Abstract: Implementations described and claimed herein provide systems and methods for interaction between a user and a machine. In one implementation, a system is provided that receives an input from a user of a mobile machine which indicates or describes an object in the world. In one example, the user may gesture to the object which is detected by a visual sensor. In another example, the user may verbally describe the object which is detected by an audio sensor. The system receiving the input may then determine which object near the location of the user that the user is indicating. Such a determination may include utilizing known objects near the geographic location of the user or the autonomous or mobile machine.

Abstract: The disclosed apparatus may include a wearable optic ring that features input capabilities relative to a computing system. In various examples, the wearable optic ring may be designed to curve around a wearer's finger and can detect complex interactions between that finger and the wearer's thumb. Moreover, the optical ring may detect such complex interactions based on ultra low-resolution images captured by a miniature optical sensor mounted on the optical ring and bioimpedance measurements taken by one or more electrodes included on the optical ring. Various other implementations are also disclosed.

Abstract: Signals usable to determine a path of a vehicle towards a particular stopping point in a vicinity of a destination are detected from an individual authorized to provide guidance with respect to movements of the vehicle. Based at least in part on the signals and a data set pertaining to the external environment of the vehicle, one or more vehicular movements to be implemented to proceed along the path are identified. A directive is transmitted to a motion control subsystem of the vehicle to initiate one of the vehicular movements.

Abstract: The disclosed system may include a support structure dimensioned for a user's hand. The system may also include transmitting electrodes coupled to a first finger portion of the support structure and may further include receiving electrodes coupled to a second, different finger portion of the support structure. The system may also include a controller that is coupled to the support structure and that is communicatively connected to the transmitting and receiving electrodes. The controller may also be configured to cause the transmitting electrodes to transmit a signal, detect at least some of the transmitted signal at the receiving electrodes and, based on the detected signal, determine that at least two fingers of the user's hand are touching each other. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system for vibration-driven sensing may include a wearable dimensioned to be donned by a user of an artificial reality system. The system may also include a vibration sensor that is incorporated into the wearable and generates an electrical response that corresponds to a vibration detected at the wearable. The system may further include at least one processing device communicatively coupled to the vibration sensor. The processing device may determine, based at least in part on the electrical response generated by the vibration sensor, that the user has made a specific gesture with at least one body part. In response to this determination, the processing device may generate an input command for the artificial reality system based at least in part on the specific gesture made by the user. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosed system may include a support structure dimensioned for a user's hand. The system may also include transmitting electrodes coupled to a first finger portion of the support structure and may further include receiving electrodes coupled to a second, different finger portion of the support structure. The system may also include a controller that is coupled to the support structure and that is communicatively connected to the transmitting and receiving electrodes. The controller may also be configured to cause the transmitting electrodes to transmit a signal, detect at least some of the transmitted signal at the receiving electrodes and, based on the detected signal, determine that at least two fingers of the user's hand are touching each other. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system may include a wearable dimensioned to be donned by a user of an artificial reality system. The system may also include an energy measuring device incorporated into the wearable. The energy measuring device may measure an electrical energy differential between a body of the user and a surface. The system may further include at least one processing device communicatively coupled to the energy measuring device. The processing device may detect, based at least in part on the electrical energy differential measured by the energy measuring device, an interaction between the user and the surface. In response to this detection, the processing device may generate an input command for the artificial reality system based at least in part on the interaction detected between the user and the surface. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosed wearable may include (1) a plurality of electrodes dimensioned to interface with a skin surface of a user of an artificial reality system, wherein the electrodes are spaced a known distance from one another, (2) a signal generator communicatively coupled to one of the electrodes, wherein the signal generator injects a test signal into the skin surface of the user via the one of the electrodes, (3) at least one sensor communicatively coupled to another one of the electrodes, wherein the sensor measures the test signal as received by the another one of the electrodes, and (4) at least one processing device communicatively coupled to the sensor, wherein the processing device determines a current impedance of the skin surface based at least in part on the known distance and the measurement of the test signal. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system for vibration-driven sensing may include a wearable dimensioned to be donned by a user of an artificial reality system. The system may also include a vibration sensor that is incorporated into the wearable and generates an electrical response that corresponds to a vibration detected at the wearable. The system may further include at least one processing device communicatively coupled to the vibration sensor. The processing device may determine, based at least in part on the electrical response generated by the vibration sensor, that the user has made a specific gesture with at least one body part. In response to this determination, the processing device may generate an input command for the artificial reality system based at least in part on the specific gesture made by the user. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: Signals usable to determine a path of a vehicle towards a particular stopping point in a vicinity of a destination are detected from an individual authorized to provide guidance with respect to movements of the vehicle. Based at least in part on the signals and a data set pertaining to the external environment of the vehicle, one or more vehicular movements to be implemented to proceed along the path are identified. A directive is transmitted to a motion control subsystem of the vehicle to initiate one of the vehicular movements.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining the position of artificial reality wearables may include a wearable dimensioned to be donned by a user of an artificial reality system. The apparatus may also include a sensor incorporated into the wearable. The sensor may detect physical interactions between the wearable and at least one specific body part of the user. The apparatus may further include a processing device communicatively coupled to the sensor. The processing device may determine, based at least in part on one or more physical interactions between the wearable and the specific body part of the user, a change in a position of the wearable relative to the specific body part of the user. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: Signals usable to determine a path of a vehicle towards a particular stopping point in a vicinity of a destination are detected from an individual authorized to provide guidance with respect to movements of the vehicle. Based at least in part on the signals and a data set pertaining to the external environment of the vehicle, one or more vehicular movements to be implemented to proceed along the path are identified. A directive is transmitted to a motion control subsystem of the vehicle to initiate one of the vehicular movements.

