Apple believes that augmented reality is the future of mobile technology. And the future may be closer than we imagined.
Apple is believed to be already working on an AR glasses prototype. This is based on an employee injury reports compiled by a Safety contractor and leaked to media. The incident reports also hinted at other secret innovations Apple is working on.
Apple CEO Tim Cook hinted at AR as Apple's next big thing. Apple's prized product at the moment is the upcoming iPhone 8, which is targeted for September release.
Eye Injuries Caused By An AR Prototype?
In an exclusive news based on a leaked injury reports compiled by an Environment Health and Safety contractor in Apple, two separate incidents allude to an AR glass prototype Apple is secretly working on. The report (accidentally leaked through email) is titled "Impact Descriptions Reported in [Santa Clara Valley] from Last Month."
One incident mentioned something about "medical treatment beyond first aid" apparently caused by a laser. The incident happened on Feb. 21 to a female employee. The report reads:
"After BT4 user study, user advised study lead, that she experienced discomfort in her eye and said she was able to see the laser flash at several points during the study. Study lead referred her to optometrist and secured prototype unit for analysis."
In a separate injury incident dated March 2, an employee complained about experiencing eye pain after testing a new prototype with a "magenta (outer) case." The prototype's security seal had been broken, which might have caused the risk. According to the report's insider source, the injury may be caused by an AR product with overhead display, which sounds like a wearable AR Glass.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said in 2016 that soon, augmented reality will become an integral part of consumer's daily lives, like eating three meals a day. The Cupertino-based tech company has also assembled a super team of experts to work on this ambitious project. These injury reports caused by an apparent prototype hinted that Apple is already working on this technology.
Other Tech Secretly In The Works
AR is not the only tech Apple is secretly brewing. In a separate injury dated March 10, a member of the Apple Watch team injured his knee while skiing. The skiing activity was a team building activity, but it was also meant to gather "core motion data for skiing/boarding activity tracking." The skiing activity may soon find itself in the Workout app, but Apple did not reply when asked about it.
In another incident on March 21, an employee suffered minor injuries after being hit by an Apple minivan. The report's insider information points to this accident as part of Apple's data gathering activity for its Maps product; the minivan is designed for this data collecting.
