Systems and methods for interacting with virtual objects in a haptic virtual reality environment

A system for interfacing with a virtual object in a haptic virtual environment, comprising:

• the virtual object comprising a virtual surface;
• a haptic interface device, wherein the haptic interface device senses a location of a user in real space;
• a virtual tool comprising a plurality of discrete points for use by the user in the haptic virtual environment;
• and
• a modeling application in communication with the haptic interface device, the virtual object, and the virtual tool, wherein the modeling application (a) determines a haptic interface location in the haptic virtual environment in response to the location of the user in real space;
• (b) determines locations for the plurality of discrete points of the virtual tool in the haptic virtual environment in comparison to the haptic interface location and a location of the virtual surface;
• (c) determines a geometry for the virtual surface at an area where at least one of the plurality of discrete points of the virtual tool penetrates the virtual surface;
• and (d) limits movement of the virtual tool based on (i) the geometry of the virtual surface, (ii) at least one location of at least one of the plurality of discrete points, and (iii) the haptic interface location.

A method for interfacing with a virtual surface in a haptic virtual environment, comprising:

• generating a virtual surface in the haptic virtual environment;
• sensing a location of a user in real space;
• determining a virtual representation of the user in real space, the virtual representation comprising a plurality of discrete points;
• determining a haptic interface location in the haptic virtual environment in response to the location of the user in real space;
• determining a virtual representation location in the haptic virtual environment;
• moving the virtual representation location toward the haptic interface location in the haptic virtual environment;
• and
• limiting movement of the virtual representation based on a geometry of the surface and on preventing any one of the plurality of discrete points of the virtual representation from substantially penetrating the virtual surface.

A method for interfacing with a virtual surface in a haptic virtual environment, comprising:

• generating a virtual surface in the haptic virtual environment;
• sensing a location of a user in real space;
• determining a virtual representation of the user in real space, the virtual representation comprising a plurality of discrete points;
• determining a haptic interface location in the haptic virtual environment in response to the location of the user in real space;
• determining a virtual representation location in the haptic virtual environment;
• proposing to move the virtual representation to a first proposed location in the direction of the haptic interface location;
• evaluating at least one of the plurality of discrete points of the virtual representation to detect interference of the virtual representation with the virtual surface for the first proposed location of the virtual representation;
• moving the virtual representation to the first proposed location if no interference of the virtual representation with the virtual surface is detected;
• and
• proposing a second location of the virtual representation if interference of the virtual representation with the virtual surface is detected at the first proposed location.

A method for interfacing with a virtual surface in a haptic virtual environment, comprising:

• generating a virtual surface in the haptic environment based on a set of scalar values arranged in a three dimensional grid;
• sensing a location of a user in real space;
• determining a virtual representation of the user in real space;
• determining a haptic interface location in the haptic virtual environment in response to the location of the user in real space;
• determining a virtual representation location in the haptic virtual environment;
• moving the virtual representation location in the haptic virtual environment based on the previous virtual representation location, the haptic interface location in the virtual environment, and the geometry of the virtual surface.