When you're too distracted by your Instagram feed to watch where you're walking, this robotic third eye can help. Upon strapping the device to your forehead, it can detect any poles, people, or oncoming traffic that you're about to walk right into.
Robotic Third Eye Lets You Walk and Text Worry-Free
Walking and texting can be just as dangerous as texting and driving. This robotic eye is a unique solution to the dangers posed by distracted walking—although simply looking up from your phone might be a better idea.
The device was designed by Minwook Paeng, an industrial design student at London's Royal College of Art and Imperial College. His goal was to show how humans are evolving into "phono sapiens."
The robotic third eye opens its plastic "eyelid" when it detects that the user's head is facing downwards towards their phone. Paeng's robotic eye uses a gyroscope to sense when the user tilts their head—the eyelid even closes when the user starts looking forward again.
Under the lid is a distance sensor that beeps when the user is approaching an obstacle. This clever device is powered by Arduino, an open-source software that's commonly used for DIY tech projects. It enables the user to use their phone worry-free, all while their third eye looks out for their safety.
Paeng's device is an illustration of how addicted modern humans are to their phones. In all honesty, it's not really hard to imagine a future where this device becomes commonplace; people will often put themselves in dangerous situations just to reply to an unimportant text.
"The smartphone has permeated into modern life so deeply that it's impossible to deny the evolution of phono sapiens," Paeng noted when commenting on his design. "I hope that the act of ironically pointing out what we are doing with our smartphones can help people to take time for self-reflection."
How Can We Fix Unhealthy Phone Habits?
Smartphones have become an integral part of almost all of our lives, serving as a hub for social contact and endless information. While some may see smartphones as a groundbreaking technological improvement, they can also be seen as a degradation of society.
When we have all of the answers at our fingertips, we may no longer have the attention spans to do extensive research or complete a challenging project. Not to mention that social media has forever changed the way that we communicate with one another, as well as how we see ourselves.