Hello everyone.

The Mixed Reality Forums here are no longer being used or maintained.

There are a few other places we would like to direct you to for support, both from Microsoft and from the community.

The first way we want to connect with you is our mixed reality developer program, which you can sign up for at https://aka.ms/IWantMR.

For technical questions, please use Stack Overflow, and tag your questions using either hololens or windows-mixed-reality.

If you want to join in discussions, please do so in the HoloDevelopers Slack, which you can join by going to https://aka.ms/holodevelopers, or in our Microsoft Tech Communities forums at https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/mixed-reality/ct-p/MicrosoftMixedReality.

And always feel free to hit us up on Twitter @MxdRealityDev.

What about people with Amblyopia (Lazy Eye)?

AR123AR123
edited June 2016 in Questions And Answers
The Microsoft Hololens could violate federal law for noncompliance with accessibility...specifically individuals with Amblyopia (lazy eye).

Are there steps that Microsoft Hololens, or any other AR device (i.e. supplementary sensors in the Hololens) are taking to assist persons with this disability?

Not having experienced the device yet, but from what I'm reading is that the sensors seem to work based the direction of where ones eyes might be looking, but the challenge is...which eye?

Comments

  • There's no eye tracking, just head/gaze tracking.

  • Jarrod1937Jarrod1937 ✭✭✭

    While such concerns are valid, a less accusatory approach may be better.
    As mentioned, the Hololens uses gaze tracking, which relies on the position of your head, not your eyes.
    Regardless, I'd be quite surprised if law required every single device to be accessible to any and all conditions that may afflict someone. An iPod can't be expected to function for someone who is deaf, for example. I'm big on technology improving the lives of people with various disorders, but I also understand that each technology may have an inherent limitation for some.

  • AR123AR123
    edited June 2016
    I don't feel that this is accusatory at all...

    In fact, it's a good discussion to have at this early stage. Why? As a developer with Amblyopia, I need to know what thought has been put into the sensors and device should I want to develop a solution. For example, can I tap into the senors to scan my eye movement separately in order to rebroadcast any prism correction?

    So far, all I'm seeing are discussions surrounding fun quick wins (i.e. 3D, or 2D apps); however, I'd imagine that there are far more game changing use cases that will secure Hololens-- and all other devices surrounding mixed reality-- as viable alternatives to traditional methods.

    Individuals with lazy eye often miss out and can’t experience the world like most do. For instance, if we see a 3D movie, we don’t have the same experience as the majority of people without Amblyopia.

    Now, I know that you fall in that majority and most likely don't care, but this is a real world problem that can be solved using AR.
  • Jarrod1937Jarrod1937 ✭✭✭
    edited June 2016
    Starting out the conversation by saying Microsoft may be violating a law, not accusatory? I suppose it's a matter of perspective, but simple starting out asking if there would be any possible issues with those with a lazy eye, would have been better I think. It's also a bit annoying since you state I fall into the "majority who don't care," when I stated explicitly that I actually look at technology to improve people's lives with disorders.
    However, trying to look past that. Even though the Hololens currently uses gaze, not eye tracking, I suppose one could define eye tracking for a specific eye. This of course depends on the implementation. I've actually made my own eye tracking rig before, for a possible nav technique for the paralyzed, and used openCV for tracking the pupil and mapping it to an output. In my implementation, I only looked at a single eye, and after initial calibration, it really didn't care about which eye it looked at. So, depending on the implementation, I could very well see it being quite adaptable to various circumstances. However, in a more complex system, this freedom may not exist. That fact that engineering in general is an act of compromise, is something you should be aware of.
  • AR123AR123
    edited June 2016
    Good stuff...

    There are federal standards that don't allow companies to simply dictate what shouldn't be required to experience an AR system. I feel that Microsoft – along others – should be thinking through these issues and provide alternative solutions, such as your eye-tracking rig. So far, I haven’t heard of anything in the pipes, though… which is why I’m a bit frustrated (as you can tell).

