Changes

The Chaperone system is a utility design by [[Valve]] to be used with their [[Virtual Reality#Platforms|VR platform]], [[SteamVR]], and [[Virtual_Reality#Devices|Head Mounted Display]], the [[HTC Vive]]. Once set up, it keeps track of where a user is in relation to the physical walls around them, and if necessary, shows a [[#Collision Bounds|blue grid]]<ref>Chan, N. (2015). HTC Vive vs. Oculus Crescent Bay: My 10 VR takeaways. Retrieved from http://www.tested.com/tech/concepts/504521-htc-vive-vs-oculus-crescent-bay-my-10-vr-takeaways/</ref> within the user's virtual space to notify them that they are in close proximity to a physical barrier. The [[HTC Vive]] provides tracking within an approximately 15 -foot by 15 -foot area, and the Chaperon system provides assures the user with confidence users that they will not collide with any physical barriers as they experience their the virtual content. The first working prototype was introduced at CES 2016 with the announcement of HTC's second Vive development kit.

The main purpose of the Chaperone system is to warn the user when they approach a physical barrier, to which they are blind because of the headset they are wearing. This will ideally prevent collisions and minimize accidents, and thus solve the problem of real space navigation in virtual reality. The system recognized recognizes objects and represents them in the user's field of view as glowing outlines and silhouettes. It makes it entirely possible to change position from standing to sitting on a chair, walk from object to object in real world, and safely take takes advantage of all available space that the in a user’s room users play in provides.

A secondary purpose for the Chaperone system is to allow games to interact with the user in a unique way. Because the Chaperone system has information about the user's environment, virtual applications can react to the user's surroundings. It could, for example, generate a location that matches the orientation and layout of the user's room. Conversely, the system could use a techniques like overlapping spaces or [[directed walking]]<ref>http://ictSuma, E.A., Lipps, Z., Finkelstein, S., Krum, D.M. and Bolas, M.usc(2012).edu/pubs/Impossible%20SpacesSpaces: Maximizing natural walking in virtual environments with self-%20Maximizing%20Natural%20Walking%20in%20Virtual%20Environments%20with%20Selfoverlapping architecture. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, 18(4): 555-Overlapping%20Architecture.pdf564</ref> to make traverse-able, virtual environments that seem much larger than the user's physical space by distorting the user's perception of distance and rotational displacement.

Collision Bounds are is the blue grid that appears in [[VR]] when the user is close to physical barriers in real life.

On October 27, 2015, Valve introduced different styles of the grid for beta testing:<ref name="collision beta">httpVlachos, A. (2015). Collision Bounds change - Feedback please. Retrieved from https://steamcommunity.com/app/358720/discussions/0/483368526588965793/</ref>

*Squares - Small floating squares on wall surfaces;*Beginner - Grid pattern with the intersections removed;*Intermediate - Same as beginner but square openings are about 2.25x the area (bars are 1.5x farther apart);*Advanced - A single horizontal line on each wall;*Developer - A persistent line loop at floor-level that never fades away, so it helps you helping the user to always be aware of where the walls are by just glancing down.

According to comments by the [[Lighthouse]] developers at conventions and on Twitter<ref>Yates, A. (2015). Retrieved from https://twitter.com/vk2zay/status/573909197949009920</ref>, as well as the emphasis on mapping in its patent<refname="patent">httpUnited States Patent and Trademark Office. Chaperone. Retrieved from https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=86558185&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch</ref>, it seems likely that the [[HTC Vive]] will eventually use a stereo pair of cameras or a depth camera to aid in "detection and measurement" the user's surroundings. This might be a one-time calibration, or it could provide constantly updating information to capture changes in the user's environment. Gathering data in this fashion would also likely allow the recognition of furniture and other small objects.

Valve Corporation filed for a patent entitled 'CHAPERONE' on March 09, 2015<refname="patent">http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=86558185&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch</ref>. In it is contained this description of the Chaperone system: