The market for augmented reality glasses, or “AR glasses,” is rapidly evolving, with companies like MyW leading the way. These innovative wearable devices promise to transform how we interact with the world, but are AR glasses safe?
Perhaps you’ve heard that AR glasses cause eye strain and wonder about their effects on vision health. Or maybe you’re concerned about the distraction element — are AR glasses a recipe for potential accidents? What about spinal health? Could the added weight of wearing AR glasses harm your neck?
We’re here to answer all your questions about the health and safety of AR glasses so you can enjoy peace of mind while exploring the wonderful world of augmented reality.
At a glance:
Are AR Glasses Safe?
AR smart glasses are considered safe for regular use. However, safety is always a complex issue when dealing with emerging technology.
Most safety discussions around AR glasses involve eye health, a top concern among potential users. We’ve all heard that sitting too close to the TV will ruin your eyes. This adage can make anyone think twice about strapping screens to their face.
Fortunately, eye health experts have debunked this myth many times over. There isn’t much research explicitly exploring the effects of AR glasses on eye health. Still, a recent study found that AR glasses do not appear to cause blurred vision or interfere with natural vision functions like depth perception.
While digital screens do not appear to cause permanent eye damage, they can cause temporary eye strain.
Eye strain occurs when you focus on one object for too long. This symptom is more prevalent when staring closely at objects like phones or computer screens. Such extended close focus causes the lenses in your eyes to remain contracted for long periods, leading to eye fatigue.
At the same time, you blink less often when staring at a screen. This hyperfocus contributes to eye dryness and worsens the sensation of eye fatigue.
Research suggests that this is a common issue with AR devices. The study mentioned above found that participants using AR glasses to watch a video experienced higher levels of visual fatigue than those using a laptop.
Another study found that workers wearing AR glasses blinked less often than those not wearing smart glasses, which could contribute to eye strain. The good news is that AR glasses did not negatively impact the workers’ neck muscles.
In fact, as we’ll discuss later in this article, wearing AR glasses could help prevent the neck strain you get from looking down at your phone.
What Are the Potential Side Effects and Negative Risks of Using AR Glasses?
While AR glasses are generally quite safe, there are a few potential risks to consider before using them.
Eye Strain
Eye strain and visual fatigue are the main issues to watch for while using AR glasses. This discomfort is a mild side effect for most users that resolves quickly with a short break from using the glasses.
Even if you’re not experiencing discomfort, it’s a good idea to take regular breaks when using AR glasses to allow the muscles in your eyes to relax. You can also prevent eye dryness by consciously blinking more often or applying artificial tears (eye drops) to moisten your eyes.
Distractions
Distraction-related accidents are another potential risk associated with AR glasses. For example, notifications popping up in your field of vision can create a distraction when using AR glasses for GPS navigation while walking, biking, or driving. This risk has prompted some states to introduce bans on using AR products while driving.
Note that AR products explicitly designed for driving or biking are less likely to be distracting during these activities: these AR glasses, called heads-up displays (HUDs), feature road safety embedded into their design.
Privacy
Many people are rightfully concerned about privacy and cybersecurity risks when using AR glasses. After all, these wearable devices share similar privacy concerns with smartphones. Any time technology is tracking your location or activity, there’s always a risk that sensitive information could get into the wrong hands.
It’s crucial to be aware of these privacy risks before diving headfirst into new technology. Choose smart glasses with advanced security features and only download apps from official app stores. For example, MyW glasses run on an Android operating system, allowing users to access the official Google Play app store and its vast selection of security-tested apps.
What Are the Benefits of Using AR Glasses?
AR glasses offer several benefits, like enhancing how we navigate daily life, improving workplace safety, offering solutions to VR risks, and providing an ergonomic alternative to phones and laptops.
Countless Use Cases
The ability to layer digital content over your real-world vision offers innovative ways to experience work, learning, and entertainment.
For example, MyW glasses were explicitly designed to offer rich entertainment anywhere. Enjoy cinematic movies in your living room, play phone games on the big screen while on the bus, or take first-person photos and videos of your day completely hands-free.
MyW glasses even have built-in features to enhance productivity and learning, like real-time translation and full Android app compatibility, to ensure access to almost every app you use daily.
We dedicated a whole article to AR glasses' many uses and benefits, so check it out if you’re interested in exploring other exciting use cases.
Improved Workplace Safety
Since we’ve discussed the safety concerns associated with augmented reality, it’s worth exploring a few ways in which AR glasses can create a safer environment for the user.
One case study explored the use of AR glasses among workers at an oil extraction plant. Workers used AR glasses to receive hands-free guidance, remote assistance, and essential safety alerts while working in dangerous situations. This same use model can be applied to other hazardous industries, making work safer for people everywhere.
Avoid the Drawbacks of VR
AR glasses also offer solutions to some common disadvantages of VR. Specifically, AR glasses are much less likely to cause motion sickness than virtual reality environments created by VR headsets. AR glasses don’t block out your surroundings like VR headsets, so they don’t produce the sensory mismatch that can cause nausea.
This transparency also makes AR glasses much safer for use in public — you can still see your surroundings when wearing these headsets. Fortunately, this also means you’re less likely to tip a hot mug of coffee onto your lap or walk into a wall while using them at home.
Ergonomics
AR glasses offer several ergonomic benefits over laptops and phones. Constantly craning your neck to look down at a phone or laptop screen can cause “text neck syndrome,” a stress injury that can affect your spine, muscles, and ligaments. AR glasses allow you to keep your head in an upright, neutral position to prevent the strain that causes this pernicious condition.
With AR glasses, you can play smartphone games, watch shows, or explore social media without looking down at your phone and straining your neck. Similarly, you can take your work on the go and enjoy the convenience of multiple large monitors instead of switching to a cramped laptop environment.
Experience Augmented Reality Safely
Like all new technology, embracing AR glasses requires careful safety considerations. The good news is that AR glasses are quite safe when used as recommended, and any issues with eye strain can be avoided or minimized relatively quickly.
Are you ready to try AR for yourself? MyW glasses are designed to prioritize safety and comfort. They are lightweight and feature special myopia lenses to reduce the focusing effort required of your eyes. Explore our website to learn about all the exciting features and functionalities of MyW glasses and see the world in a whole new way!