Google Glass is said to be causing eye fatigues and headaches in case the use uses it for prolonged period of time.
According to reports the issue of headaches and eye strain are not rare occurrence and scores of users have reported the same issue either on their blogs or Twitter. One of those affected is Chris Barrett, a long-time Google Glass enthusiast, who revealed that initially he had been wearing Glass wherever he went and there wasn’t an instance where he wasn’t having them on.
Barrett said to CNET that after a few days of constant usage, he started getting headaches – something he usually doesn’t have. Barrett revealed that he suffered from a second headache after 4-5 weeks of the first instance and that it was worse than the first instance. He said that he was convinced that prolonged usage of Glass was the primary reason behind his headaches.
BetaBeat managed to get hold of Dr. Eli Peli, a Harvard optometrist who Google brought on as a consultant on ocular discomfort.
Dr. Peli revealed that the issue of Glass-related pain dates back to the initial days of the project. First Google had decided to put the display straight ahead of the eye, but that didn’t work out for obvious reasons.
“The only people who look up a lot are some professionals like electricians and painters,” Dr. Peli told Betabeat. “Most of us look either straight or down. It’s well known that up is less comfortable.”
In case of professionals other than highlighted by Dr. Peli, there is no need to see at such an angle. Further in case we do have to see, it will be for a split second before we catch a headache. According to Dr. Peli we never look at those angles for long periods of time.
“If you’re looking at the Glass for a minute, you’re holding it there for sixty times longer than normal”, said Dr. Peli.
The primary design objective behind Google Glass was to create a gadget that would allow users to check for directions, read short text message, or take a picture – all in all micro-tasks. It wasn’t designed for streaming videos or for prolonged use.
However, as a human tendency goes Google Glass owners start fiddling with the gadget as soon as they land their hands onto one and start using it for hours together. This is when the fatigue and headaches kick in. However, Dr. Peli categorizes this differently.
“It’s not a headache, it’s sort of a discomfort in the eye muscles,” he said. “To describe it as a headache is inconsistent with how people experience headaches.”
“The recommendation is to not overdo it when you start,” he said. “Use it in the recommended way right from the beginning.”
