Focus

Greg Nelson, Sarah Reitz, Richelle Dumond

Sketches

Storyboards for changing our visual and auditory environment via line-of-sight devices. Concepts include altering brightness/contrast, depth of field, and volume.


She selects her reading by looking at it and picking it up. The white line displays the line-of-sight device's understanding of her focus to ground interactions and avoid unintended changes.



Her voice command - "brightness" - gives her options to ease her reading in the dim environment.



A gesture wipes away distractions using depth of field and color manipulation. Her prior gaze and object boundaries set the blurring area. 



Although the depth of field and colors of the surrounding environment have changed, it remains visible, and she maintains some environmental awareness.




By looking at a source of sound and covering her ear, the device identifies what sound to reduce.



Holding the gesture after changing her field of view decreases audio not in her area of focus.



Modifying her senses can have unintended consequences: she misses a chance visit with her friend. Additional interfaces may reduce this friction, perhaps showing her focus in others' views and letting them leave her notes. A good friend might touch her to get her attention. While these interfaces may help, changing our senses changes our experiences profoundly. We must continue to ask: what is gained, at what cost, and what remains hidden?