Augmented Reality Contact Lenses: An Investigation of Technology Acceptance Drivers from a Potential User Perspective

Sammanfattning: Background: Augmented Reality (AR) could be the next revolutionary technology after the personal computer, the internet and the mobile era. While AR Smart Glasses are already on the market, AR Contact Lenses (ARCL) are still in the stage of research and development, but likely to replace the smartphone in the near future. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is the identification of key factors influencing the acceptance of ARCL from a potential user perspective to gather early-stage pre-market knowledge and extend the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) literature to this novel wearable technology. Method: An explanatory online survey was conducted to test the hypotheses in an extended TAM. Data from 250 respondents up to an age of 34 years, representing the potential target group was collected. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to assess the measurement model in terms of validity and reliability and the structural model in terms of hypotheses testing and strength of relationships between proposed variables. In addition, a multigroup analysis was examined to identify significant differences among groups. Conclusion: The results show that the attitude, which is strongly influenced by perceived usefulness, is the major key determinant affecting potential users’ behavioral intention to adopt ARCL in the future, followed by subjective norms. Furthermore, a strong influence of personal innovativeness on both antecedents of attitude, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use was identified. Moreover, moderating effects of educational background, knowledge of ARCL and usage of contact lenses were discovered.