Japanese are avid inventors and even if not all the stuff they come up with is actually useful, there are exceptions that add extra points to their reputation, such as the “Mimi Switch” or “Ear Switch” device, that could control people's gadgets and even home appliances by “reading” their facial expressions.

A wink, a smile or a raised eyebrow could soon change the music on your iPod or start up the washing machine, thanks to this new Japanese gadget. Despite the fact that the device looks like a normal set of headphones, it is fitted with a set of infrared sensors that measure tiny movements inside the ear that result from different facial expressions.

 

The functioning principle of the Ear Switch is in fact quite simple. Thus, it is connected to a micro-computer that can control electronic devices, essentially making it a hands-free remote control for anything. "You will be able to turn on room lights or swing your washing machine into action with a quick twitch of your mouth," said its inventor, Kazuhiro Taniguchi of Osaka University.

 

"An iPod can start or stop music when the wearer sticks his tongue out, like in the famous Einstein picture. If he opens his eyes wide, the machine skips to the next tune. A wink with the right eye makes it go back. The machine can be programmed to run with various other facial expressions, such as a wriggle of the nose or a smile,” he added.

 

Taniguchi would even go further with the development of his device, as it could also store and interpret data, so it got to know its user. "It monitors natural movements of the face in everyday life and accumulates data," Taniguchi said. "If it judges that you aren't smiling enough, it may play a cheerful song."

 

Although this would make the perfect device for the laziest people in the world, the Ear Switch is not exclusively aimed at providing ease in entertainment-related fields. This way, it could also be used in medical purposes.

 

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