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The growth in remote and hybrid work has resulted in an increased demand for collaborative, videoconferencing experiences that offer a more seamless and immersive transition between virtual and physical environments. The Mixed Reality Passthrough Window (MRPW) addresses this demand by introducing a new paradigm for the integration of augmented/mixed reality into laptop design. The design is characterized by two screens, situated back to back, with two mounted cameras, facing in opposite directions. This creates the effect of looking through a window, upon which virtual content can be augmented and overlaid. This configuration allows local users sitting around the laptop to more easily interact with remote users, who appear on both sides of the Mixed Reality Passthrough Window, giving the sense that all users are sharing the same space in the round. Additionally, these features create affordances for the outward facing screen to serve as a site for presentations (e.g. slide decks) and other sharable content. 

Integrating sensors and screen interfaces directly into mobility devices offers individuals living with mobility issues, and medical providers, the opportunity to monitor health data and offer patient-specific therapeutic feedback in real time. This paper presents a series of prototypes that were developed in order to assess how these features can be optimally integrated into common mobility devices such as the walking cane. The early prototypes explored strategies for mounting a smartphone to a cane, as a low-cost strategy for improving mobility and reducing isolation by making use of smartphone apps for wayfinding, gait tracking, and video-conferencing. The later prototypes focused on the non-invasive integration of physiological sensors, in particular a pulse oximeter, to provide instantaneous physiological data to both the user and healthcare providers. Through a process of prototyping and critique, and integrating feedback from users, we developed an iterative series of designs that explore new strategies for affordable and easily accessible assistive technology. We conclude with a discussion of how these design strategies might be further developed and combined in order to provide more opportunities for seniors living with mobility issues to age in place.