Now, blink to change the channel

LONDON, UK: You can now blink and change channels on your TV, thanks to a latest discovery called the Eye Control TV.

Manufactured by the Chinese consumer electronics firm Haier, Eye Control TV comes with a bulky device that you place in front of your TV, and with a determined blink you can change channels, change the volume or switch off the TV.

The eye-sensing technology needs calibration the first time you run it, which involves chasing a circle around the screen with your eyes. After that, long blinks activate the sensor, bringing up an on-screen display. Looking downwards brings up the volume controls, which you can then adjust by looking at the plus and minus signs.

Meanwhile, other menus allow you to switch channels and glide between still images, the Daily Mail reported.

Engadget tested the equipment at the IFA technology conference in Berlin this week and called it a 'compelling concept', although not quite ready for market, partly for the slight learning curve and the coffee-table-dominating sensor.

New ways of controlling the TV are beginning to overtake the old infra-red remotes that currently dominate the coffee table.

Many TVs are not 'smart-enabled', meaning they have in-built Freeview and Applications which can allow streaming from services such as Sky TV.