Mimi Switch Allows Control of Your iPod with an Eye Blink

Simply by winking you could start your iPod music or by raising an eyebrow you could go to the next song. These are all a reality now thanks to a new Japanese based gadget called the Mimi Switch or Ear Switch. The Mini Switch allows you to control your iPod or other devices simply by using facial expressions such as blinking an eye, smiling or raising an eyebrow. All of this is done by using tiny infrared sensors located in the headphones of the device. When the sensor detects these micro moments within the ear canal, it perform the action via the cable connecting to your iPod or device.

Mimi Switch Allows You To Control Your iPod with Facial Expressions
"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. "The machine can be programmed to run with various other facial expressions, such as a wriggle of the nose or a smile."

The Mimi Switch can store historical data and interpret data to get to know the user. This means it could monitor your everyday facial expressions and perhaps play a cheerful song if you haven't smiled any a while or change the music to another song if facial expressions show you don't like the current one.

One question I have, how does the Ear Switch react to your facial expressions from going inside a dark home out to the bright sunlight? Would the natural squinting cause issues with the software, interpreting it as a wink instead?

Nonetheless, I think it's an interesting idea if the technology could be perfected. Taniguchi is looking to patent the prototype in Japan and other countries and also develop a wireless version to get rid of the wires completely. With enough funding he hopes to see them in store shelves in two or three years.