Smartwatches are key to creating mixed reality clicks

If there’s one thing Apple can count on when it introduces the Vision Pro space computer, it’s that it takes away most of the rough edges of the mixed reality headsets that came before it. The yet-to-be-released headset offers the clearest transition possible, interface elements with minimal artifacts, and smooth and intuitive interactions based on our first experience with the device.

A level of polish is reflected in the Metas Quest 3, which is, counterintuitively, in many ways more professional than its Quest Pro counterpart. With a dedicated depth sensor to adjust room-scale experiences, full-color passthrough for mixed reality, and a sharper display that promises 2064 x 2208 resolution per eye, the Quest 3 makes a strong case that mixed reality can Fun and even useful. Getting work done (if giant virtual monitors are your thing).

Of course, none of the headsets are the ultimate goal. Shrinking these computers into something like glasses or sunglasses is still the bottom line that both companies want, and it’s a challenge that will likely come with compromises in how we interact with them. You can only fit so many downward facing cameras into something as small as a pair of glasses anyway. Fortunately, a device that many of us now wear on our wrists can help.

Double tap to start

Introduced in the Apple Watch Series 9, Double Tap isn’t quite the revolutionary feature that Apple is advertising, with the additional Neural Engine boost that comes with the new S9 SiP (System in a Package) smartwatches. It’s a convenience, nice to have. But navigating watchOS 10’s tiny interfaces, tapping buttons without even touching the screen, is a hint of where Apple could go.

The Apple Watch has long been a passive data collector, heart rate monitor, and pedometer that was only temporarily needed for Apple Fitness+. But the potential of Double Tap and the more sophisticated accessibility features that Apple has built into its smartwatch over the years suggest that the Apple Watch can work well as an input device.

According to Apple, the neural engine in the S9 SiP processes data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, and optical heart rate sensor with a new machine learning algorithm that allows it to detect tiny wrist movements and changes in blood flow when the index finger and thumb are gestured. to recognize to knock. But given the tight connections between all of Apple’s products, it doesn’t seem likely that those sensors will be used to create a Double Tap feature to navigate the user interface of your phone, tablet, laptop, or space computer.

Metas smart watch controller

If part of this smartwatch sounds familiar as the idea of ​​a controller, that’s because Meta has repeatedly suggested that it wants to do something similar with its hardware. The company hopes to use EMG, or electromyography, to use sensors to record the electrical activity of skeletal muscles to detect movement intentions in your body. This allows them to register fingers, taps, and other hand-based actions without actually having to do them, provided you use the right sensors.

According to reports, Metas’ efforts have culminated in the design and production of a version of the smartwatch that it was supposed to release earlier this year. Bloomberg. This watch with the code name Milan had EMG sensors and two required cameras. One for video calls while wearing the watch, and another that allows the device to detach from its band and act as a sort of action camera. The device was eventually shelved due to technical issues, but Meta could certainly bring what it did on those sensors to another product, especially if it has plans to introduce a more complete version of its smart glasses in the future.

Connect the dots

Voice control will always have a place in augmented, virtual, and mixed reality hardware, but to make these devices simpler, more compact, and cheaper to use, hardware features need to happen. Apple is reportedly ditching the Vision Pros’ external display for future cheaper versions of the headset, and it’s entirely possible that it could cut costs further by making the Apple Watch a requirement to unlock the more immersive control methods the headset offers. . If not for the Vision Pro, then for every eyewear product the company releases in the next 10 years.