An Apple patent reveals plans to expand the Fall Detection feature of the Apple Watch to include new wearable technologies. This could encompass the Vision Pro headset, an upcoming Apple Glasses product, and even advanced smart contact lenses.
The patent suggests that these wearables might perform even better than the Apple Watch’s current version for two main reasons …
Fall Detection
The Fall Detection system utilizes the built-in accelerometer and gyroscope of the Apple Watch to identify a significant fall.
Upon detection, it will initially notify you through a gentle tap on your wrist, followed by an alert that offers options to confirm your safety or call emergency services. If there is no response and you remain motionless for one minute, the device will automatically dial 911, providing your precise location and alerting the operator that you have fallen and may be unresponsive.
This feature has been credited with saving numerous lives, with the following links serving as just a few examples:
Patently Apple has identified a recent patent from Apple outlining how fall detection could extend to various other wearable devices.
Apple has filed a patent aimed at extending Fall Detection functionalities to future iterations of Vision Pro headsets, smart glasses, and potentially smart contact lenses.
Implementing this feature in such devices could lead to increased effectiveness—primarily because they would be capable of monitoring if your eyes are open or closed and detecting any pupil dilation.
This pertains to the general systems and methods for monitoring biometric data linked to detecting movements of the gadget, particularly concerning the tracking and documenting of pupil dilation and/or indications of unconsciousness as a response to specific movements of the electronic device.
Moreover, devices equipped with external cameras could offer emergency responders a visual of your environment or a description thereof.
Additionally, the ability to initiate emergency responses automatically (e.g., including providing an overview or summary of a user’s environment) when biometric indicators suggest a loss of consciousness minimizes the number of inputs required to trigger an emergency response, resulting in optimized power and processing resource use of the electronic device.
The patent delineates functionalities for a headset like the Vision Pro, along with Apple Glasses and smart contact lenses.
The electronic device may be interpreted as […] a head-mounted system/device and/or a projection-based system/device (including a holographic system/device) designed to produce and display a three-dimensional environment, such as heads-up displays (HUDs), head-mounted displays (HMDs), or lenses designed to rest on a person’s eyes (akin to contact lenses).
DMN’s Perspective
Fall Detection is an impressive feature, and it’s evident that it could be significantly enhanced when integrated into these types of wearable technologies.
While the patent makes a singular reference to contact lenses, it’s typical for Apple to comprehensively cover various potential devices in their applications. Nevertheless, one can hope that this technology becomes a reality in the future!
Highlighted Accessories
Photo by Arteum.ro on Unsplash
