Google released a new video showing off its Glass wearable device. The interface is pretty minimal, which is probably a good thing. I wouldn’t want a bunch of icons constantly blinking in the corner of my eye. Google is seeking additional beta testers and I’d be interested in testing it from an accessibility perspective, but the $1,500 pricetag may be a dealbreaker. And that’s too bad, because this could be much more useful to me than Apple’s rumored iWatch.
Here’s the video:
Keeping up with the latest developments in human machine interfaces may require a blog of its own before long. Over the past week, news came of a bionic eye receiving F.D.A. approval and clinical trials beginning for a prosthetic arm capable of delivering sensation to its user. I understand that years of research and development precede these announcements, but this tech seems to be advancing at a quickening pace. Five years from now, re-reading this post may be akin to reminiscing about the emergence of dial-up modems today.
Wired is running an essay commemorating Stephen Hawking’s 71st birthday that imagines him as the center of a human-machine distributed network. The essay’s hypothesis is that how Hawking lives his life is increasingly reflective of how the rest of us live. Most of us use some kind of machinery to organize information, communicate with others, and get from Point A to Point B. Hawking simply uses atypical interfaces (a wheelchair, a talking computer, a nurse) that are foreign to most people. From the essay:
Hawking’s persona, his disability, and his embodied network thus becomes a window on our machines, the nature of work, and even our representation of scientific heroes. Popular media shows us that Hawking is a pure, isolated, once-in-a-lifetime genius; ethnographic analysis shows us that Hawking is not that different from other scientists even though he has a disability. In fact, it’s precisely because of his disability that we get to see how all scientists work … and how the entire world will work one day.
In other words, assistive technology neutralizes, to some extent, the barriers between disability and achievement.
Of course, Hawking’s fancy distributed network won’t mean jack when we finally face off in our zero-g deathmatch. I’ve got (relative) youth on my side and a killer left hook. Distribute that, Hawking.
The annual Consumer Electronics Show is once again showing off new gadgets and expensive TVs that you’ll never buy. Eyegaze technology is making another appearance at the CES and it appears to edging closer to general consumer availability. Hardware developer Tobii is in discussions with several game developers to incorporate eyegaze technology into future titles and an add-on device for computers could be available this fall. I’m going to venture a prediction that I’ll be regularly using gaze technology on my desktop or tablet within three years. At which point I’ll resign from my government post to join the League of Legends professional circuit.
Andrew Sullivan, the well-known political blogger, is cutting all ties with traditional media outlets to establish a completely ad-free, reader-supported blog. I read Sullivan regularly and I’m sure I’ll purchase a subscription. The Internet has far too few commercial-free zones of intelligent commentary, so I hope this move by Sullivan will encourage other smart people (Nate Silver, Malcolm Gladwell, and the like) to pursue similar reader-supported projects. Big Media will always be king of the Internet, but we need more of the independent voices that dotted the digital landscape back in early years of the web.
In case you missed it, here’s the piece that ran on last Sunday’s 60 Minutes showing the thought-controlled robotic arm I mentioned last week. Watching the prosthetic in action is remarkable and perhaps offers a glimpse into a future where cybernetic augmentation is commonplace. Truly exciting stuff:
Here’s word of further progress in the development of mind-controlled prosthetics: a paralyzed woman operates a robotic arm with an impressive degree of fluidity. The article also mentions a complication that hadn’t previously occurred to me. Scar tissue forms around the implanted sensors, which impedes the neural signals. It seems like a surmountable problem that should do little to derail my plans to construct a fleet of telepathically operated and well-armed giant robots. Assuming that the bank approves my loan, I should be able to close on a charming underground lair on a suitably remote volcanic island.
The Times looks at how deaf scientists and students are using video sharing to create and standardize new signs for scientific concepts. It’s a fascinating examination of how technology can influence the development of a language. not all of the signs being circulated will be adopted, but the standardization of even a few dozen scientific terms could be of immense help to deaf people wishing to pursue scientific careers. The article also illustrates how sign language is already particularly well-suited for scientific discourse:
“If I wanted to indicate mass, I would probably hold up a balled fist,” said Kate Lacey, an interpreter at George Washington University who often works with science students. “Then, to indicate weight, I’d drop that fist toward the floor.” The implication is that weight represents gravity’s effect on mass, which is about as clear a definition as one is likely to find.
Such elegant personifications of tricky scientific concepts leave some deaf students feeling sorry for those who rely on their ears. “One of my students was telling me recently that she can’t imagine the difficulty that hearing instructors must have in describing concepts through spoken English, because of the linearity of spoken language,” Dr. Braun said.
Nate Silver observes that political contributions from employees at tech companies like Google and Apple overwhelmingly favored Obama in the most recent election cycle. He goes on to make a reasonable assumption that tech professionals willing to donate to a campaign are more likely to volunteer or work for that campaign. That’s not to say that nobody in tech votes Republican, but Democrats likely have a deeper bench of geek talent from which to draw upon when campaign season rolls around again.
If Republicans hope to stay competitive in the long term, they’d better figure out how to close this talent gap. They might start with rediscovering science and silencing the truly stupid know-nothings in their ranks. And while Democrats have established themselves as the masters of the data-driven campaign, they need to demonstrate that they can bring their geek fu to bear in mid-term elections.
News stories about advances in prosthetics have become commonplace in the last several years as soldiers with amputated limbs returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. But those stories often ignore the challenges associated with using those devices. The Times profiles Sebastian Gallegos, a Marine struggling to learn how to use a sophisticated prosthetic arm. Despite having surgery to amplify nerve signals in his arm that control the device, he still experiences plenty of frustration as he tries to control the prosthetic.
Gallegos’ trials are familiar to anyone with a disability who has learned to use a piece of assistive technology. While some AT is more user-friendly than others, they usually require patience to master. Whenever I finally get my implanted brain-computer interface, I expect that some practice will be necessary to make the device do my bidding.