Design and Implementation of Impossible Spaces in VR

Abstract

One of the biggest challenges in virtual reality (VR) is locomotion. The best way to experience VR without cybersickness is through natural walking. However, since virtual worlds are often much larger than the physical space we are in, natural walking in VR is limited by the physical space. A technique called impossible spaces solves this problem by designing virtual environments that overlap, allowing a point in physical space to be mapped to more than one point in virtual space. However, the original implementation of using triggers requires manual setup and planning. In this project, we propose a new implementation technique using stencil buffers to render only the visible rooms. This new technique allows for a simple drag and drop approach for fast level design and makes designing a variety of impossible spaces easier. Additionally, we have developed several sample environment layouts to demonstrate the usage of this technique.