Apple recently announced AssistiveTouch for the Apple Watch, enabling people with disabilities to navigate through their smartwatch without experiencing difficulties. The same feature could arrive for the Apple Glasses, according to one analyst, as he comments on how the tech giant is ahead of the competition in many areas and by several years.
Analyst Also Says That Apple Is Four to Five Years Ahead of the Competition in Custom Silicon Technology, and That Is Being Generous
Analyst Neil Cybart wrote on AboveAvalon that Apple could easily bring AssistiveTouch to the Apple Glasses as a means for the user to effortlessly control it. While we have heard a significant number of reports on the company’s rumored head-mounted wearable, none of them have mentioned an accessibility feature similar to the one supported by the Apple Watch.
The Apple Watch has built-in motion sensors, a gyroscope, and an accelerometer to get informed about subtle differences of the human body, such as muscle movement and tendon activity. Assuming the Apple Glasses will have the same sensors, the same accessibility features could be controlled through the wearer’s eye movement. Assuming the Apple Glasses are donned by people who have some form of visual impairment, either finger gestures or voice recognition could enable the accessibility features for the user.
“Two months ago, Facebook gave the press a peek at how it is researching using a smartwatch-like device as an input method for a pair of AR glasses. The research, centered on electromyography, looked to be in the pretty early stages with many years needed before seeing the technology in a consumer-facing product. The video was intriguing as it showed research that was thought to be at the forefront of what is going on in technology R&D today. Apple then shocked everyone by unveiling AssistiveTouch for Apple Watch. Instead of showing a behind-the-scenes look at an R&D project, Apple unveiled a technology ready for users today. The technology, relying on a combination of sensors and technologies to turn the Apple Watch into a hand / finger gesture reader, was designed for those in need of additional accessibility. Of course, the technology can go on to have other use cases over time, such as controlling a pair of smart glasses like the ones Facebook is working on. AssistiveTouch does a good job of showing just how far ahead Apple is on the wearables R&D front. “
Cybart has also commented that in addition to having a four-to-five-year lead in wearables, Apple commands the same lead in custom silicon development against the competition, suggesting that when the Apple Glasses releases, it will be truly extraordinary. The California-based giant is able to cement this position through a considerable number of acquisitions since 2015; firms that were focused on areas like augmented reality, smart glasses, hand, and position tracking, and content platform for wearables.
We will not be surprised if the Apple Glasses arrives with a custom silicon to help with easy pairing with your iPhone when the wearer leaves his home. Of course, there is so much more that we do not know about the upcoming headset, and as such, we recommend our readers to check out the links below for more information. Like always, stay tuned for more updates.
- Apple Prepping $1,000 AR Headset in 2022, With a Pair of Smart Glasses Reportedly Arriving in 2025
- Apple’s AR Headset Could Feature 15 Cameras, Along With microLED Screens for Improved Immersion
- Apple Aiming to Keep Upcoming AR Headset’s Weight Down to Just 150 Grams to Prevent Fatigue
- Apple’s AR Headset Launch Pushed Back to 2022; New Features Reported to Include 3D Scanning & Advanced Human Detection Features
The post AssistiveTouch Could Be Used on the Apple Glasses; Analyst Says Company Has a Four-to-Five-Year Lead in Wearables by Omar Sohail appeared first on Wccftech.
source https://wccftech.com/assistivetouch-make-its-way-to-apple-glasses/