Systems for detecting in-air and surface gestures available for use in an artificial-reality environment using sensors at a wrist-wearable device, and methods of use thereof

Abstract

A artificial-reality system, including an optional head-wearable device to display an artificial-reality environment and a wrist-wearable device, identifies and detects shapes of surfaces, and, optionally, the distances of surfaces from the wrist-wearable device, and makes operations, including haptic events, available to users by detecting gestures performed by the user, causing respective operations to be performed based on the type of gestures, and optionally, the distance of the wrist-wearable device from surfaces during performance of the gestures. For example, the wrist-wearable device can be configured to cause performance of a first set of operations corresponding to in-air gestures, which are performed within an in-air threshold distance of a surface, a second set of operations corresponding to near-surface gestures performed within a surface threshold distance of a surface. The operations can, for example, update the display at the optional head-wearable device, control device properties at other electronic devices, or respond to messages.