Module 4
Blog Post on the Disruptive Power of Google Glass and Its Precursor, the MIT Sixth Sense Project
Dr.
Thornburg (2014) discusses disruptive technologies as technologies that replace
existing technology with functionality that is more efficient and cheaper thus
making the old technology obsolete. People are always interested in the new
bells and whistles of technology. This is exactly people rush to get the new
iPhone or iPad because they are anxious to see what new functionality the
device will offer to users. Sixth Sense technology is emerging as disruptive
technology because it allows the user to do the same things that they could do
with existing technology except without the device itself. Users are able to use hand gestures to
manipulate digital information. The technology that is being displaced is the
smart phone because users will no longer need an actual phone to make and
receive calls. Using the sixth sense technology users could have the
functionality of a phone on the palm of their hands or any other surface. Sixth
sense technology also displaces iPads because users will no longer need to have
a device to interact with social media. Users will be able to communicate with
friends and family using sixth sense technology by emailing, taking pictures,
and calling them without using a smart device. In the sixth sense technology
video demonstration Pranav Mistry takes a picture using his hands by simply
making the gesture of taking a picture. He sends an email with the picture
attachment. Users of sixth sense technology will benefit from using this type
of technology because the sensors of the finger tabs enable the technology to
gather information about what the user is holding. This will enable companies
to work with sixth sense technology to offer options to purchase the object
from online companies such as Amazon.com without clicking the app on a smart
device. The sixth sense technology would be great for a classroom because
educators are always searching for ways in which to make learning more hands on
for students so that are able to interact with the curriculum. Sixth sense
technology combines the fascination of new technology and the instructional
theories of hands on activities in the classroom. The sixth sense technology
would be great an English language learner because the student would interact
with objects in their environment and the sixth sense technology could identify
the object both in their native language and the second language. The sixth
sense technology could also verbalize how to pronounce this new
vocabulary. I do not see sixth sense
technology being displaced by another disruptive technology for a while. The
sixth sense technology is barely emerging so I believe Microsoft and Google
will work to ensure that further applications of sixth sense technology are
developed. Sixth sense technology will evolve to include computer programs
where users can manipulate MS word programs without using a computer, keyboard,
or mouse. Users will be able to save, edit, and retrieve data without having an
actual computer to perform this functions.
References
[Andrew
Phillip]. (2012, April 12). 6th sense
tech Demonstration. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/rWf4xS-28nU
Laureate
Education (Producer). (2014a). David Thornburg: Disruptive technologies [Video
file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Sixth
Sense technology. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.engineersgarage.com/articles/sixth-sense-technology