    With that said, I do admire your efforts...perhaps the Microsoft Hololens team should be employing you. I'd simply just like to know whether I can tap into the sensors in order to scan my eye alternations so I can rebroadcast the correction to the eye that’s turned.
  • Again, without the arguing, the HoloLens does not scan the eyes. So to answer your question, there is nothing you need to worry about. If they do implement pupil tracking, I am sure they would take this into consideration. As I am sure, they probably had this in consideration when developing the current version of the IDP measuring tool.

  • @Jayson said:
    Again, without the arguing, the HoloLens does not scan the eyes. So to answer your question, there is nothing you need to worry about. If they do implement pupil tracking, I am sure they would take this into consideration. As I am sure, they probably had this in consideration when developing the current version of the IDP measuring tool.

    Thanks for clarifying. It's sort of a bummer that the sensor doesn't actually track the eye...reason being my original hope in broadcasting the correction on whichever eye is turned.

    I wonder if I can hack it, though.

  • Playing with mine now. You could probably create an add on device for tracking the eyes. That would be a hardware device. But, nothing here to hack on the HoloLens.
  • @Jayson Thanks for the feedback!

  • Federal law does not require device manufacturers to create devices which are able to be used by any/all persons. Monitors, for example, are not required to be able to be used by the blind. It IS law that public services be available to all persons regardless of disability. For example: You cannot just have a print-only form for filing taxes. It is up to the public service providers to make their services available to all persons.

  • AR123AR123
    edited June 2016

    @dracolytch said:
    Federal law does not require device manufacturers to create devices which are able to be used by any/all persons.

    @dracolytch not an entirely accurate statement as there are still some "software" requirements (see Standards and Regulations).

    Now, if Microsoft isn't really eager to work with federal/state agencies ... perhaps you might be correct; however, I'd bet a pretty dollar that there's a lot of cash to be collected from federal government contracts using Hololens, but with these contracts come compliance requirements.

  • Jarrod1937Jarrod1937 ✭✭✭
    edited June 2016

    @AR123 said:

    @dracolytch said:
    Federal law does not require device manufacturers to create devices which are able to be used by any/all persons.

    @dracolytch not an entirely accurate statement (see Standards and Regulations).

    Now, if Microsoft isn't really eager to work with Federal/State agency's ... perhaps you might be correct; however, I'd bet a pretty dollar that there's a lot of cash to be collected with government contracts using Hololens, but with these contracts come compliance requirements.

    Based on those requirements, the Hololens already meets them. It is perfectly functional with a single eye.
    I would like to read the ISO standard, but it's behind a paywall... Kind of odd for a standard of this sort.

  • AR123AR123
    edited June 2016
    @Jarrod1937 mind you, I wrote this before owning the device. The only issues I'm seeing with the Hololens that could be a cause for concern are the irregularities in the color reproduction that some (http://forums.hololens.com/discussion/612/whats-the-process-to-swap-out-a-faulty-hololens)--including me-- have been experiencing in each FoV.
  • Just got the Hololens, and I can answer some of the vision questions.

    My son has Lasy Eye, and in his words "This is the most awesome tech he has ever used".
    He still has to wear his glasses, but Hololens is adjustable and he has no problems.

    I wear glasses for reading, (cant see anything within 24" of my face), I do "not" need to wear my glasses with hololens. My view with Hololens is great.

    In my sons words, "The gear is Awesome".

  • Jarrod1937Jarrod1937 ✭✭✭

    @larsel said:
    Just got the Hololens, and I can answer some of the vision questions.

    My son has Lasy Eye, and in his words "This is the most awesome tech he has ever used".
    He still has to wear his glasses, but Hololens is adjustable and he has no problems.

    I wear glasses for reading, (cant see anything within 24" of my face), I do "not" need to wear my glasses with hololens. My view with Hololens is great.

    In my sons words, "The gear is Awesome".

    Glad to hear! :)

  • @larsel said:

    In my sons words, "The gear is Awesome".

    Cool stuff. B)

Sign In or Register to comment.