Augmented Reality (AR) glasses or Mixed Reality headset – as Apple chooses to call its AR/VR device – represent a leap forward in wearable technology which thrives on the possibility of endless expandability. The best thing about these devices is that they are controlled by gesture and voice-based interactions through onboard sensors and cameras.
Despite their promise, AR glasses remain a niche product, while smartphones, laptops, and game consoles still remain daily drivers. A South Korean designer believes unintuitive gestures and voice commands can be awkward in public settings and since the AR glasses lack physical controls, they are not finding wide adoption. As a solution, he has come up with Cylin, a cylindrical portable PC comprising AR glasses and a controller.
Designer: Sun-il Kim
Currently, AR glasses’ interaction methods feel clunky, especially in a public setting or when you want to get some instant text written. To make the computing glasses a practical tool for all types of environments—whether enjoying videos sitting in a café or writing a column for a magazine in a shared public space. Sun-il Kim has designed Cylin, which functions like a scroll.
It has that slot for the glasses, a scroll-like opening keyboard interface for text input, and puts a mouse in there for precise control. Tying over a virtual keyboard or through gestures is cumbersome and adding a physical keyboard onboard would increase the weight and cost of the AR glasses. The Cylin is thus a handy solution that doesn’t take away the fun but adds required function making it convenient for everyday use in various environments.
As a compact PC in the shape of a small cylindrical body integrating a mouse, keyboard, and AR glasses, the Cylin may seem like a product too much. But given the problem it is trying to address; it may be a viable option. If it does get some heads like us interested, it can definitely start a product category of its own.