Abstract: A “Stroke Untangler” composes handwritten messages from handwritten strokes representing overlapping letters or partial letter segments are drawn on a touchscreen device or touch-sensitive surface. These overlapping strokes are automatically untangled and then segmented and combined into one or more letters, words, or phrases. Advantageously, segmentation and composition is performed without requiring user gestures, timeouts, or other inputs to delimit characters within words, and without using handwriting recognition-based techniques to guide untangling and composing of the overlapping strokes to form characters. In other words, the user draws multiple overlapping strokes. Those strokes are then automatically segmented and combined into one or more corresponding characters. Text recognition of the resulting characters is then performed. Further, the segmentation and combination is performed in real-time, thereby enabling real-time rendering of the resulting characters in a user interface window.

Abstract: An apparatus for directional acoustic sensing may include a wearable dimensioned to be donned by a user of an artificial reality system. The wearable may include a signal generator that propagates an acoustic wave via a body of the user toward a specific body part. The wearable may also include an acoustic sensor that detects an acoustic reflection of the acoustic wave propagated by the signal generator. The wearable may further include at least one processing device that is communicatively coupled to the acoustic sensor. The processing device may determine that the specific body part has made physical contact with an object based at least in part on the acoustic reflection. In response, the processing device may generate an input command for the artificial reality system that accounts for the specific body part making physical contact with the object. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosed wrist-tracking apparatus includes (1) a wristband dimensioned to be donned on a wrist of a user of an artificial reality system and (2) a set of Time of Flight (ToF) sensors coupled to the wristband, wherein each of the ToF sensors comprises (A) an emitter that emits a modulated pulse of energy, (B) a receiver that facilitates detecting a reflection of the modulated pulse of energy, and (C) a processing circuit communicatively coupled to the emitter and the receiver, wherein the processing circuit calculates a time of flight for the modulated pulse of energy based at least in part on the modulated pulse of energy and the reflection. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosed wrist-tracking apparatus includes (1) a wristband dimensioned to be donned on a wrist of a user of an artificial reality system and (2) a set of Time of Flight (ToF) sensors coupled to the wristband, wherein each of the ToF sensors comprises (A) an emitter that emits a modulated pulse of energy, (B) a receiver that facilitates detecting a reflection of the modulated pulse of energy, and (C) a processing circuit communicatively coupled to the emitter and the receiver, wherein the processing circuit calculates a time of flight for the modulated pulse of energy based at least in part on the modulated pulse of energy and the reflection. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosed system may include a support structure dimensioned for a user's hand. The system may also include transmitting electrodes coupled to a first finger portion of the support structure and may further include receiving electrodes coupled to a second, different finger portion of the support structure. The system may also include a controller that is coupled to the support structure and that is communicatively connected to the transmitting and receiving electrodes. The controller may also be configured to cause the transmitting electrodes to transmit a signal, detect at least some of the transmitted signal at the receiving electrodes and, based on the detected signal, determine that at least two fingers of the user's hand are touching each other. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A first set of signals corresponding to a first signal modality (such as the direction of a gaze) during a time interval is collected from an individual. A second set of signals corresponding to a different signal modality (such as hand-pointing gestures made by the individual) is also collected. In response to a command, where the command does not identify a particular object to which the command is directed, the first and second set of signals is used to identify candidate objects of interest, and an operation associated with a selected object from the candidates is performed.

Abstract: A system may include a wearable dimensioned to be donned by a user of an artificial reality system. The system may also include an energy measuring device incorporated into the wearable. The energy measuring device may measure an electrical energy differential between a body of the user and a surface within an environment occupied by the user. The system may further include at least one processing device communicatively coupled to the energy measuring device. The processing device may detect, based at least in part on the electrical energy differential measured by the energy measuring device, an interaction between the user and the surface within the environment. In response to this detection, the processing device may generate an input command for the artificial reality system based at least in part on the interaction detected between the user and the surface. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus for directional acoustic sensing may include a wearable dimensioned to be donned by a user of an artificial reality system. The wearable may include a signal generator that propagates an acoustic wave via a body of the user toward a specific body part. The wearable may also include an acoustic sensor that detects an acoustic reflection of the acoustic wave propagated by the signal generator. The wearable may further include at least one processing device that is communicatively coupled to the acoustic sensor. The processing device may determine that the specific body part has made physical contact with an object based at least in part on the acoustic reflection. In response, the processing device may generate an input command for the artificial reality system that accounts for the specific body part making physical contact with the object. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.