Scroll is a prototype controller that looks like an ordinary ring. Whereas most current augmented-reality (AR) experiences rely on smartphones or separate handheld controllers as a means of interaction, Scroll sits discreetly on a user’s hand, and the gestures required to operate it are minimal.
The basic gestures include flicking the hand, pointing the fingers as if with a laser pointer, scrolling the thumb against the side of the ring, and tapping it. This makes Scroll the kind of controller that could be operated in public without the user attracting too much attention.
Martin, a student of the Royal College of Arts’ masters programme in Innovation Design Engineering, said Scroll was the result of his search for a more “delightful and intuitive” AR interface. “Scroll is a proposal for rethinking our everyday digital interactions in space using emerging AR technologies to create a more delightful and intuitive means of interacting with everyday digital functions,” said Martin. “The more an interface is able to make use of intuitive meaning, the more efficient and simple it can be.”
The slim ring contains a gyroscope so the ring can identify in which direction it is facing, as well as a scroller and touch sensor. To demonstrate its potential, Martin has designed an interface that translates the “everyday digital experience” into AR, incorporating features such as calendars, playlists and maps. These all appear as visualisations superimposed over the users’ field of view and can be interacted with spatially.
By Rima Sabina Aouf