Abstract: Systems, articles, and methods for improved capacitive electromyography (“EMG”) sensors are described. The improved capacitive EMG sensors include one or more sensor electrode(s) that is/are coated with a protective barrier formed of a material that has a relative permittivity ?r of about 10 or more. The protective barrier shields the sensor electrode(s) from moisture, sweat, skin oils, etc. while advantageously contributing to a large capacitance between the sensor electrode(s) and the user's body. In this way, the improved capacitive EMG sensors provide enhanced robustness against variations in skin and/or environmental conditions. Such improved capacitive EMG sensors are particularly well-suited for use in wearable EMG devices that may be worn by a user for an extended period of time and/or under a variety of skin and/or environmental conditions. A wearable EMG device that provides a component of a human-electronics interface and incorporates such improved capacitive EMG sensors is described.

Abstract: Systems, devices and methods that enable a user to access and interact with content displayed on a portable electronic display in an inconspicuous, hands-free manner are described. There is disclosed a completely wearable system comprising a wearable muscle interface device and a wearable head-mounted display, as well as methods for using the wearable system to effect interactions between the user and content displayed on the wearable head-mounted display. The wearable muscle interface device includes muscle activity sensors worn on an arm of the user to detect muscle activity generated when the user performs a physical gesture. The wearable system is adapted to recognize a plurality of gestures made by the user and, in response to each recognized gesture, to effect one or more interaction(s) with content displayed on the wearable head-mounted display.

Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include an apparatus having a support structure of a wearable device and a transducer coupled to the support structure. The transducer may be configured to generate movements in response to an audio input signal. The apparatus may also have a movement-conducting element coupled to the transducer. The movement-conducting element may be configured to apply the generated movements to a top portion of a user's ear. The movement-conducting element may maintain contact with the top portion of the user's ear so that the generated movements are consistently conducted to the user's ear regardless of which portion of the movement-conducting element contacts the top portion of the user's ear. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present application sets forth a computer-implemented method that includes receiving, from a first microphone, a first input acoustic signal, generating a first audio spectrum from at least the first input acoustic signal, wherein the first audio spectrum includes a set of time-frequency bins, and selecting a first time-frequency bin from the set based on a first local space-domain distance (LSDD) computed for the first time-frequency bin.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to the design of a device capable of increasing the electrical performance of an interconnect feature by amplifying the current carrying capacity of an interconnect feature. The device comprises a first body comprising a first surface with at least one nanoporous conductive structure protruding from the first surface. The device further comprises a second body comprising a second surface with arrays of nanofibers extending from the second surface and penetrating into corresponding nanoporous conductive structures to form conductive pathways between the first body and the second body.

Abstract: A head mounted display (HMD) includes an eye sensor, an optics block, and a display. The eye sensor includes a detector and a tunable lens. The tunable lens has a micro-lens state (e.g., acts as a micro-lens array) and a neutral state. In the micro-lens state the eye sensor acts as an accommodation sensor, and in the neutral state the eye sensor acts as an eye tracking sensor. The eye sensor can alternate functioning as an eye tracking or an accommodation sensor by adjusting the state of the tunable lens. In alternate embodiments, the accommodation sensor is separate from the eye tracker and a beam splitter is used to split the reflected light toward the two sensors.

Abstract: Methods and system for predicting the onset of a motor action using neuromuscular signals. The system comprises a plurality of sensors configured to continuously record a plurality of neuromuscular signals from a user and at least one computer processor programmed to provide as input to a trained statistical model, the plurality of neuromuscular signals or information based on the plurality of neuromuscular signals, predict, based on an output of the trained statistical model, whether an onset of a motor action will occur within a threshold amount of time; and send a control signal to at least one device based, at least in part, on the output probability, wherein the control signal is sent to the at least one device prior to completion of the motor action by the user.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure support a head-mounted display (HMD) wirelessly coupled to a console. The HMD includes a positional tracking system, a beam controller and a transceiver. The positional tracking system tracks position of the HMD and generates positional information describing the tracked position of the HMD. The transceiver communicates with a console via a wireless channel, in accordance with communication instructions, the communication instructions causing the transceiver to communicate over one directional beam of a plurality of directional beams. The beam controller determines a change in the positional information. Based on the change to the positional information, the beam controller determines a directional beam of the plurality of directional beams. The beam controller further generates the communication instructions identifying the determined directional beam, and provides the communication instructions to the transceiver.

Abstract: A tracking system converts images to a set of points in 3D space. The images are of a wearable item that includes markers, and the set of points include representations of the markers. A view is selected from a plurality of views using the set of points, and the selected view includes one or more representations of the representations. A depth map is generated based on the selected view and the set of points, and the depth map includes the one or more representations. A neural network maps labels to the one or more representations in the depth map using a model of a portion of a body that wears the wearable item. A joint parameter is determined using the mapped labels. The model is updated with the joint parameter, and content provided to a user of the wearable item is based in part on the updated model.

