications. The method further comprises curing the first elastomer layer. Additionally, one or more additional elastomer layers of the LSI device are formed with the first elastomer layer according to the specified manufacturing process, the one or more additional elastomer layers having a plurality of fluid based circuits, the one or more additional elastomer layers adhering to the plurality of formation specifications.

Wearable device with fluid-based circuits and stretch-sensitive materials, and systems including the wearable device used in conjunction with a virtual-reality headset

The disclosed microfluidic valves may include a valve body having at least one cavity therein, a gate transmission element separating the cavity into an input gate terminal and an output gate terminal, a gate port configured to convey drive fluid into the input gate terminal, and a fluid channel. The gate transmission element may include a flexible membrane and a plunger coupled to the flexible membrane. The gate transmission element may be configured to move within the cavity to inhibit a subject fluid flow from an inlet port to an outlet port of the fluid channel upon pressurization of the input gate terminal, and to allow subject fluid flow from the inlet port to the outlet port upon depressurization of the input gate terminal. Various other related systems and methods are also disclosed.

Methods of fabricating microfluidic valves and systems

A wearable glove for interacting with virtual objects is described herein. An example wearable glove includes a fabric material to be worn on a user's hand. The wearable glove also includes a matrix made of an elastic polymer, the matrix including a plurality of voids, each respective void (i) including at least one fluidic actuator and (ii) not being fluidically coupled with a positionally adjacent void. The wearable glove additionally includes a non-fluidic actuator configured to restrict movement of one of the user's digits; and one or more position sensors for monitoring positional data used to a determine a position of the wearable glove within a three-dimensional space. The wearable device can control the at least one fluidic actuator and the at least one non-fluidic actuator to simulate real-world interactions in the artificial-reality environment based on the position of the wearable device as compared to respective positions of virtual objects.

Wearable gloves including a fabric material worn by a user, a position sensor, and a matrix with a plurality of voids that each include at least one fluidic actuator

A fluidic device comprises a channel, a gate, and one or more additional elements. The channel is configured to transport a fluid from a source to a drain. The gate includes a chamber with an adjustable volume that affects fluid flow within the channel by displacing a wall of the channel toward an opposite wall of the channel based in part on fluid pressure within the chamber exceeding a threshold pressure. A high pressure state of the gate corresponds to a first chamber size and a first flow rate of the fluid. A low pressure state of the gate corresponds to a second chamber size that is smaller than the first chamber size and a second flow rate that is greater than the first flow rate. The additional elements are configured to reduce the threshold pressure past which the chamber decreases the cross-sectional area of the channel.

Fluidic devices and related methods and wearable devices

An example method of identifying a touch gesture on a user is provided. The method includes receiving, by one or more transducers of a wearable device, a set of signals that establish a signal pathway to the wearable device. The method also includes, while receiving the set of signals, determining baseline characteristics for the signal pathway, and sensing a change in the baseline characteristics caused by user interaction with an affordance of a user interface projected or perceived on the user's appendage. The method further includes, in accordance with a determination that the sensed change in the baseline characteristics satisfies a contact criterion, reporting a candidate touch event on the user's appendage to a separate electronic device that creates the user interface or is in communication with another electronic device that creates the user interface.

Methods, devices, and systems for displaying a user interface on a user and detecting touch gestures

A method creates haptic stimulations on a user of an artificial reality system. The system includes a head-mounted display (HMD) and a wearable device. The HMD includes a display and speakers. The wearable device includes a plurality of transducers that can each generate waves to provide haptic feedback to a user. The system displays media content on the display and, in accordance with the displayed media content, determines a virtual object location in the displayed media content corresponding to a physical object location. The system provides, to the user, audio directed to the virtual object location. The system activates one or more transducers to provide haptic feedback at a target location on the user, distinct from the physical object location, to produce haptic feedback whose perceptual interpretation is at the physical object location based on a combination of the displayed media, the provided audio, and the haptic feedback.

Methods, devices, and systems for modifying perceived haptic stimulations on a user

In some examples, a device includes a first fluidic amplifier stage, configured to receive a fluidic input and provide a first stage fluidic output, and a second fluidic amplifier stage, configured to receive the first stage fluidic output and provide a second stage fluidic output. The first fluidic amplifier stage may include a fluidic valve, for example having a source, a gate, and a drain. The fluidic input may be connected to the gate of the fluidic valve through a fluid channel, and a fluid flow between the source and the drain of the fluidic valve may be controlled by the fluidic input. An example device may be configured to provide a fluidic output, wherein the fluidic output is based on the fluidic input, and the fluidic output may be provided to a fluidic load such as an actuator.

Apparatus and methods for fluidic amplification

A wearable device comprises one or more deformable signaling pathways wherein each deformable signaling pathway is configured to enable an electrical connection between two devices electrically connected to each other via the deformable signaling pathway. Deformable signaling pathways enable the conduction of electrical signals between various circuit elements similar to one or more circuit elements such as electronic traces or wires. A deformable signaling pathway includes one or more conductive elements surrounded by a conductive gel. Both the conductive gel and the one or more conductive elements are encased in an elastomeric shell. The elastomeric shell is attached to terminals (e.g., one on either end). The one or more connectors are attached to one another such that the one or more connectors span the length of the elastomeric shell and form a low resistance contact between the terminals of the deformable signaling pathway.

Deformable signaling pathways

Co-casted fluidic devices

Microfluidic valves, systems, and related methods

A fluidic device controls fluid flow in channel from a source to a drain. In some embodiments, the fluidic devices comprise a gate, a channel, and an obstruction. The gate comprises at least one chamber whose volume increases with fluid pressure. A high-pressure state of the gate corresponds to a first chamber size and a low-pressure state of the gate corresponds to a second chamber size that is smaller than the first chamber size. The obstruction controls a rate of fluid flow within the channel based on the fluid pressure in the gate. The obstruction induces at most a first flow rate of fluid in the channel in accordance with the low-pressure state of the gate, and at least a second flow rate of the fluid in the channel in accordance with the high-pressure state of the gate.

Fluidic devices, haptic systems including fluidic devices, and related methods

A haptic glove comprises a glove body including a glove digit corresponding to a phalange of a user hand with the glove digit having a bend location that is located along the glove digit. A haptic apparatus is coupled to the glove body at the bend location with the haptic apparatus comprising a plurality of sheets that are flexible and inextensible and a pressure actuator coupled to one or more of the plurality of sheets. The plurality of sheets are stacked and configured to translate relative to each other along the centerline with bending of the glove digit. The pressure actuator is configured to adjust an applied pressure to the plurality of sheets to adjust friction between the sheets. The adjustment of friction is proportional to a bending resistance of the glove digit.

Haptic device for variable bending resistance

Growing community of inventors

Kirkland, WA, United States of America

Sean Jason Keller