Make the watch more like a watch! Apple Watch induction recognition can be operated with single hand
- jinqinhao9
- May 30, 2021
- 4 min read
In brief: Apple is about to launch a variety of new software features, including Apple Watch's AssistiveTouch, iPad's eye tracking support, etc. These functions will all focus on auxiliary functions, and can run on Phone, iPad and Apple Watch at the same time.
Although AR/VR is still the thing of the future, the technology giants are paved with it. These features will focus on various new software features that will be launched soon, including assistive touch for Apple Watch and eye tracking support for iPad. In terms of accessibility, it can run on mobile phones, iPads and Apple Watch at the same time. AssistiveTouch of watchOS allows users to control their Apple Watch without ever having to touch the display or controls. Apple explained that this feature is particularly designed for disabled users.
AssistiveTouch can be operated with single hand
Since the 1st generation to the 4th generation of Apple Watch, every time you want to read the time, you need to "give it a shake" so that you can see it, and sometimes you have to do it twice or press the physical button to activate it while it was not responding. With the "always on display" function on the 5th Apple Watch, Apple Watch is more closer to a real watch. However, other than looking at the time, you still need the other hand join in to make other operations happen. Thanks to this published news from Apple, it seems problems can be solved in the near future.
Apple introduced on the official website that, in order to help the physical inconvenient users, it has applied for a new patent in the function called: "AssistiveTouch". AssistiveTouch on Apple Watch enables customers who have limb differences to more easily answer incoming calls, control an onscreen motion pointer, and access Notification Center, Control Center, and more.
The patent descriptions showing it uses built-in motion sensors such as gyroscopes and accelerometers, as well as optical heart rate sensors and on-device machine learning functions, Apple Watch can detect the subtle differences in muscle movement and tendon activity, which lets users navigate a cursor on the display through a series of hand gestures, like a pinch or a clench.
AssistiveTouch introduction on Patently Apple
How does VR matter to AssistiveTouch?
While you still wondering How does AR/ VR matter to AssistiveTouch, someone has already realized this just look like operating a VR console. Now let’s take a look at what Apple is trying to do with their products on AR/VR development.
As we all know, Apple has made considerable progress in AR. From the early usage of AR to see Apple’s newly released products, to the famous AR function added to the software by IKEA- you can see the effect of their furniture in the actual scene without leaving home.
With the advancement of hardware performance, such as the new LiDAR, there are now, "tens of thousands" softwares have also joined the ranks. For developers, AR Kit has also been updated to the 4th generation. There is also the legendary Apple Glass based on AR, adding gesture interaction and LiDAR.
Although Apple has not yet launched a substantial product in VR, it has made considerable progress in research and patents. For example, a patent on 3D glasses in 20 years claims that images can be projected directly onto the retina, which can solve the problem of fusion between VR and AR. Of course, there is also news that Apple's VR headset may be available in 2022.
Leading Companies are competing fiercely in virtual and augmented reality
After smartphones and touch screens, they are all competing to shape the next major computer interface. Most large technology companies, including Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, and Google, are studying augmented reality technology, that is, superimposing computer-generated graphics on real-world images. Recently, researchers at Facebook Reality Labs showed their latest prototype for the first time: a wrist-based controller that combines artificial intelligence and input from the wearer's nervous system to interact with VR and AR environments.
Zuckerberg said in an interview that the social media company plans to collaborate with Ray-Ban to release a pair of smart glasses later this year, but he said that these glasses will not be "full AR", which means they No advanced virtual objects will be displayed. With the development of technology, Facebook plans to release more advanced AR glasses.
Zuckerberg said that he believes that software manufacturers will begin to produce software for virtual reality before transitioning to augmented reality, saying that these two technologies are "two sides of the same coin." On Ignite 2021 not long ago, Microsoft released Microsoft Mesh, a collaboration platform based on mixed reality and Microsoft Azure cloud, which can experience mixed reality through various devices, including remote holography, co-design, etc.
In a sense, "augmented reality" glasses will fundamentally change our relationship with the Internet. From 2013 to 2015, Google Glass attracted our attention. But it is a bit reluctant to call Google Glass AR glasses, because the device only provides a screen in the upper right corner of the user's eye. The device does not understand people's surroundings. As far as practicality is concerned, the device is basically a smart watch worn on the face.
But later, Google chose to close the Glass project and switched to other augmented reality projects. Recently, Google launched an AR experience in Google Maps. The user can turn on the phone's camera for real-time view, and the application will display huge floating arrows and pins on the screen to provide walking directions.
There is also Google Lens, which can recognize text and seamlessly copy and translate, while object recognition can recognize plants, products, animals, and landmarks.
However, on the track of smart glasses, the old player of AR is gradually inferior to the "rising stars" such as Facebook and Apple.
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