Wearing comfort and perceived heaviness of smart glasses

Abstract Smart glasses require additional structures to perform smart functions, which increases their weight and results in an uneven weight distribution. Excessive weight increase and weight balance issues could cause discomfort; thus, guidelines regarding the appropriate weight profile of smart glasses are needed. The aim of this study is to propose an acceptable weight for smart glasses to ensure user comfort. We derived the main form factors of smart glasses and designed a prototype based on face and head dimensions using a Korean anthropometric database. A total of 78 participants were asked to complete questionnaires related to wearing comfort, perceived heaviness, and sensory threshold. The relationship between wearing comfort and perceived heaviness was analyzed through correlation analysis, and regression analyses were performed to identify the threshold levels. As the weight of the prototype increased, the perceived heaviness score also increased. Perceived heaviness was negatively correlated with wearing comfort ( p < .001, r = −.838). The regression analyses revealed that 39.13 g ( R 2 = .897) and ±14.16 g ( R 2 = .942) were the threshold levels for the perception of weight increase and weight balance difference, respectively. This study contributes to the design of smart glasses based on anthropometric data and makes recommendations regarding the weight profile of smart glasses. The findings are expected to help developers and researchers design more comfortable smart glasses and establish design guidelines for smart glasses.