Question

You have been consulted by the mobile phone company Hookup about a new augmented reality product called “Brows”. They want to develop an alternative to Google Glasses, which, you recall, is a proposed new product which plans to superimpose a whole range of wireless Google services over the user’s ordinary vision of the world. These appear in little circles and ovals, and let you phone people, take photographs, navigate across cities and inside buildings, find shops and update your social media. Brows would do this too, but not be limited to special Google services. The user would wear a small cylinder-shaped device designed to fit on top of their existing eyewear (glasses or sunglasses). It would project a reversed image onto the inside of the lenses, the reflection of which would be in focus for the user. Instead of voice control, the user would control the device by eye and neck movements, which the device would track. The device would connect via Bluetooth to the user’s phone, which would supply most of the computing power and wireless connectivity. Hookup also wants to know what existing services would be most in demand, and which would not work well with Brows. Using your knowledge of augmented reality, wearable technology and interface design, is the project feasible? If not, why not? If feasible, how could the product need to be modified for a better experience?

Answer 1

The product is definitely feasible but there are a number of issues that must be tackled first. Let us answer the problem step by step. Each step explains the issue and also tries to propose an alternative solution/improvement,

1)"the user would control the device by eye and neck movements". The human eye is an extremely sensitive organ and has a lot of involuntary functions which we do not realize on daily basis. Due to this a number of unwanted signals/orders might get communicated which will result in malfunctioning of the device. On the other hand, to control the device the user will have to maintain a lot of control on eye and neck movements which will restrict the user's natural movements due to which after some time the user will get irritated by the device. Thus as far as controlling the device is concerned, more focus should be on voluntary actions which are under the control (to a large extent) of the user.

2) Additionally, overuse of the device will adversely affect social relationships because people will look at the screen rather than at each other. Constrained neck and eye movement will make their movement robotic. Eye is also very sensitive. Making it work like this can effect vision as well.

3) Since the device relies on Bluetooth technology, security will be a very crucial aspect as it can be hacked. Thus to keeps things/data secured a lot of input must be given to secure the connection. Secondly, bluetooth has a low range (unlike wifi), hence the user will have to carry the phone everywhere because the computing power for the device is from the phone.

4) In today's time (as well as in future), humans mostly rely on various apps for their work. So the device should be such that the user can operate those apps otherwise the user will keep using phone most of the times for using those apps and will not use the device as a result the device will loose purpose and shall become an additional luxury.

5)finally, as far as my understanding works a better solution will to use the movements of fingers. Rings could be designed which can track the movement of fingers and provide control signals. The movement of fingers can be nicely controlled without hampering the social communication of the user with others. Finger movements are less constrained and more voluntary.