Smart Glasses At The Workplace Information Density Straight Before The Eye

This article gives an overview of the current state of research regarding the use of smart glasses at industrial workplaces. Smart glasses provide context-related information and user-specific instructions on a display positioned in front of the eye(s). Hand held laptops or scanners which pass on or record information are to be replaced. In the fields of logistics and picking, there is an increasing interest to equip employees with smart glasses and augmented reality devices. When using smart glasses both of the employees' hands are free for manual operations and transportation tasks in the storehouses. It is an open question whether smart glasses presenting information very close to the eye induce increased strain and higher demands on the eyes. Results that have been published so far are predominantly from pilot and experimental studies. This article provides an overview of the scientific literature dealing with the possible effects of smart glasses on the human eyes and mental strain or stress which could result from intensive use of these glasses.