It's not enough that we have all sorts of gadgets nowadays, complying with almost our every need, we have become so lazy that we don't even feel like making the slightest effort to control them. Hence, multiple remote controls that allow us to indulge in our laziness. Probably the weirdest of them all is the “Yubi-nya” cat-faced ring, developed by major automotive supplier Denso Corporation, that turns the human hand into a remote control and lets the wearer operate devices simply by pressing fingers together.

In a recent prototype demonstration of the ring, called “Yubi-nya” - which is a play on the Japanese words for “ring” (yubiwa) and “meow” (nya) - users were able to remotely open and close the doors of a model car by pressing their index finger and thumb together.

 

Yubi-nya, whose components are packed into the 2-centimeter thick likeness of a calico cat head, produces a weak electric current that is conducted through the wearer’s index finger. When the tips of the finger and thumb are pressed together, the current travels through the flesh of the hand and loops back around to the ring. A sensor inside the ring then detects the returning current, and the corresponding remote control radio signal is sent to the appropriate device.

 

The developers claim that Yubi-nya’s technology can be put to use in a variety of devices, including portable music players. A commuter on a crowded train, for example, could operate a music player while maintaining a firm grip on the subway strap.

 

Denso has not announced the period a commercial version of Yubi-nya would become available, as that will most likely take some time, but researcher Saori Noda says that “We are working to make it smaller and less noticeable.” All you have to do now is wait.

 
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