Rye creates bionic eye

By Jessica Murray

Ryerson is keeping an eye on you. A bionic eye, that is.

Over the past two years, Ryerson’s Digital Media Zone (DMZ), Appear Networks and Motorola Solutions have collaborated to produce a screen-equipped headset named the “Golden-i.” Motorola awarded Ryerson second place in its Golden Ideas competition out of hundreds of other prototype ideas.

“[The Golden-i] is basically a computer — you have Windows, Bluetooth, GPS, voice recognition and a screen with you all the time,” said Hossein Rahnama, research director of the DMZ.

Although the device is built upon pre-existing platforms such as Windows, Rahnama believes that it is a new way of looking at the technology we have and connecting it to our surroundings.

“First mobile phones were the buzz and then tablets,” said Rahnama. “Now it’s wearable computing we’re thinking that’s the next step, that you don’t have to carry something with you because it’s embedded and pervasive in the environment.”

The project, entitled CAMPUS (Context-aware Mobile Platform for Uniform Security) is intended for situations that require vigilance and hands-free accessibility, namely for law enforcement and security. Some of the features of the device include voice-recognition, head-controlled movement, wireless Internet and access to security camera feeds.

“Ryerson security has already indicated interest, however there is no particular project happening now,” she said. “But we would like to work with them as our first adopter or pilot partner in the project,” said Rahnama.

The team responsible for the project, which was headed by Rahnama, consisted of both undergraduate and graduate Ryerson students.

Fourth-year computer science student Damyan Petkov was one of those contributors. “It’s cool to look at something that tomorrow might become mainstream, and to work with it is pretty exciting,” said Petkov. “It is the future.”

Third-year computer science student, Jaspaul Bola, believes that wearable computing may become a household trend in the near future.

“I’d say it’s something you see in Hollywood now, but there was a time when the cell phone was in Star Trek,” he said. “I hope that maybe one day it could be something that everybody could use.”

The exact future of this technology is uncertain, however what researchers do agree on is the great potential that it holds.

“You can just put it on your head and go anywhere that you want and get information,” says Sina Jamshidi, research associate and Ryerson graduate. “It has a lot of potential for many different verticals such as security, medical, and even for disabled people who can’t use their hands.”