The real-life dangers of augmented reality

You know your cellphone can distract you and that you shouldn't be texting or surfing the Web while walking down a crowded street or driving a car. Augmented reality- in the form of Google Glass, Sony's SmartEyeglass, or Microsoft HoloLens- may appear to solve that problem. These devices present contextual information transparently or in a way that obscures little, seemingly letting you navigate the world safely, in the same way head-up displays enable fighter pilots to maintain situational awareness. (1) But can augmented reality really deliver on that promise? We ask this question because, as researchers at Kaiser Permanente concerned with diseases that impair mobility (Sabelman) and with using technology to improve patient care (Lam), we see dangers looming. (2) With augmented-reality gear barely on the market, rigorous studies of its effects on vision and mobility have yet to be done. But in reviewing the existing research on the way people perceive and interact with the world around them, we found a number of reasons to be concerned. Augmented reality can cause you to misjudge the speed of oncoming cars, underestimate your reaction time, and unintentionally ignore the hazards of navigating in the real world. And the worst thing about it: Until something bad happens, you won't know you're at greater risk of harm. The Real-Life Dangers of Augmented Reality SPECTRUM.IEEE.