ABSTRACT Augmented Reality Approaches to Sensory Rehabilitation

Abstract

The potential for augmented reality (AR) technologies to impact work habits and collaborative work is perhaps most striking for individuals with sensory or perceptual impairments. Commercial display and sensing technologies, in combination with on-board computation capabilities (either in the form of specialized hardware or general-purpose wearable computers), are introducing a new generation of adaptive aids. Spectacles and traditional hearing aids are being replaced by customized and context-sensitive conditional display systems. These technologies will enable much broader access, both to day-to-day interaction and to our increasingly information-based workspace. Two specific examples illustrate many of the technological and human factors challenges presented in the development of these new AR sensory aids. The lessons and technological advances gained from these efforts may have much broader implications for the design and implementation of generic AR systems. 1