Digital Realities Flashcards
Algorithm
finite sequence of well-defined, computer-implementable instructions, typically to
solve a class of problems or to perform a computation.
Anticipatory Technology Ethics
an emerging branch of technology ethics which seeks to
highlight ethical challenges in emerging technology and encourage conversations about ethics
during design. Analyzing the processes technologies bring about can determine whether those
processes are good or bad, right or wrong. In other words, designers should be proactive in
anticipating the ethical dilemmas a given technology might create.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
refers to systems or machines that mimic human intelligence to
perform tasks and can iteratively improve themselves based on the information they collect. For
many years, artificial intelligence (AI) has been used for applications such as facial recognition,
faster registration, procedure arrangement, driving directions, etc. AI manifests in a number of
forms. A few examples are:
● Chatbots use AI to understand customer problems faster and provide more efficient
answers
● Intelligent assistants use AI to parse critical information from large free-text datasets to
improve scheduling
● Recommendation engines can provide automated recommendations for TV shows
based on users’ viewing habits
Augmented Reality (AR)
a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on
a user's view of the real world, thus providing a composite view. Unlike virtual reality which tries
to recreate and replace an entire real-life environment with a virtual one, augmented reality is
about enriching an image of the real world with computer-generated images and digital
information. It seeks to change perception by adding video, infographics, images, sound, and
other details. Virtual reality headsets attempt to completely immerse users into simulated
worlds; AR glasses do not. A user using the AR glasses can see the real object or environment
around them but enriched with the virtual image.
Avatar
An icon or figure representing a particular person in video games, internet forums, etc.
Behavioral biometrics
the field of study related to the measure of uniquely identifying and
measurable patterns in human activities. The term contrasts with physical biometrics, which
involves innate human characteristics such as fingerprints or iris pattern.
Bias
AI isn’t neutral; it’s kind of imbued with the biases of the people who have programmed it.
Blockchain
a digital database containing information (such as records of financial transactions)
that can be simultaneously used and shared within a large decentralized, publicly accessible
network
Biofeedback
A type of therapy that uses sensors attached to your body to measure key body
functions. Biofeedback is intended to help you learn more about how your body works.
Biomechanics
the study of mechanical laws that relate to the movement or structure of living
things and how they interact with their surroundings.
Bionic Contact Lenses
devices that could provide a virtual display that could have a variety of
uses from assisting the visually impaired to video gaming.
Brain-Computer Interaction
Recent advances in cognitive neuroscience and brain imaging
technologies are providing us with the ability to interface computers directly with the human
brain. This ability is made possible through the use of sensors that monitor physical processes
within the brain which correspond with certain forms of thought.
Computer Generated Imagery (CGI)
the use of computer graphics in art and media. CGI may
be used to animate locations, characters, and/or environments.
Cryptocurrency
a digital currency in which transactions are verified and records maintained by
a decentralized system using cryptography rather than by a centralized authority.
Cybersickness
a cluster of symptoms that occur in the absence of physical motion, similar to
motion sickness. These symptoms fall into three categories: nausea, oculomotor issues and
general disorientation. Oculomotor symptoms, like eye strain, fatigue and headaches, involve
overworking the nerve that controls eye movement.
Digital Currency
a form of currency that exists only in digital or electronic form and that can
operate independently of a central bank.
Epidermal VR
Thin, flexible skin-interfaced system that has applications in social interactions,
prosthetics, telemedicine, and entertainment. The skin-interface communicates touch through
a fast, programmable array of miniature vibrating actuators embedded into a thin, soft, flexible
material. It will allow one to share physical experiences such as a hand touch even if people are
on other sides of the continent.
Extended Reality (XR):
a general term that encompasses all immersive technologies, including
present-day technologies, such as the aforementioned augmented reality (AR), VR, or mixed
reality (MR), plus future technologies that are still to be created.
Ergonomics
the application of psychological and physiological principles to the design of
products, processes, and systems. The field is a combination of numerous disciplines, such as
psychology, engineering, biomechanics, industrial design, physiology, interaction design, visual
design, user experience, and user interface design.
There are several types of ergonomics:
● Physical ergonomics - Designing interaction with equipment and workplaces (and
playspaces) to fit the user.
● Cognitive ergonomics - Designing products and services while keeping mental
processes, such as memory, reasoning, and decision making in mind.
● Organizational ergonomics - Design and optimization of business systems, including
their organizational structures, policies, and processes.
