Some augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications may require that an “activity region” be defined prior to their use. For example, a user performing a video conferencing application or playing a game may need to identify an appropriate space in which they may walk and gesture while wearing a Head Mounted Display without causing injury. This may be particularly important in VR applications where, e.g., the user's vision is completely obscured by the VR display, and/or the user will not see their actual environment as the user moves around. Various embodiments provide systems and methods for anticipating, defining, and applying the active region. In some embodiments, the system may represent real-world obstacles to the user in the user's field of view, e.g., outlining the contour of the problematic object to call the user's attention to the object's presence in the active region.