Our research shows that when walking, the smart glasses reduce the ability to perform both walking and reading texts, and this can also have an impact on the safety of the users," said Dr. Tal Krasovsky from the University of Haifa, the author of the study
Reading while walking with smart glasses causes a 20% decrease in walking speed, impairing walking stability and understanding the text, compared to reading while walking with smart phones, according to a new study conducted at the University of Haifa. "The technology of wearable computing is constantly developing, and we see clear trends that call for the integration of augmented reality in everyday life, for example Apple's Vision Pro glasses. But there is great importance in understanding the significance of adding digital information during a common daily activity such as walking, both from the point of view of the individual and from the point of view of planning the environment. Our study shows that when walking, the smart glasses reduce the ability to perform both walking and reading texts, and this can also have an impact on the safety of the users," said Dr. Tal Krasovsky, the study's editor.
Reading and writing text messages have become a significant part of our daily lives. Studies conducted in the past found that texting while walking impairs the speed and stability of walking and even poses a danger to both the texters and the pedestrians who are in the vicinity of the texters. Studies show that more orthopedic injuries are caused by using a mobile phone while walking (31.16%) than injuries caused by using a mobile phone while driving (18.16%). Smart glasses are a state-of-the-art technology that allows the wearer to see digital information against the background of the environment. Since you don't have to look away from the surroundings when reading information on the glasses, there is a claim that it can help in reading, for example, text messages, while walking.
In the current study published in the journal International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction Ask the researchers Dr. Krasovsky from the Department of Physiotherapy, Prof. Yoel Lanir and PhD student Yasmin Felberbaum-Korn from the Department of Information Systems, and Dr. Rachel Extremis from the Department of Occupational Therapy, all from the University of Haifa, to test the effect of performing a task of reading a text while walking while assembling 2 types different smart glasses compared to performing the same task while using a mobile phone, when the subjects walked in a closed corridor and an avenue of shops while reading texts about smart glasses and a mobile phone.
The results of the study show that when reading with the help of smart glasses while walking, a decrease of about 20% in walking speed was found, so that the average walking speed was about 0.9 meters per second - about 30% less than the minimum speed needed to cross a signposted intersection. In addition, a decrease in walking stability was found as well as a decrease in reading speed and understanding of the text compared to walking and reading texts on the mobile phone. The study also shows that the users of the smart glasses reported a higher mental load compared to the mobile phone users. These results show that reading with smart glasses entails a high mental load, and warn about using them as a means of reading while walking.
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