Sharpening the Vision of Smart Glasses Technology

In the rapidly evolving landscape of wearable technology, Concrete stands as a proven leader in research and design, particularly within the innovative realm of smart glasses. Our extensive experience, demonstrated through impactful projects in early-stage conceptual and later phased beta hardware smart glasses," showcases our deep understanding of user needs, technical challenges, and the potential of augmented reality and intelligent audio in eyewear.

Laying the Foundation in early stage concepts

Even in its initial development phase Concrete was at the forefront of exploring the possibilities of smart glasses for specific user groups. Focused on serious endurance athletes like runners and cyclists, the project aimed to integrate intelligent audio coaching feedback directly into eyewear.

Concrete's involvement spanned critical early-stage research and design phases. Our team conducted in-depth investigations into:

• Current technology use by runners and cyclists, understanding their existing habits and tools for activity tracking.

• The data tracking behaviors of serious athletes, gaining insights into their needs and pain points.

• The role of music in athletic activity, exploring acquisition, organization, curation, listening habits, and control mechanisms.

• The potential of voice command interfaces, including competitive analysis and user interviews to assess intuitiveness and usability.

Moving into the design phase, Concrete led further research efforts:

• Internal testing of proposed voice commands for intuitiveness, memorability, and distinguishability.

• Prototype testing of voice commands with users in real-world running and cycling scenarios, collecting feedback and realistic audio samples.

• Research with coaches of elite athletes to understand their feedback methods and test pre-determined feedback delivery via smart glasses.

• Lab studies using treadmills to explore the integration of gradient sensor data into feedback and coaching.

• Lab-based prototype testing of the voice command system, simulating an out-of-box experience (OOBE).

These rigorous research activities were crucial in identifying key challenges, such as:

• Limitations in computational power restricting the number of available voice commands.

• The need for highly accurate audio commands due to the absence of physical input and challenging environmental conditions (distance of microphone from mouth, user exertion, outdoor noise).

• Understanding the desired coaching input and providing sufficient user control over the experience.

Despite these challenges, Concrete's research yielded significant outcomes:

• Development of user personas based on initial research.

• Definition of requirements for music and data tracking/analysis.

• A strong emphasis on realistic audio testing, highlighting the potential for user frustration if not executed correctly.

• A patent centered around intelligent recognition of environmental factors to adjust feedback for safety, such as volume reduction near streets. This innovative approach demonstrates Concrete's foresight in addressing critical user safety concerns.

  
  

Notably, the research and design work informed the development of two products currently on the market: the Oakley Radar Pace and the Recon Jet, further solidifying Concrete's early impact on the smart glasses landscape.

Concrete's Clear Vision for Smart Glasses Research and Design

Building on our foundational work in smart glasses technology research, Concrete played a pivotal role in the research and design of the Vaunt Smart Glasses. This project focused on creating regular-looking smart glasses for everyday use, capable of displaying discreet notifications, directions, and contextual augmented reality information via a low-level laser projected directly onto the retina.

Given the novel nature of the technology, Concrete undertook extensive research to address key uncertainties:

• Determining the optimal display location for various activities.

• Establishing the best fit for display visibility.

• Defining appropriate font sizes and notification information density.

• Developing effective interaction designs.

• Investigating potential motion sickness and other physical side effects.

• Identifying optimum lens types for different lighting conditions.

• Evaluating the effectiveness of animation versus static imagery.

Concrete provided an experienced UX researcher who was instrumental in feature prioritization and UI design recommendations through:

• Planning and facilitating multiple lab studies.

• Managing participant recruitment and testing involving over 130 individuals in detailed lab research.

• Conducting competitive product and companion app analysis of over 26 AR competitors.

This collaborative process fostered a user-centered design approach within the project team, ensuring that user data was central to key product decisions.

Partner with Concrete for Your Wearable Technology Vision

Concrete's proven track record in navigating the complexities of smart glasses research and design, from early-stage conceptualization to user-centered testing and impactful findings, makes us the ideal partner for your next wearable technology venture. Our deep understanding of user needs, technical challenges, and innovative solutions ensures the development of compelling and successful products.

Ready to transform your wearable technology vision into reality? Contact Concrete today in the Contact Us form below to explore how our expertise can drive your research and design initiatives.