From holographic maps to 3D gestures, where next for wearable technology?
In the past five years technology has made phenomenal advances in many different areas. Manufacturers, with the help of researchers and engineers, have been racing to make devices smaller, faster and smarter for their fickle customers and tech enthusiasts.
HP testing the hologram 3D display
This year two interesting devices and an emerging technology, which is still being developed (but will surely change the landscape of devices forever), were announced.
The first device is leap motion. It's a very similar technology to Microsoft Kinect in terms of hardware and functionality. However, instead of tracking body motion, it is solely interested in users’ hand and finger gestures. Through intelligent computer image analysis it can accurately determine the user’s exact hand and finger positions, something which is very powerful on many different levels.
This information is then sent to the computer it’s plugged into, and represented graphically on screen. Thanks to its Software Development Kit (SDK) and the release of the device, developers have been empowered. They’re ready to graduate to the next generation of user interaction with hand and finger 3D gestures.
The second device that has made a big impact in the market, in such a small period of time, is the smartwatch. There are currently a few models available including the Samsung Gear watch, Sony SmartWatch and of course, Pebble – which originally pioneered the smartwatch trail. It’s inevitable that other high-profile manufacturers and brands will be looking to join the smartwatch party and we’ll see a lot of them join this race over the coming months.
Contrary to what people think, smartwatches are not being designed to replace people’s smartphones, but rather to work in conjunction with them. They will act as a form of remote control for facilitating access to text messages, emails, weather information, etc. The two devices (smartwatch and smartphone) are connected via Bluetooth which allows the transfer of data. It’s a great example of convergence working well.
Agencies are already looking at new and innovative ways to integrate the technology of smartwatches into the work their doing for brands. In fact, earlier this year R/GA London opened its digital lab, which is an area we can use for prototyping and innovating with the very latest in technology advancement, so as an agency we are certainly investing heavily in staying ahead of the curve when it comes to wearable technology and its implications for our clients.
The last innovation I wanted to discuss is the 3D display. This technology could lead to a new generation of devices with new 3D viewing capabilities. Researchers at Hewlett-Packard have managed to modify LCD displays to make a hologram 3D display.
To help put this in perspective, think of the 3D displays found in cinemas. They provide viewers with only one perspective, everyone in the cinema sees the same image. A true 3D display requires the light to reflect off objects from all angles, providing viewers with a different image for their left and right eye. The Hewlett-Packard 3D display uses nanopatterned grooves to send light off in different directions which then creates the 3D image.
Leap motion, smartwatches and this last technology could without a doubt be combined into one wearable device - let’s call it the MegaSmartWatch. Its owner could easily manipulate holographic interfaces projected from their smartwatch 3D display by using 3D gestures made by their fingers. For example, navigating Google Earth with 3D gestures where the holographic content is projected above the smartwatch to find your way around would be a totally different experience. It would also require a new set of skills which could be easily learned.
Does this all sound a bit far-fetched and a little sci-fi? Think again.
If I had proposed in 2007 that people would be able to manipulate video games without using a conventional game controller but used their bodies instead, it would have seemed crazy. And look where we are now. However a few questions remain. Would this be the right way of accessing content? Would it be intuitive enough so that everyone could make sense of it?
As is often the case, one of the main problems with technology is the pace at which it evolves. It’s moving so fast that we don’t always have time to adapt and adjust ourselves before the next big thing is out. But we can’t do anything to slow this evolution - it’s happening whether we like it or not. So for now, I think we (the users) don’t have any choices in the matter. We either keep up, or risk getting left behind.
Sebastien Jouhans is a software engineer at R/GA London