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Wrist watches are better than pocket watches for quickly checking the time, but they are not so good in certain situations, when both hands are occupied, for example rushing along to catch a train carrying two heavy suitcases, or manipulating complex devices such as aeroplane controls or a frying pan
plus spatula.
I propose that the hour hand and minute hand be incorporated into the left and right frame of a pair of spectacles. In a round-lens design, the "hands" would be brightly coloured marks on a rotating ring; for other shapes, a flexible rubber band similarly marked could follow the shape of the frame.
Each ring is driven by a watch mechanism concealed in the arms of the glasses.
The user would alwasy be able to see the time, in their peripheral vision.
The second "hand" could be a different colour marking on a second ring concentric with the hour ring.
Rimless versions might be invented that project a laser spot from the glasses arm onto the edge of the lens. These would be heavier and a lot more expensive.
Part Of A Ring
http://www.last.fm/...ific/Part+Of+A+Ring
Defocus, not for your attention, background shifting [Ian Tindale, Oct 06 2009]
[link]
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It seems like it would be awfully distracting while trying to do
other things, such as manipulating complex devices. I sure as
hell wouldn't fly on a plane with the pilot wearing these. Or get
in a car with the driver wearing them. In addition to being a
distraction, they also would obstruct peripheral vision. If you're
driving, look at the dash clock. If you're cooking, look at the
stove clock. If you're flying, ask your copilot or look at the
console clock. If you're running with luggage, you already know
you're late and the watch will just stress you out more. |
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I'd buy it. I thought of something similar a long time
ago, and I don't know why I didn't pursue it. I always
lose my glasses, but never my watch. Perhaps the
added function would remind me to not be so absent
minded. (all the time.) |
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Surely [eighth] with your hive mind, and bionic implants you must always be aware of the time somehow? I mean at the very least one of you must be near a clock right? |
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Yes, we are sufficently served in this area. But we cosider that this would be a suitable device for convincing reluctant humans of the probable benefits of Assimilation .... |
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I like the basic concept of this, though I think I'd prefer a digital display in the lower corner of the lens. |
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You could use this basic concept and adapt it to a tactile interface that takes the form of two circular objects which indicate the time by moving pressure points that correspond to hour and minute hands. Perhaps built into a set of headphones, or bracelets or maybe leg garters. Even hi-top sneakers -- pressure points on outside of each ankle means it's 9:15. |
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You're thinking of cuckoo clocks. |
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This would be great in the back of the ambulance. It is hard to count respiratory rate glancing back and forth between the patients chest and the clock/a watch. |
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[21 Quest], A couple of fight-or-flight situations or perhaps a psychology course or two would impress upon you, the brain's ability to block out superfluous information. I know you airforce guys don't see real combat, but one would think you would have taken a few core college courses somewhere along the way. |
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Another thought: it would also be great in boring meetings, or dull social situations, when it is not socially acceptable to be seen checking your watch. |
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Brings new meaning to "clock watcher" employees. |
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Sounds cool. But I've always wodered whether this kind of screen on glasses, like in the Mission impossible, are out of the eyes' focus. Try putting your finger in that position; can you see your fingerprint clearly? |
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I wonder if grouped clusters of three almost
imperceptibly illuminated* leds along the outside
edge of specs, both left and right lenses, which
display digits in octal clumps of binary dots (msb top)
would become learnable within a short space of time. |
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Maybe keep minutes on the right, hours on the left,
or minutes on the left, hours on the right
(configurable). |
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Obviously nobody would know octal in this format at
all first time, but after a few months of constant
subliminal awareness of 'a time' compared with real-
world representations of that same time outside the
glasses, knowledge of binary and octal might form. |
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* taking into account ambient level |
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But how would anyone focus on anything that close? I can see the rims of my glasses, and they're just a vague blur. |
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The leds would be blobs of the vague blur variety, and
hence, not consciously distracting or attention
attracting, if dim enough too. |
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Many years ago, in fact, a couple of decades ago, I was
trying to work on a series of artworks that "suggested
things" by being out of focus, out of conscious
attention, and on the periphery. At the time it ended
up as an unsuccessful series of nonsensical results,
none of which I have kept, but I think now the time is
right for picking it back up. Art that you're not
supposed to look at, and when you see it, you can't
focus on it. It was inspired by the sort of disappearing
imagery in the transition from dream to wake, which
is too far gone to bring back and identify, but you saw
it go, and you saw what it meant when it went. I
ended up with a cheap mono video camera and
shoulder-carried vtr for the project but the
boundaries of a screen are too defined for this. |
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In fact, that whole project eventually shifted into a
different medium and I ended up trying to make
music that satisfied the criteria of the unconscious
waking shift of attention and losing hold of
constructions you can only just describe but not
remember because you're falling out of the onion
backwards into prescriptive conscious waking
breakfast. I've linked to a track I did back then called
"Part of a Ring". It's suffered from a slightly too
'present' drum track, which I ended up caving in and
deciding that if it's music, it therefore needs drums (a
point of view I still strongly disagree with). |
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//unconscious waking shift of attention and losing hold of constructions you can only just describe but not remember// |
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This reminded me of 2nd form history lessons. If Mr Hall is still alive I'm sure he could advise you further. |
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+ for the idea. //artworks that "suggested things" by being out of focus// might be useful here. 2 rotating lenses: left for hour hand, right for minute, each rotating at their respective rates and each having one small peripheral portion that's out of focus. Could just be a small mark I suppose. You'd need to be able to wink with both eyes though. |
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instead of laser-projecting the clock on the glasses, have the glasses use the laser to project a clock on whatever is in front of them, so no matter where you look, you always know what time it is. |
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so not time travel glasses then? sigh |
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The original idea suggested //brightly coloured marks// specifically to allow them to be seen without needing to focus. |
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I like [CaptainClapper]'s laser projection idea - a bit less discrete though. Also inconvenient for gazing romantically into someones eyes, or a mirror if narcissistic. |
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Perhaps simpler would be a full ring of LED lights (or LCD dots), one around each lens. In each ring, one light would be on (or one dot dark). |
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The LED that's turned on, in the ring around the left lens, would represent the hour hand, and the LED that's on in the ring around the right lens would represent the minute hand. |
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The rimless version could simply use transparent electrical conductors to bring power to the LEDs. |
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LEDs would indeed be cool, though could be too bright during the evening and hard to see during the day, unless they were wired up to a light sensor. |
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However I was thinking of mechanical, spring-driven. Perhaps the winding could be automated through a ratchet connected to the arm hinges, so each time you folded or unfolded the specs, the spring would be wound a little? |
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