The Impact of Near-Future Mixed Reality Contact Lenses on Users' Lives via an Immersive Speculative Enactment and Focus Groups

In this paper we investigate the impact of near-future Mixed Reality (MR) contact lenses on users’ everyday lives via an Immersive Speculative Enactment (ISE) and focus groups. If or when MR technology advances to the same level of ubiquitousness of current smartphones, this is likely to have a large impact on people’s everyday lives. To gain qualitative insight on this impact, we created an ISE in which participants could experience a simulated MR lens prototype together in groups of four, thereby expanding the ISE method to multiple participants for the first time. This was followed by a focus group, in which the impact of the MR lenses was discussed. Participants raised concerns about the future of social interactions and expressing agency over the device, while also recognising how it could have practical applications. Based on these findings we formulate three guidelines for future MR contact lenses.