University of Erfurt Faculty of Philosophy The Use of Smartglasses in Everyday Life A Grounded Theory Study Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Dr. phil.) at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Erfurt submitted by Timothy Christoph Kessler from Munich November 2015 URN: urn:nbn:de:gbv:547-201600175 First Assessment: Prof. Dr. Joachim R. Höflich Second Assessment: Prof. Dr. Dr. Castulus Kolo Date of publication: 18th of April 2016 Abstract We live in a mobile world. Laptops, tablets and smartphones have never been as ubiquitous as they have been today. New technologies are invented on a daily basis, lead- ing to the altering of society on a macro level, and to the change of the everyday life on a micro level. Through the introduction of a new category of devices, wearable computers, we might experience a shift away from the traditional smartphone. This dissertation aims to examine the topic of smartglasses, especially Google Glass, and how these wearable devices are embedded into the everyday life and, consequently, into a society at large. The current research models which are concerned with mobile communication are only partly applicable due to the distinctive character of smartglasses. Furthermore, new legal and privacy challenges for smartglasses arise, which are not taken into account by ex- isting theories. Since the literature on smartglasses is close to non-existent, it is argued that new models need to be developed in order to fully understand the impact of smart- glasses on everyday life and society as a whole. This study thus aims to close this research gap by embarking on a qualitative journey which explores the application of smartglasses in the everyday life. The qualitative grounded theory methodology has been used in order to find themes and patterns to understand how a total of 41 participants used these kind of devices over a period of one week. In order to gain a holistic view of the proposed topic, the partici- pants had to wear the devices and were later interviewed about their experience. They were asked about topics such as the alteration of communication, privacy, reality percep- tion, human-computer interaction, the perception of others and alike. Furthermore, the participants were asked to fill out a quantitative media diary throughout their time with the device, which provided an additional set of data which could later be used to verify some of the interview statements. Based on these findings, a model has been proposed which specifically explains the sit- uational use of smartglasses and their respective key influencers. The main outcomes however confirm that the usage of smartglasses is vastly diverging from the use of the smartphone and is highly situational. Since the main use of smartglasses is in public places, privacy issues for the individual as well as for the immediate surroundings arise, mainly due to the head worn camera and the constant location tracking. Adding to the notion of a new need for sensitization, new methods of input such as voice and gesture commands alter the way the technology is interacted with and provide an additional layer of complexity. Acknowledgements I would like to thank a number of people. First, my mother and father for the moral and financial support as well as the encouragement during this dissertation. This is for you. Thank you Prof. Dr. Höflich, for being so encouraging and giving me an opportunity to pursue the chosen topic. Without you, this dissertation would have probably never exist- ed. Thank you Prof. Dr. Dr. Kolo, for the constant, valuable input and advice, which goes back to my master´s degree, and for the encouragement to pursue a Ph.D. degree. A special thank you goes out to all my participants, who had the courage to be among the first people to wear Google Glass. Without your input and time, this dissertation could never have taken place. I would like to thank all my friends for the constant distraction and the moral support. Thank you Angelika for helping me to obtain the devices and delivering them from the USA. And a special thanks to Tanja and Emily for reading and correcting 250 pages of draft. Without all of you, this dissertation would not have been possible. Thank you for your time and your energy during the various stages throughout this work. Lastly, I would like to thank my girlfriend Emily for believing in me. Thank you for your constant support, input and motivation. You are my partner, my team, my vacation. I love you. Declaration of Authorship I, Timothy Christoph Kessler, born on the 26th of May in 1986, hereby declare that the submitted dissertation with the title: „The Use of Smartglasses in Everyday Life“ is my own unaided work. All direct or indirect sources used are acknowledged as references. I am aware that the thesis in digital form can be examined for the use of unauthorized aid and in order to determine whether the thesis as a whole or parts incorporated in it may be deemed as plagiarism. For the comparison of my work with existing sources I agree that it shall be entered in a database where it shall also remain after examination, to enable comparison with future dissertations submitted. Further rights of reproduction and usage, however, are not granted here. This dissertation was not previously presented to another examination board and has not been published. __________________________ _________________________________ Place / Date Signature Table of Contents 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................1 1.1 Study Background.......................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Research Rationale........................................................................................................................................ 1 1.3 Research Goals................................................................................................................................................ 3 1.4 Methodology Overview............................................................................................................................. 5 2. Theoretical Context and Key Concepts ....................................................................................................7 2.1 Introduction and Definitions.................................................................................................................... 7 2.1.1 From Augmented and Diminished to Mediated Reality........................................... 7 2.1.1.1 Reality ..................................................................................................................................8 2.1.1.2 Augmented Reality ....................................................................................................10 2.1.1.3 Diminished Reality .....................................................................................................13 2.1.1.4 Mediated Reality .........................................................................................................13 2.1.2 Wearable Computing ................................................................................................................ 14 2.1.2.1 Definition in the context of Humanistic Intelligence Theory ...........14 2.1.2.2 Historic Context .........................................................................................................16 2.1.2.3 Smartwatches ...............................................................................................................18 2.1.2.4 Cyborgs ...........................................................................................................................19 2.1.3 Smartglasses..................................................................................................................................... 20 2.1.3.1 General ............................................................................................................................20 2.1.3.2 Technical Specifications ..........................................................................................22 2.1.3.3 Google Glass Applications ....................................................................................23 2.1.3.4 Technical Restrictions ..............................................................................................29 2.1.4 Everyday Life in the context of Smartglass Use.......................................................... 30 2.2 Adoption and Use of Mobile Communication Technologies ........................................... 33 2.2.1 The Innovation-Decision Process........................................................................................ 33 2.2.2 Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology........................................ 37 2.2.3 Domestication Theory............................................................................................................... 39 2.2.3.1 History ..............................................................................................................................39 2.2.3.2 Framework ...................................................................................................................40 2.2.4 Situational Media Use................................................................................................................