Looking Past Screens: Exploring Mixed Reality and Discreet AAC Devices

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technologies are typically fixed-form factor mobile devices, which can be physically obtrusive and visually identifiable – perpetuating public stigmas and limiting non-verbal communication. These qualities are undesirable for many AAC-using communities including stroke survivors, who can have complex communication needs onset by aphasia and hemiplegic body paralysis. Furthermore, underrepresented communities such as people with aphasia are often unconsidered in the design of emerging technologies. We contest these trends by asking what these emerging and future technologies might mean for communication support. To do this, we envision and prototype mixed reality and discreet assistive technologies that support communication with people living with aphasia. We report results from the co-design process, including participants’ perspectives on nascent mixed reality, diegetic technologies, and outcomes from low-fidelity AAC prototyping. These activities culminated in three high-fidelity prototypes with different characteristics and form-factors: Pico-project AAC, Prompt AAC and Holo AAC, which embody projection, worn audio devices, and headset driven mixed reality. From subsequent focus groups, we present findings from an evaluation of all prototypes, reflecting on the possibilities of present and future mixed-reality technologies to augment communication.