Spray Paint Simulator and Training Aid

An instructional aid for training an operator to use a paint sprayer, the instructional aid comprising:

• a mock paint sprayer;
• a trigger sensor of the mock paint sprayer;
• a head-mounted display unit;
• a motion tracking system for tracking a position and an orientation of the mock paint sprayer and the headset;
• a computer running software operable to display a virtual object on the head-mounted display and, in response to an input from the trigger sensor, simulate the accumulation of paint on the virtual object;
• a plurality of virtual paint droplets, each of the plurality of droplets having a radius and a thickness;
• a plurality of vectors, each respectively associated with one of the plurality of virtual paint droplets and having a length extending from the mock paint sprayer to the virtual object;
• a maximum distance threshold;
• a mesh data structure corresponding to the virtual surface, the mesh data structure for storing the virtual droplets;
• wherein the accumulation of paint on the virtual object is simulated by calculating, for each of the plurality of vectors having a length less than the maximum distance threshold, an intersection point with the virtual surface, and storing the corresponding virtual paint droplets of the plurality of vectors in the mesh consistent with the intersection point.

An instructional aid for training an operator to use a paint sprayer, the instructional aid comprising:

• a mock paint sprayer;
• a trigger sensor of the mock paint sprayer;
• a head-mounted display unit;
• a motion tracking system for tracking the mock paint sprayer and the headset;
• a computer running software operable to display a virtual object on the head-mounted display and, in response to an input from the trigger sensor, simulate the accumulation of paint on the virtual object;
• an arrow displayed on the head-mounted display, the arrow responsive to one of the position or orientation of mock paint sprayer with respect to the virtual object.