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The idea of biometrics in XR isn’t a terribly new one. Methods like heart rate and eye tracking are pretty popular in the research community. Academic researchers have been using physiological signals to measure changes in user states for decades and some AR applications have begun integrating biosignals to inform changes to the system. What is a newer idea is using biosignals as a user controlled input method.

If the future of XR interaction means that users will communicate via customizable avatars, how can you trust that the user you’re interacting with is who they say they are? Part 2: Blockchain-based VR.

Read Part 1: AI Smart Avatars

Although augmented and virtual reality systems (which I will refer to globally as extended reality, or XR) have not yet reached the level of everyday ubiquity expected by some industry insiders, these technologies are being increasingly utilized in domains traditionally considered to be risky, such as aviation and medicine. This is Part 1: AI Smart Avatars.

AI and Zero UI are on the rise and are increasingly being used in all different kinds of industries. Part of this move is that a large part of making devices more accessible to all kinds of users is incorporating a way for them to interact with their devices in a way that does not rely on a screen (ZeroUI). It is clear that in 2018 there will be more of a focus on creating interfaceless designs in an effort to create simple, innovative and engaging user experiences.  However, looking towards the future, interfaceless designs will become more and more integrated into our daily lives. It is estimated that by the year 2020, 30% of all web browsing will be done through screenless designs and through interactions such as voice commands, gestures and eye tracking (Gartner https://www.gartner.com/).

"Where machine learning is reactive, artificial learning is proactive." - Jeff Catlin

Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are two words that are being used a lot right now in the technological world, and will probably only continued to be used more and more. Often time these words are used interchangeably, or used together, which causes their distinct meanings to become fuzzy and unclear. Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, while can be used together, are ultimately two distinct concepts. This article explores the difference between the two terms and why this difference is important to remember.

As Artificial Intelligence continues to evolve, it is important we look at the role of UX in AI. How can we anticipate the types of user challenges that may occur, and how can we try to mitigate those?

    A ‘Voice First’ UI allows users to navigate through the UI using their own voice as the primary input method. It ushers in a new era of technology - moving away from using only the traditional screen, and blends in the use of voice recognition.  

State of AI by Industry

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to mature, various industries have started to include it in their own growth and product strategies. The impact of AI is growing in the Automotive, Finance, and Gaming industries. Below you’ll find AI industry trends and applications and how those applications are expected to evolve in the future:

       Augmented reality (AR) consists of a “live” view of the real world that has aspects of it that are “augmented” by a computer-generated input such as a sound, video, graphics, haptic feedback or GPS data. Augmented reality is beginning to make its way into mainstream platforms, such as Snapchat. As AR has been increasing in both its popularity and usage, we are now seeing the ways in which it can be used in a variety of different ways and platforms.

Over the last year, smart assistants like the Amazon Echo and Google Home have become some of the top tech devices. The evolution from early voice assistants, only capable of simple commands, to multi-featured smart assistants has attracted a wider audience. As these constantly-learning smart AIs are becoming more deeply integrated into our world, it is important for our research team to know and understand the average customer journey; from when they unbox the device to usage.