January 2020

Is 2020 the Year of Augmented Reality?

Way back in early 2019 it was looking like 2020 would see a surge in augmented reality headsets and adoption across both the consumer and enterprise space. There were rumors of Apple announcing an AR headset in early 2020. Microsoft was releasing its long-awaited HoloLens 2 by the end of 2019. North Focals, nReal, Magic Leap, and others had devices out or coming soon. The excitement was strong.

The Reality of AR

Once the end of 2019 came around, we realized that we would instead be seeing important yet incremental progress in AR devices. Consumers will be getting more options like an updated North Focals, nReal Light, and the promise of AR contacts in a few years. Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 rolled out, albeit to production constraints. The Apple AR glasses ended up being a 2022-2023 thing instead of a 2020 thing. We just have to wait a little bit longer.

What happened?

The limitations on technology are a major factor. We want smaller, lighter glasses with a wide field of view (FOV), 3D optics, ease of use, and low cost. Right now, we can have one or maybe two of those features in a single headset. You could have small and relatively inexpensive North Focals. You can have the Varjo XR-1 with a wide field of view for $10,000. You can have the HoloLens or Magic Leap that are self-contained and easier to use, but lacking an ideal FOV.

The other issue is cost. Anything with true spatial 3D computing is upwards of $1000 or more. Headsets like the North Focals come in under $1000, but only offer 2D optics for notifications and do not include enhanced input methods. nReal Light consumer glasses are supposed to start at $500 and include 3D optics but are not available quite yet.

This year promises to bring down the cost of the entry level AR glasses, but we are not quite there yet.

What AR will we get in 2020?

For the most part, we may already know what AR is coming in 2020. Most of the AR devices are already here or already announced:

There are likely more devices in the works, but I do not expect to see major new production devices before 2021. Facebook/Oculus, Google, Apple, and others are likely working on their own new products. Microsoft and Magic Leap are working on their next generation headsets. Smaller companies like nReal and North Focals are progressing their tech as well. Right now, we have what we have. We may get announcements of new products this year, but I would be surprised if we get anything tangible to try before 2021.

For a comprehensive list of AR predictions for 2020, check out Tony SkarredGhost’s summary of AR.

When will AR really take off?

For enterprise, 2020 and 2021 will have a lot of adoption of AR. With fieldable headsets from the Microsoft, Vuzix, and Magic Leap, some enterprise and government agencies will be able to afford piloting and deploying these devices in greater numbers.

For consumers, we will likely need to wait until 2021, 2022, or 2023 for substantial adoption. North Focals and similar devices may see some uptick before then, but we may need a Facebook/Oculus, Google, or Apple to make a pair of AR glasses that are attractive to the mass market. I would love to see a smaller company come in and be competitive, but experience points to a large company with big pockets as the winner.

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HoloLens 2

January 28, 2020 by Joel Ward AR XR 0

Let’s Make XR Accessible

XR – eXtended Reality – has been around for decades. Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) allow for much more three-dimensional and realistic interaction with computing systems. As with most technologies, they have not been designed for accessibility from the start. But can they be used to enable interaction with people of all abilities?

Why should XR be accessible?

The better question is: why shouldn’t XR be accessible? Accessibility is a human right. It is also the law in many countries, including the United States, with laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Telecommunications Act.

XR, including AR and VR, came out of varying needs for 2D and 3D spatial computing over the years. Simulation, training, operations, and maintenance are a few of the common uses of XR. Gaming is also a common use of VR in the consumer space, dating back to systems like Nintendo Virtual Boy in the 1990s and made more mainstream by the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift in the 2010s.

AR started with the Virtual Fixtures system for the US Air Force, and earlier “heads up displays” (HUDs) are also predecessors to the modern AR headset. AR has evolved into both 2D and 3D with HUDs such as Google Glass, Microsoft HoloLens, and Magic Leap One. Phones and tablets can also run AR using cameras to detect and overlay imagery over the world.

