Augmented reality + Apple Watch, the future is wearable

[sunapple]

Except that the progression we've seen over the last sixty years has been the opposite. Devices have gotten easier and easier for first-timers to use.

It must've been awfully nice to go from punch cards to a QWERTY keyboard, and everything since then has been able to reach more people because they're layering more human-like abstractions on top. Machine code is way, WAY down below an iPhone's touchscreen -- but it's still there, right? Yet the interaction model is natural enough that a toddler can accidentally navigate to the holiday pics of your mistress.

But, when we start talking about adding a learning curve again, we're doing it wrong.

So tell me, then, how gesturing in midair is easier to do without practice?

I do not know how limited your view of AR is, but there are things that can be real game changers. Punch cards vs keyboard were a big step forward, but so is dimensioning a piece of furniture on your screen vs placing it in an actual living room in AR.

Sure, you may have to learn how to manipulate your model or how to bring up a menu (no clue how it would work), but you're playing with virtual objects in the real world which is a huge step forward from using screens.

I'm not old enough to know, but was it easy going from a punch card system to, say, an Apple ][ with keyboard? Because I have an Apple ][ and the manual does state some commands and shortcuts that don't make much sense to me. Going from there to a Macintosh was a similar big step; even though a desktop interface with mouse was better it still had some learning curve I suppose.

A learning curve is just a result of moving to a new system and doesn't have to be such a pain as you make it seem. There's no definitive way of using the interface but I agree with you it should be as natural as possible.

 

[Mousesuck]

So tell me, then, how gesturing in midair is easier to do without practice?

I do not know how limited your view of AR is, but there are things that can be real game changers. Punch cards vs keyboard were a big step forward, but so is dimensioning a piece of furniture on your screen vs placing it in an actual living room in AR.

Sure, you may have to learn how to manipulate your model or how to bring up a menu (no clue how it would work), but you're playing with virtual objects in the real world which is a huge step forward from using screens.

I'm not old enough to know, but was it easy going from a punch card system to, say, an Apple ][ with keyboard? Because I have an Apple ][ and the manual does state some commands and shortcuts that don't make much sense to me. Going from there to a Macintosh was a similar big step; even though a desktop interface with mouse was better it still had some learning curve I suppose.

A learning curve is just a result of moving to a new system and doesn't have to be such a pain as you make it seem. There's no definitive way of using the interface but I agree with you it should be as natural as possible.

God, exactly this! Thanks for the help sunapple!

Besides, BarracksSi and I’m really curious about this, what the hell seams so difficult to you?

To me, it seams such a natural and fluid way of interaction that I can’t even grasp why you can’t see it.

I would understand if we were taking about 1:1 full body tracking and you didn’t feel like doing big movements in the air, specially in public...on the other hand soli seams to be design with discretion in mind and that was clearly accomplished.

 

[BarracksSi]

God, exactly this! Thanks for the help sunapple!

Besides, BarracksSi and I’m really curious about this, what the hell seams so difficult to you?

To me, it seams such a natural and fluid way of interaction that I can’t even grasp why you can’t see it.

I would understand if we were taking about 1:1 full body tracking and you didn’t feel like doing big movements in the air, specially in public...on the other hand soli seams to be design with discretion in mind and that was clearly accomplished.

Man, you sure are getting worked up about this. Can't even spell correctly anymore.

 

[BarracksSi]

Okay, let's narrow this down a bit...

Who is the intended user?

A medical ultrasound technician would have a much different use case than a desk jockey, for example.

 

[Mousesuck]

Man, you sure are getting worked up about this. Can't even spell correctly anymore.

Indeed I’m very worked up about this. With AR, we are on the verge of a computational paradigm shift.
The launch of the Iphone 10 years ago, all the impact that it had, nothing compared to what we are going to experience in the next few years, absolutely nothing.

We will experience the rupture of the great barrier, the barrier between reality and virtuality.

The mixed reality, a world where the internet, the virtual world lives literally on top of the fabric of reality. You won’t be able to touch it (for now we have to be happy with that), but you will see it and it will be just as real.

The implications...philosophically, technologically, sociologically are tremendous.

The mother ****ing future is just around the corner!

It shreddes my inner self, when I see a technology forum like macrumors, where people supposedly discuss their obsession with tech, being a place where it is not that difficult to find users that are absolutely oblivious of the fact that the world changes, technology advances, and that this constant push towards is the most marvelous thing.

Okay, let's narrow this down a bit...

Who is the intended user?

A medical ultrasound technician would have a much different use case than a desk jockey, for example.

Well, for the foreseeable future (any day to 5 years from know) the use case for augmented reality glasses would be just the same as the IPhone/Ipad.

-Telecomunication
-Instant messaging
-Media consumption
-Internet (which will evolve to a totally diferente experience since sites will become 3D interactive environments
-Gaming (which will be undoubtably amazing)
-Porn
-Social networks
-Possibility of substituting all the screens that you own since you can just nail to the wall an AR screen the size you always dreamed..

With time it will find its way to every place imaginable.

Are you a teacher?
Just imagine teaching little kids about the formation of the solar system with this kind of technology.

Medical student?
AR anatomic atlas...

Arquitect?
You can visualize your projects in 3D and make real time modifications as well as renders.
You could even go to the location where your building is going to be constructed and see it as if it is already there.

Radiologist?
You can visualize TACs/MNRs/Pet-scans just in front of you giving you a much better perspective than a 2D screen.

Doctor specialist that works behind a desk?
The computer that nowadays exists between him and the paciente, PUFF it disapears.

Surgeon?
You will be able to have all the information about the pacient, his constants, TACs...displayed just in front of you.

3D artist?
Obvious

Designer?
Obvious

Police/firefighter/army/spy?
Obvious

Are you a programmer and you feel like you will absolutely need a 2D screen?

You can have all the screens you want, floating around you.

Are you a DJ?

Now, this is more or less all possible right now. Using the already commercialized, low field of view and unfortunately fairly big Microsoft hololens.
It is big mainly because they decided to put all the sensors and processors inside the glasses instead of using a backpack.

Anyways, every one and their grandmother (Microsoft, google, Apple, Facebook...) is dumping enormous amounts of money on this technology...so, just imagine one day, doing all this with just this three devices:

Indeed the Iphone will survive for the foreseeable future. It is very probable it will be used to power the experience, the main experience.

There aren’t miracles, they won’t be able to put all that power on the Apple Watch for the time being so they will use the Iphone for that.

This being said Apple Watch seams like a nice place to put something like the chip from “Project Soli”, so that you could interact with the augmented reality content using a gesture base interface that would work hand in hand with the eye tracking system, the one from the glasses.