There’s no shortage of speculation about Apple’s rumored AR headset, but the latest one is the most sci-fi of them all. According to trustworthy Apple analyst Ming-chi Kuo, the headset may be shunning handheld controllers in favor of eye tracking and iris recognition.
Per AppleInsiderAccording to Kuo’s investor note on the topic, the headset will use a “specialized transmitter” to track eye movements and blinks. The way Kuo says the transmitter works is that it emits “wavelengths of invisible light”, which then reflected off your eyeball. A receiver then picks up that reflected light and the changes are in light patterns then analyzed to determine what you are looking at.
That data can then be used to better tailor a user’s interaction within an AR environment. Another advantage is that people can operate menus by blinking or maybe even learn more about an object if they stare at it for a certain amount of time. It can also allow for better processing power as everything in your peripheral vision can have a lower screen resolution.
Where this takes it a step further is iris recognition. While Kuo isn’t sure if this is a bona fide feature, he says the “hardware specifications suggest the HMDs [head mounted display] eye tracking system can support this function. Iris recognition is great because we’ve all seen spy movies where it is used as a form of biometric identification. will not are cheapIn a more mundane sense, it could also be used for services such as Apple Pay.
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One of the biggest problems with mixed reality and virtual reality is that there isn’t a great way to interact with what you see. Enterprise headsets such as Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 and the Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2, as well as earlier consumer versions such as Focals by North, all relied on an iteration of hand controls or finger loops. They work, but calibration is a problem and the process can be cumbersome. Eye tracking, when done right, is a potential game changer because you don’t have to keep track of another accessory or memorize a series of controls.
This interface problem is known to companies trying to make consumer AR gadgets. Apple isn’t the only company looking for a new solution. Facebook recently revealed it is proposing itself wearables on the wrist with which you can control AR with your mind. It’s far too early to say which of these two methods (or possibly one we haven’t even heard of) will ultimately win. Previously, Kuo noted that Apple’s mixed reality headset is probably in 2022, with smart glasses in 2025. Facebook is expected to launch some sort of smart glasses this year, but it’s probably the futuristic methods that make it ‘The s described are for later. That said, I’ll definitely be getting into eye tracking haptic socks every day.