As we’ve mentioned numerous times already, Google Glass is not the only game in town for head mounted displays. Industrial applications continue to drive the development of systems that give users access to digital information in a mobile, hands-free device. One of the latest to be announced is from Fujitsu. It is a bit geeky to look at, and comes saddled with the unfortunate product name of “FUJITSU IoT Solution UBIQUITOUSWARE Head Mounted Display,” but it has a number of attractive features that will appeal to the Health Tech device markets.
It has a small display suspended below and in front of one eye. It also has a camera mounted so that it sees what the wearer sees.It also has a microphone and speakers so that the wearer can communicate using audio as well. It also has sensors to detect motion, and even includes fall detection. It can communicate with a smartphone or tablet using Bluetooth, or can communicate to a network using WiFi. It runs on the Android operating system. Users can control it using voice commands or a wireless keypad that can be worn on the forearm. The system currently is rated to run for up to four hours on a battery charge.
While initially intended for industrial applications where technicians can call up reference materials or consult with experts while in the field, those same features will be attractive for health and medical applications. Consumers could use it for tele-medicine applications, given them a way to interact with doctors and other healthcare professionals. Healthcare workers in hospitals and other clinical settings could gain access to health records and other information while maintaining face-to-face contact with the patient, or call up procedural checklists during an emergency. While this initial product is a bit clunky, it’s easy to see how subsequent generations could be made smaller, lighter, and less obtrusive.
