The Walt Disney Company
System for introducing physical experiences into virtual reality (VR) worlds

Abstract:

A system for providing a user of a virtual reality (VR) system with physical interactions with an object in the real world or in the surrounding physical space while they are concurrently interacting in the virtual world with a corresponding virtual object. The real world object is dynamic with the system including a physical interaction system that includes a robot with a manipulator for moving, positioning, and/or orienting the real world object to move it into contact with the user. For example, the physical object is moved into contact with a tracked body part of the user at a time that is synchronized with a time of an interaction event occurring in the virtual world being created by the VR system. Further, a system is described for providing a dynamic physical interaction to a human participant, e.g., a fast and compelling handover in an augmented reality (AR) system.