Japanese researchers working on wink-based remote control

We've seen plenty of attempts to bring hand gesture control to everyday devices, but a group of researchers led by Osaka University's Kazuhiro Taniguchi is looking to take things one step further, with them now touting their wink-based control system. Apparently consisting of a "a single-chip computer and a couple of infrared sensors," the system, dubbed the Kome Kami Switch (or Temple Switch), lets you perform basic tasks like skipping tracks on an iPod with the blink of an eye, and is supposedly fine-tuned enough to be able to distinguish natural blinking from a deliberate wink. Needless to say, the technology's still a long ways from finding itself attached to your noggin but, as the AFP reports, the researchers "want" to launch a venture within two to three years to commercialize it.

[Image courtesy of NEWS.com.au]

[Backlin @ Mar 3rd 2008 12:54PM]

Hey, baby! *Winks*
DANG IT!!!

[G Man @ Mar 5th 2008 7:18AM]

people would probably think that you are a spastic bastard.

[JCA @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:45PM]

It is so dumb. A finger is so much more appropriate.

Now if they change the gesture recognition from a wink to lets say, spinning roundhouse kicks....now we're talking ease of use!

[Blaktornado @ Mar 3rd 2008 2:12PM]

"A finger is so much more appropriate. "

Uh, I think a wink would be more appropriate if you didn't know her that well...

...wait a second. You didn't mean it that way did you? Curses, my dirty mind!

[johnny5 @ Mar 3rd 2008 2:38PM]

I think we need more winking at strangers in our lives. Don't completely shut off the world around you when you put on those headphones.

http://coloured.net/john/portfolio/kinesic/

[elliot @ Mar 3rd 2008 12:54PM]

wow, apparently winking tires the crap out of you, as evidenced by the enormous sags under her eyes hehehehe

[Chris @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:02PM]

You read my mind.

[Joe Baynham @ Mar 3rd 2008 12:55PM]

Jesus, there's already huge fights in my house over the remote now its going to be over who blinks the most.

[Flashpoint @ Mar 3rd 2008 12:58PM]

So when a woman flutters her eyes at a gentleman in front of her - the Ipod starts deleting tracks?

[ben @ Mar 3rd 2008 12:59PM]

Yeah, just what the world needs, iPod users winking at everyone.

"WTF Dude! Did you just wink at me?!"

[Gleidus @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:13PM]

What about people that have eye twitches?

[NG @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:22PM]

@ ben

WORD brother, WORD!

[ben @ Mar 3rd 2008 3:21PM]

"What about people that have eye twitches?"

Eventually they would know the first few notes of every song really well.

[Karl Hackswell @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:24PM]

Researchers need to spend their time on something a bit more practical, like the cure for cancer maybe?

[Jordan @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:26PM]

Naw, we need a new iPod interface more than a healthy society

[Bakari @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:33PM]

Try winking 10 times, quickly. Now, imagine you (like me) have an Ipod with over 3500 songs from about 150 artists on it.

Now, wink if you think this idea is doomed to failure.

[Bakari @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:34PM]

sorry for the double post!

[Bakari @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:34PM]

Try winking 10 times, quickly. Now, imagine you (like me) have an Ipod with over 3500 songs from about 150 artists on it.

Now, wink if you think this idea is doomed to failure.

[m @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:51PM]

"fine-tuned enough to be able to distinguish natural blinking from a deliberate wink"? it's a shame clifford geertz didn't live to see this day.

[Frankenstein Black @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:52PM]

The Dummy’s guide to Wink gesture controls:
Left eye 1x = rewind
Left eye 2x = Previous track
Right eye 1x = fast forward
Right eye 2x = next track
Both eyes = play
Skunk eye = stop
Roll's eye = delete track
Cross eyes = playlist
Blood shot eyes = the pain from the horrific car crash

Shouldn't we just stick to perfecting voice commands?

[rainfreak @ Mar 3rd 2008 2:08PM]

Narrator: Lucille was suffering from a hangover-related headache and sought her medication. That's when she mistook the red eye alcohol warning for a "winking-eye" alcohol suggestion. But she had the good sense not to drive herself to the meeting.

Lucille: I'll call for a car.

Narrator: [shows the car on fire] Unfortunately, this was after a failed attempt to do so.

[Zorque @ Mar 3rd 2008 2:23PM]

I can't wink with my right eye because of nerve damage. Sucks to be me.

[Loban @ Mar 3rd 2008 2:51PM]

Sorry if this is a sensitive subject, but I have to ask. How do you keep your eye from drying out or getting scratched or whatever? I assume you have to manually close your eyelid with your finger or something. Or does your eye still blink involuntarily?

[Zorque @ Mar 3rd 2008 3:16PM]

If I close the left eye, the right one can close too, and I still blink normally, but I can't close the right one on its own. It's really kind of weird.

[SimonRichards @ Mar 3rd 2008 2:49PM]

The London Underground is bad enough as it is. The last thing we need is everyone winking at each other!

[kev @ Mar 3rd 2008 3:05PM]

I could have sworn they did something along these lines before, and lo and behold:

http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/21/osaka-university-develops-teeth-controlled-ipod-interface/

[Rick @ Mar 3rd 2008 3:18PM]

Wink, wink, nudge, nudge!

[dogukan @ Mar 3rd 2008 3:24PM]

What a relief!!! Thank God some of world's finest scientists are trying to find a solution to the nasty inoperability of the human thumb, namely our humanity's most important problem..After we learn to control our TV sets with a blink of an eye, I wonder what will come next? A toilet that flushes itself? window blinds that operate with burping (2 consecutive burps to open and 1 to close)? Good job smart people..

[Andy B. @ Mar 3rd 2008 3:37PM]

"Dude, is there something in your eye or what?"
"Nah, just trying to get to the P's on my iPod..."

[frankXchange @ Mar 3rd 2008 3:49PM]

This has so much joke potential here. Alas, all too easy.

It does have potential for handicapped people that have limited/no use of hands.

I also expect the birth rate and number of restraining orders to jump significantly if this really catches on.

[Jesse S @ Mar 3rd 2008 4:13PM]

Doesn't Stephen Hawking control his computer with winks and infrared sensors?

[Ken @ Mar 3rd 2008 5:25PM]

Will it work with Gaijin?

[imec @ Mar 3rd 2008 5:31PM]

Undeniable proof that Engadget writers don't know Morse code. Good thing that you guys weren't around when Jeremiah Denton was on television.

[The Artist formally known as Jesus @ Mar 3rd 2008 7:01PM]

Blink once for yes and twice for no

*blinks twice*

that's a double yes

[Stop!! @ Mar 4th 2008 12:43AM]

"Needless to say, the technology's still a long ways from finding itself attached to your noggin..." Hey, Engadget, "needless to say" is generally needless to say. Needless to say, I see it in your blog several times every day. Just quit. Cold turkey. Type those words "needless to say", let them set off little alarm bells in your head, and go delete them before pushing "post". What about it?