It was a blast to watch Google I/O last week. The upcoming set of smart-watches looks seriously interesting and I might have to get one of those Moto 360’s. Just for developing of course as I haven’t used a wrist watch for well over 15 years. What appeals to me at this point is the round screen, promise of futurism and sleek finish of the product.
But more than that what really caught my attention was two things: what was presented and what was hinted about. The new grip on design from a materials perspective did make a lot of sense, especially since our research group have this interest in common. There is a nice Verge article that brings up some of the thoughts behind. What was not talked about was the obvious thing related to material and touch – haptic feedback. About seven years ago I laid my hands on a haptic feedback mobile prototype and the experience was overwhelming. This was at the same time as Apple released their first iPhone. It is relatively easy to enhance the sensation of pressing a virtual button with vibrations in such a way that the mind actually can distinguish the difference between different shapes visually. The brain can be made to learn that language, but it might be a good idea to be the first player to introduce it. The other option is to find a “natural” fit.
Another thing not mentioned was what the future might look like with more and more connected devices beyond those six that was presented. What will Google do next when more and more things get connected?