Future Towards Screenless Innovation
by Keva Desai and An Patel
Gone are the days when mobile phones were just used to make calls. In today’s technological world, we can’t even imagine our lives with electronic devices/screens. Initially, we had desktop computers in our homes and later, laptops. The iPhone was introduced to the world in 2007. Nowadays, most people own a smartphone of some kind. Even the appliances we use today have a built-in digital screen.
We might be currently imagining and predicting of foldable phones and screens, but the upcoming future might well be screenless. There are many projector-like devices where it projects the usable screens onto some surfaces or our skin. In the future, we might not even require a device in our pockets or hands, but something you wear or have implanted. After seeing all the improvements and innovations that are being made, it wouldn’t be surprising to say that our future would be without the phones and laptops while we are going almost anywhere and we would still be able to surf the internet, FaceTime our friends, watch a YouTube video, and even revise an excel sheet for work. If the manufacturers and production companies start using these screenless technologies, plastics and other materials could be reduced.
Types of screenless displays
The Screenless Displays are separated into three main categories. The first category is a visual image display, in which human eyes can recognize the visualization from naked eyes. The example of this category is the holographic display, heads up display, or virtual display, etc. The second category is the retinal display, in which the images will directly hit the retina of the eyes. In this type of category, the system will not use light reflection to show the images. The example of this type of system is known as retinal scan display, retinal projector, etc. The third category is the synaptic interface, in which the system will directly communicate with the human brain. This is one of the hardest technologies to develop for the future since the brain nerves have to communicate with external devices. There are also other names for this type of category such as mind-machine interface and direct neural interface, human-machine interface. These are the different types of screenless displays that would replace current screen technology in the future.
The idea behind the screenless future will start with Virtual Reality and Augmented reality technology. Imagine if the user saw a couch at someone’s home in the real world. He or she is impressed and would like to buy the same couch for their home. Therefore, the user typically goes on the web browser and search for the same couch on different websites. We can skip this process time and find the information instantly by using AR innovations. The future smart glasses could scan the object and provide the information instantly to the user. The user could use AR audio to communicate with the device and receive instant information. This is one of the virtual innovative technologies that could be developed in the future. Technology is mostly used for faster production in less time, so developing this kind of system will give us instant outputs.
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
The current Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality have already started our future technology direction towards screenless displays. The VR and AR have a common concept to create the world virtually screenless, but they both are different techniques with the same goal. “VR headsets completely take over your vision to give you the impression that you’re somewhere else.” The VR headsets replace the outside world of the user into the virtual world in a 360-degree. VR technology is mainly used for video games and other applications for simulation. This could change the future gaming industry by eliminating Xbox and PS4 gaming platforms.
On the other hand, AR provides a virtual world, but it adds to the real world. The good examples of AR devices are Microsoft HoloLens and “Smart Glasses”, which are transparent to let the user see the real-world objects. This would let the user create floating virtual screens or applications anywhere he is in the world. It would also allow the user to create 3D virtualization of any object and help to solve real business problems. The user won’t require monitors and computers to create a simulation in projects or labs. The Microsoft HoloLens doesn’t work as they showed in the demo, but we are sure future technology is going toward the virtual world (screenless innovation). This would completely change the way we are using computers in the current generation.
New User Interface (UI)
The screenless displays could create a new user interface in all technology. In the automobile sector, it could replace the touch screen displays into the virtual user interfaces. All the screen features could be transferred virtually on the dashboard or in the air (3D demography). Our daily personal activities such as watch TV, social media browsing, Netflix, Video calls, etc can be switched to a virtual world when there will be advanced AR technology (Microsoft HoloLens). This will be a game-changing user interface for everyone since they won’t interact with the TV or laptop screens. The virtual assistant technology will be affected when the AR technology will be advance. The future AR smart glasses can connect to the smart home devices and control your home with your voice. It could even replace current virtual assistant technology such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home, etc. Therefore, we visualize the future interaction of users when there will be a screenless generation.
Will Screenless Innovation be Beneficial to Youths?
Transforming reality is placing an interrogation point on the psychological influence of augmented reality. When augmented reality is placed together with artificial intelligence, they generate environments next to real. However, here comes the questions. Are we mentally ready to adapt this reality? Or will an unexpected interruption play with our opinions and feelings? Unfortunately, we do not have real answers to these questions.
Nowadays, kids and teenagers spend a lot of time looking at screens every day. However, the guidelines from the AHA suggests using the screen time up to two hours a day. In the very near future, augmented reality is going to play a big role in the kids and teenagers’ lives by accompanying them throughout the day while they grow up. Augmented reality will play a big role and form a virtual chain with their daily routines, whether they will be learning new things or playing or shopping online. Although screenless Augmented Reality poses interrogation points around its moral advantages, with cautious use we can exploit the best from this technology.
Conclusion
The screenless future is not going to happen right away, however, we’re moving in a screenless direction. Our future is heading towards screenless innovative technology. Nowadays, video games and retail are harnessing augmented reality the most. The future expects more uses of augmented reality to manufacture screenless interfaces across different industries. The screenless future generation will develop multiple innovative devices for our society. The future devices would be a wearable screen (such as a visionary watch), 3D shadow projection, Virtual laboratory (VR images for experiments), screenless computer with virtual keyboards, smart glasses, etc. This type of screenless technology will be adopted in all sectors, such as education, government, healthcare, transportation, and all others.
