34. Semantic Visual Interface
- Status: Speculative/prototype
- Interface point: Cognition and perception
- Carrier: Visual overlay, audio, tactile cue, or future prosthetic symbol
- Transducer: Output device or neural interface
- Encoding style: Meaning-level labels and relations
- Addressing method: Object, action, location, and priority
- Expected percept: Awareness of what matters, not a full image
- Related modules: Perceptual Rendering, Creative Engineering
Summary
A semantic visual interface replaces “show me the pixels” with “tell me what
matters.” It compresses a scene into meanings such as objects, hazards, motion,
text, people, and usable paths.
Chain Map
sensor input
-> object and scene understanding
-> semantic cue
-> visual/audio/tactile/prosthetic output
-> decision or action
Semantic Cue Types
| Cue |
Example |
| Object |
“cup,” “door,” “phone,” “chair” |
| Place |
“left,” “ahead,” “near hand,” “two meters” |
| Action |
“approaching,” “falling,” “opening,” “turning” |
| Hazard |
“hot,” “sharp,” “drop,” “traffic” |
| Text |
“sign,” “price tag,” “label,” “message” |
| Social |
“face present,” “person looking toward you” |
| Confidence |
“certain,” “probable,” “unclear” |
Expansion Ideas
- Semantic subtitle track for the real world.
- Privacy-aware social cues.
- Task-specific cue modes.
- Symbol vocabulary for prosthetic output.
- User-customized priorities.
- “Ask the scene” mode for questions.
Research Questions
- Which meanings are most valuable in real time?
- When should the system stay quiet?
- How can uncertainty be represented elegantly?
- Can semantic cues become perception-like through training?