Interactions

An Afternoon at Coromandel

©2023 BonumCare LLC

The more things change, the more they stay the same. The desire for companionship and interaction does not lessen with age, and perhaps that is why I treat music as a form of passive companionship. Yet despite my love for the medium, if I have to choose between music, video chats, and hanging out in-person, I prefer the latter for a number of reasons.

It is more interactive than streaming music and allows me to engage all of my senses instead of focusing on a screen. And unlike a video chat where silence can be awkward, spontaneity harder to come by and goodbyes abrupt, hanging out in-person is about living in the present where there can be no replay. So, I am ready to up the quality of my interactions with the arrival of Spring.

Here are some more in-person interactions that I am looking forward to: 

• Al fresco dining with friends

Joule and Ray’s Café are two of my favorite Seattle restaurants with outdoor seating.

• Traveling

Although it can be done year-round, I prefer traveling in Spring and Autumn. I enjoy trying new things and love planning trips, so check back for free itineraries that I will be rolling out on occasion.

And hoping these simulations of in-person experiences using technology will soon be available:

• Interactive wallpaper

For a lonely friend with mild dementia. An electronic wallpaper with life-sized images of family, friends, and pets in motion. Light and surface texture will be used to create a sense of dimensionality. Touching the image of a friend will start an engaging conversation.

Granted, such an interactive wallpaper can be costly so perhaps we can start with a voice-only Conversation Buddy for now?

• Pickleball in augmented reality (AR)

Driving at dusk, in the rain, or on highways can present difficulties for some of us. Although one can already play table tennis with friends over virtual reality, is it not more fun to play with their projected images instead of their avatars? Exercising with their likeness is a liberating option but playing against their avatars is a reminder of one’s losses: of reduced ability to drive, of friends moving away. Most importantly, it will be wonderful to wear a pair of AR glasses that allows me to take in the natural surroundings at the same time that I play pickleball with friends who may be thousands of miles away.

The tools:

• A pair of (clip-on) smart glasses that eliminates the vergence-accommodation conflict, tracks opponent’s full-body movement, and enables us to see our actual surroundings. Bonus points if the area where we focus sharpens while its surroundings fade;

• 5G or 6G…but…6G seems…more suitable;

• Motion-sensing racquet (and comfortable wearables);

• Software that allows for instantaneous motion capture and replay, and calculates the angle and velocity of the virtual ball. 

We have almost all of the tools, and I cannot wait to participate in the excitement when it launches!

Poll: What types of interactions/activities do you enjoy? Drop us a line at hello@bonumcare.com.