Hopefully by now you have read a couple of the AD/Dementia Use Cases. You hopefully chuckled or were amused by the naming of the Eyewear AI as "Seymour". One of the interesting design challenges I considered was when Carol is not in private were she can comfortably converse with Seymour, but is in a public setting, where it might appear that she is talking to herself, which would be awkward and potentially embarrassing. Finding ways for Carol to non-verbally or sub-vocally respond to Seymour, was intriguing. Here are some ideas to facilitate discreet interactions.
Gesture Recognition: Utilize Carol's smart eyewear or wearable device's built-in accelerometer and gyroscope to recognize specific gestures as responses. For instance, Carol could touch her temple or swipe her finger along the arm of the glasses to scroll through options or make selections.
Eye Tracking: Advanced eye-tracking technology within the smart eyewear could allow Carol to select options or respond to Seymour by looking at specific cues or areas in her field of vision for a brief moment.
Facial Expression Recognition: Subtle facial expressions, such as a smile or a frown, could be detected by the smart eyewear's user facing camera as affirmative or negative responses, respectively.
Pressure Sensitivity: The frame of the smart eyewear or a connected wearable could include pressure-sensitive areas. A light squeeze could serve as a means to confirm or deny prompts without any visible gesture.
Breath Pattern Detection: Incorporate a sensor to detect changes in breathing patterns that could be used for responses. A sharp exhale could signal a "no," while a steady, calm breath could mean "yes."
Sub-vocal Recognition: Explore sub-vocal speech recognition technology, where sensors detect almost inaudible vocalization or throat movements. This would allow Carol to communicate with Seymour through whisper-like, sub-vocal commands without being overheard.
Wearable Feedback Device: A discreet wearable device, like a ring or bracelet, could vibrate to pose questions or prompts from Seymour, with Carol responding through predefined taps or gestures.
Smart Fabric Integration: Clothing with integrated smart fabric technology could allow Carol to interact with Seymour by touching specific parts of her clothing in a coded manner, such as tapping her sleeve.
Each of these methods offers a unique way to enhance Carol's ability to communicate with Seymour discreetly in various social and public settings, maintaining her privacy while ensuring she receives the support she needs.