Making faces to control electronics

TOKYO, JAPAN: A  new innovation that can help operate gadgets with gestures, has been developed here by a student of Osaka University, to help elderly people operate devices with ease.

The new innovation enables facial expressions from winking to sticking out one's tongue, to control electronic devices such as an iPod.

Kazuhiro Taniguchi, student of Osaka University who invented the device - Mimi Switch or Ear Switch - says it can make faces to change music on his iPod, with help from the headphone - like device containing tiny optical sensors that pick up subtle muscles movements in the ear canal, and translates the readings to electronic signals that play, stop or skip the music.

He says the device has potential to be used as a hands-free remote control for any electronic appliances in the near future and could also provide help for the elderly and people with disabilities.

He is currently looking for business partners to turn his invention into a commercial product.

Taniguchi, said "we designed this device, keeping Japan's increasingly aging population in mind. We wanted to make a device by which, even if you're not able to move your body freely, you can still control machines."

Source: Reuters