EP // BRIEF 6 // HUNGRY HOUSE // NON-SPEECH RESEARCH

The problem that I found when speaking to people who currently or used to own an iWatch is the fact that not many people like to talk directly to the watch, they find it embarrassing and feel slightly silly. This research blog post looks into other ways we could avoid users speaking into the iWatch. By investigating other technology that is currently available and could be integrated within the iWatch.

Eye-tracking

Eye-tracking could be an effective replacement for speaking to the iWatch.  The user can still use the typical touch functions with their hands but by implementing eye-tracking software will undoubtedly open the iWatch up to many opportunities. First off, it's an effortless interaction between user and device. The natural way a normal watch is used is by naturally glancing at it to check the time, by using hands can be unnatural to some people who still want the traditional interactions with a normal watch. Eye tracking allows the iWatch to become accessible for people with motor impairments. This creates an accessible environment and ensures that users with disabilities are not left behind.  The most famous eye-tracking brand is Tobii. Tobii provides eye tracking for research purposes along with, assistive technologies, and gaming. Tobii is also available within gaming and VR headsets. Tobii is certainly an all-rounder in regards to what the eye-tracking software can be applied too. Currently, eye-tracking hasn't been used with any smartwatches so the potential for this to happen could be a possibility with the likes of Tobii who are already making huge progress to include their software into many different industries.

Muscle Movement

Controlling the iWatch with muscle movement could also be a great opportunity for many people. There is current a wearable tech on the market called 'Myo' which is controlled by gestures. "The Myo armband is a wearable gesture control and motion control device that lets you take control of your phone, computer, and so much more, touch-free." The video is below which gives you a demonstration of how the tech works. The way I see this piece of tech within the iWatch is the user being able to use hand gestures to control the watch, a different hand signal for different actions. Again, this opens up the watch to disability users who may be speech impaired.