Abstract: The disclosed apparatus may include (1) a camera lens assembly including at least one lens held within a lens barrel, (2) a conductive coil fixably attached to the lens barrel, (3) a housing at least partially surrounding the conductive coil and the lens barrel, (4) at least one mechanical flexure maintaining the lens barrel within the housing and allowing movement of the lens barrel between stabilized discrete positions along an optical axis of the lens barrel, and (5) a magnet spaced from the conductive coil and coupled to the housing such that, in response to an electrical current in the conductive coil, an electromagnetic interaction between the conductive coil and the magnet causes the lens barrel to move from a first position of the stabilized discrete positions to a second position of the stabilized discrete positions. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: An interactive system may include (1) a facial coupling subsystem configured to conduct a biopotential signal generated by a user's body, (2) a receiving subsystem electrically connected to the facial coupling subsystem and configured to receive, from the user's body via a compliant electrode of the facial coupling subsystem, the biopotential signal, and (3) a detection subsystem electrically connected to the receiving subsystem and configured to (a) determine a characteristic of the biopotential signal and (b) use the characteristic of the biopotential signal to determine a gaze direction of an eye of the user and/or a facial gesture of the user. In some examples, the facial coupling subsystem may include a plurality of compliant electrodes that each are configured to comply in a direction normal to a surface of the user's face. Various other apparatus, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: Calibration of a headset that uses bone conduction to provide audio content to a wearer is presented. A first tone of a plurality of tones that are at different frequencies is presented to the wearer via an air conduction transducer. A corresponding tone having a same frequency as the first tone is also presented to the wearer via a bone conduction (BC) transducer. The corresponding tone is adjusted such that a level of loudness is within a threshold range of a level of loudness of the first tone. An ear-canal sound pressure (ECSP) resulting from the first tone is recorded and a voltage applied to the BC transducer for generating the adjusted corresponding tone. An equalization filter is generated based in part on the ECSP and the voltage, the equalization filter for filtering an audio signal for presentation via the BC transducer.

Abstract: A head-mounted display (HMD) includes a hybrid fan, a printed circuit board (PCB) with one or more electronic components and a heat pipe to dissipate heat. The hybrid fan has a center axis extending from a rear side of the HMD to a front side of the HMD. The hybrid fan pulls air from a rear side of the HMD. The heat pipe has an end coupled to the PCB. The heat pipe partially surrounds a periphery of the hybrid fan and transfers heat away from at least the PCB. The HMD further includes a side cover and a front cover. The side cover encloses the hybrid fan, the PCB and the heat pipe. The front cover is attached to the side cover with a slit between an outer edge of the front cover and an outer edge of the side cover to discharge air from the hybrid fan.

Abstract: A fluidic device controls fluid flow in channel from a source to a drain. In some embodiments, the fluidic devices comprises 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.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a facial-interface cushion for a head-mounted display may include (1) positioning a foam layer between a recessed mold member and an insertion mold member of a mold assembly, with the foam layer overlapping at least a portion of a mold channel extending along an arcuate path, the foam layer including a reticulated foam material, (2) forcing the insertion mold member against the foam layer in a direction toward the recessed mold member such that at least a portion of the foam layer is forced into the mold channel toward a channel bottom surface, forming a shaped foam element having a curved surface within the mold channel, (3) heating the shaped foam element to soften the shaped foam element and form the facial-interface cushion, and (4) removing the facial-interface cushion from the mold assembly. Various other facial-interface cushions, systems, and methods for head-mounted displays are also disclosed.

Abstract: A manufacturing system performs a deposition of an etch-compatible film over a substrate. The etch-compatible film includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The manufacturing system performs a partial removal of the etch-compatible film to create a surface profile on the first surface with a plurality of etch heights relative to the substrate. The manufacturing system performs a lithographic patterning of a photoresist deposited over the created profile in the etch-compatible film to obtain the plurality of etch heights and one or more duty cycles corresponding to the etch-compatible film deposited over the substrate.

Abstract: Techniques for fabricating slanted surface-relief structures are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method for of fabricating a target slanted surface-relief structure, such as a nanoimprint lithography (NIL) mold or a slanted surface-relief grating, includes manufacturing a preliminary surface-relief structure that includes a plurality of ridges and modifying a parameter of the preliminary surface-relief structure to make the target slanted surface-relief structure. The parameter includes a width of each of the plurality of ridges, a height of each of the plurality of ridges, a surface energy of the preliminary surface-relief structure, or a slant angle of an edge of the plurality of ridges. Modifying the parameter includes depositing a material layer on the preliminary surface-relief structure and etching or surface-treating the material layer.

Abstract: A light generator system may include: a light source providing a diverging light beam, a first lens element having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface of the first lens element having a positive optical power in a first cross section, a second lens element having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface of the second lens element having a negative optical power in a second cross section different from the first cross section, and a multiplication function on at least one of the second surface of the first lens element, the first surface of the second lens elements, or the second surface of the second lens element, in the first cross section.

Abstract: A video coder is configured to encode video data, wherein one or more pixels of the encoded video data is used to signal in-band a luminance adjustment value for configuring an overall luminance of the displayed video data. In addition, the video data for pixels of the video data are scaled based upon the luminance adjustment value to compensate for the changed overall luminance. By signaling the luminance adjustment value in-band as part of the encoded video data, the need for a separate control channel is reduced, while also simplifying synchronization between the luminance adjustment value and the frame of video data to which it applies. The display may extract and parse the signaled luminance adjustment value to control a parameter of the display device (e.g., driving voltage, supply current, duty cycle, etc.) to achieve the overall luminance level indicated by the luminance adjustment value.