Evaluating this holistically, XR is a perfect fit for making the world more accessible to everyone. Uses such as communication, training, navigation, remote access, and content creation can provide enhanced and alternative ways for anyone to participate.

We also need to make sure XR experiences are accessible for everyone. VR games should be accessible. AR navigation apps should be accessible. MR remote 3D design platforms should be accessible. It should not be an afterthought.

The XR Access Symposium

In July 2019, I attended the XR Access Symposium in New York City. This group of about 100 people across academia, industry, and government got together at the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island for a day of presentations, demos, and breakout groups.

The plenary sessions got everyone thinking and the ten breakout groups allowed us to brainstorm the initial set of goals that the XR Access initiative would consider. There were demonstrations of current XR tech which was new to a lot of the audience. The mix of content, devices, and people enabled unique conversations that led to the next steps for XR Access.

How we make XR accessible

The goal for XR Access is to engage with the community, create guidelines, and influence policy for accessibility in XR. The focus is to support software, hardware, and content so that this technology is built from the ground up for all, not application by application.

To achieve this goal, we have organized the XR Access initiative into six working groups:

Guidelines & Policies
Awareness
Education
Hardware Devices
Content & Authoring

We have about 150 participants across the groups and an executive team of about a dozen leaders. I am the Lead for the Hardware Devices working group and excited to engage with our community partners on this effort. I am also looking forward to working across all the groups to meet the initiative’s goals.

There are some efforts in progress, including W3C’s XAUR and WebXR, along with Open XR and the XR Association that will feed into our work. We are not starting from scratch but acknowledge that a more coordinate and public effort needs to be made.

Our next symposium is slated for sometime this summer. Please visit www.xraccess.org and join a working group or attend a community gathering to get involved.

January 12, 2020 by Joel Ward Accessibility XR 1

Accessible Gaming: The Xbox Adaptive Controller

Xbox Adaptive Controller and Logitech kit

In September 2018, Microsoft released its Xbox Adaptive Controller to the world. This new controller provides alternative ways for gamers to interact with both the Xbox and Windows games. The controller has its own built in controls for some of the main buttons and inputs for up to 19 switches that use the 3.5mm standard and three USB ports.

Microsoft started development of the Xbox Adaptive Controller way back in 2015, and it took three years of iterations and collaboration to get to production. The company worked with gamers to develop and tweak the design, and it ended up being compatible with a wide array of switches, joysticks, and mounts and is massively customizable.

My son playing on the Xbox Adaptive Controller

Both of my boys love gaming. We got an Xbox One S last year and while my older son was quick to adapt to the new system, my younger son had challenges. He has cerebral palsy and had trouble using the standard Xbox controller for more complex games like NHL ’18. He loves hockey and really wants to play with his brother. So we got the Xbox Adaptive controller for Christmas along with the brand new Logitech Adaptive Gaming Kit.

The whole point of devices like this is to give people the choice of modifying input methods to fit their needs. You can use the base controller and a few 3.5mm switches, or a whole array of switches along with USB joysticks. There are switches for wheelchairs, hand mounts, foot controls, mouth controls, and more. You can remap the inputs any way you like. This is what true accessibility is about.

The Xbox Adaptive Controller gives my son the ability to interact with the games in his own way. The larger buttons of the Adaptive Controller are easier for him to push. The customizable switches allow us to space out additional button controls in a more accessible layout. The last step is to add some USB joysticks—this will allow complete control in NHL ’18, for example.

Microsoft is the only major game system maker that has done this in a comprehensive way, though adaptive controllers have been around in various forms for decades. My hope is that the success of Microsoft’s effort will trickle over to the other companies. I am looking at you Sony, Nintendo, and Apple.

One great effect of these new adaptive devices is their eventually adaptation (*ahem*) for other uses, including PC control and an area I am currently working in, XR Access: accessibility for virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality systems, aka eXtended Reality (XR).

January 1, 2020 by Joel Ward Accessibility Assistive Technology XR 0