Facebook teases him on the wrist, which can be worn to control AR

Facebook is very, very serious about augmented reality. Last year, the company showed up or honestly ambitious framework for the future RA and now the social media giant It has revealed some of the advanced gadgets This one’It designs to help people interact with the AR world.

The biggest challenge for the Facebook Reality Labs Research team is finding ways to interact with augmented reality as we do with a computer. We have a number of headphones and glasses, but there is no equivalent AR with mouse and keyboard.

So instead of trying to make existing devices work in RA, Facebook is looking to create new types of human-computer interfaces (HCIs) that are easy to use, reliable, and yet offer a certain level of privacy. Facebook said it considers AI as a critical part of the formula to give you the right tools or commands depending on the situation, which should help reduce friction or possible user confusion.

And while this technology is far from polished, Facebook already has some ideas on how AR-based HCI devices might work in the future. Instead of relying entirely on voice commands, Facebook sees wrist-mounted laptops as a good solution, offering a familiar and comfortable design that is not completely different from a standard wristwatch, but with new technology that can support various methods. introduction.

Facebook says that using electromyography, it can use sensors to convert electrical signals that are sent from the brain to the hands into digital commands. Facebook claims that EMG sensors are sensitive enough to detect movements of just a millimeter, and future devices can even sense someone’s intentions without any real physical movement. In essence, Facebook seeks to provide direct mental control of AR devices, but without the need for physical implants.

In addition, with precise EMG sensors, Facebook can accept new gesture controls, such as pinching the thumb and forefinger to create a “click.” In this way, people can translate what they do on a regular computer into a new set of AR-based gestures that Facebook will someday hope to extend to all sorts of controls and movements. Facebook even hopes to reimagine itself typing with AI to make essays or emails faster and more accurate.

Facebook said it he knows that all these technologies will have to evolve with each other, because the mere possibility of clicking on an AR object will not be enough if the rest of the AR interface is constantly in the way. And once again, Facebook believes that AI can help you, knowing smartly when you want to switch virtual workspaces or focus on a specific tool, or get additional inputs from EMG sensors or even eye tracking sensors. .

thealthough touch screens and virtual screens are useful, there is simply no substitute for real physical stimulus. So, in addition to touching something with his fingers, Facebook has just shown up two different prototypes that offer haptics in interesting ways.

With its “Bellowband” prototype, Facebook uses a series of eight pneumatic pumps attached to a device mounted on the wrist that it blows air and creates different patterns of pressure and vibration. When, combined with its prototype Tasbi (touch bracelet and squeezing interface), Facebook has managed to create a device that squeezes your wrist to better mimic the feeling of movement or touch of real objects.

The biggest problem, of course, is that Facebook’s history of privacy is, well … we all know it’s not great. Company SAPS Protecting people’s data in RA is extremely important, although Facebook Reality Labs Scientific Director Sean Keller added “Afull understanding and resolution of ethical issues requires a commitment at the societal level. ”In short, Facebook needs feedback on how to improve privacy and security in RA (surprise, surprise) and encourages its researchers to publish relevant papers inrevised journals.

Of course, although it all sounds pretty far away –thrown, given the speed with which VR has been adopted by certain industries such as engineering and design, it is not so strange to imagine that AR will have a similar explosive growth in the next 10-15 years. And, as in other industries, if you are the first company to define and control a market, there is a good chance that profits will come. YesYou can be sure that Facebook will do its best to try to stay ahead of the competition – but it seems to be Microsoft, Apple and the rest all have the same idea. Let the games begin.