The Peripheral (Viz) | Database of Machine Vision in Art, Games and Narratives

Brief description

The Viz is worn in the eye (as a kind of eyepiece that can be removed easily, not an implant or contact lens) and used as an interface to digital information. It can be worn in just one eye, allowing the wearer to access news and so on, or if worn in both eyes it can be used as a full VR system.

Macon and Edward fab items using a Viz to design them digitally. They wear a Viz in each eye and a sleep mask over their eyes to block out the light. When worn they appear to work as VR glasses, allowing the wearer to design 3D objects that they shape using their hands.

Pull Quotes

Edward had a Viz in either eye, she assumed for the depth perception, and a lavender satin sleep mask over them both, to block out the light. He wore a pair of tight flu-orange gloves, with what looked like black Egyptian writing all over them. She could almost see the thing he was working on, but of course she couldn’t, because it wasn’t there. It might be in the manager’s office upstairs, or for that matter in Delhi, but Edward could see it, and control the pair of plastic hands that held it, wherever that was.

(..)

Edward frowned, carefully placed the invisible object six inches above the tabletop, and reached up to raise the sleep mask to his forehead. He looked out at her through the silver webbing of the two Vizs, grinned. A grin was a lot, from him.

(..)

“Don’t you worry about those things?” she asked, meaning the Viz. “Seeing everything.”

“Ours have been pretty thoroughly fiddled with,” he said. “Right out the box, you’d be wise to worry.”

Gibson, William. The Peripheral (pp. 97-98). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

“We could all have had two heads,” Macon said, “and they wouldn’t have mentioned it.” He had his Viz in, and she guessed he was literally keeping an eye on news and the market.

Gibson, William. The Peripheral (p. 278). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Edward was on a stool in the middle of the room, monitoring. He wore sunglasses against the flashes of UV, with his Viz behind the glasses, on one side. In the low light the glasses looked the same color as his face, but shinier.

Gibson, William. The Peripheral (p. 34). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

One of the blimps was hanging over the lot, pretending to just be advertising next season’s Viz. But the banner with the big close-up of an eye behind a Viz made it look like it was watching everybody, which of course she knew it was.

Gibson, William. The Peripheral (p. 100). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

“But what if I wanted to get lost?” “They aren’t the ones trying to kill you, are they?” He took his Viz off, looked her in the eye.

Gibson, William. The Peripheral (p. 279). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

“We’ve got people keeping an eye out around town,” Macon said, digging in a front jeans pocket for his Viz. He blew on it, put it over his eye. She saw him blink, behind it. “They’re ready for you up the line, about now.”

Gibson, William. The Peripheral (p. 341). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

What he called a feed was a window in her vision, not so big that she couldn’t see to walk, but watching it and looking where she was going could be tricky. Like a Viz would be, she guessed, but without having to wear it.

Gibson, William. The Peripheral (p. 346). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.