Japanese Mimi Switch reads face for device control
03/09, 2:05pm
Mimi Switch reads faces
A Japanese device called the Mimi Switch or Ear Switch has the ability to read a wearer's facial expression, including a blink of an eye, smile or raised eyebrow. It can accomplish this via its infrared sensors in the ear, the inside of which moves according to the facial expressions, and translate those movements into controls for attached personal electronics devices such as iPods. Invented and developed by Kazuhiro Taniguchi of the Engineering Science Graduate School at Osaka University, the device is connected to a computer which interprets the signals to control connected devices.