Control your gadgets in the blink of an eye

Japanese researchers are working on a device that will let you control all sorts of gadgets by simply blinking your eyes.

The system, called the Kome Kami Switch (or “Temple Switch”), monitors movements of the temple using a single-chip computer and two infrared sensors. It is so tiny that it could be built into the side of a pair of eyeglasses.

Controlling an iPod is the most prominent use right now. Deliberately closing both eyes for a second turns the iPod on, and doing it again turns it off. Winking the right eye skips to the next song, while winking with the left eye skips back a song.

Kazuhiro Taniguchi, the system’s developer, says that it can easily differentiate between natural and deliberate blinks. “Normally you blink in an energy-saving manner, very quickly and lightly, but you would close your eyes more firmly to operate a device,” he said.

The Kome Kami Switch could also be adapted to controlling a multitude of other devices including TVs, air conditioners, and room lighting.

Taniguchi’s system is great for anyone whose hands or constantly busy. It could prove invaluable to rock-climbers and drivers, for example, who want to listen to music without taking their hands away from their job. More importantly, the Kome Kami Switch could enable some people with disabilities to operate gadgets.

The research team behind the device wants to commercialize it in two or three years. It will be interesting to see where the Kome Kami Switch shows up – in sunglasses, as a standalone device, or in some other form.

[Via news.com.au]

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