In the Blink of an Eye

We've talked about this subject before: how can you make human/computer interactions more "natural?"

The standouts thus far have been advances in speech recognition, and probably WII (hand gestures that controlling computer gaming). And we've seen impressive demonstrations of gesture controlled "desktops" (which appear to work mainly for tossing photos around a tabletop).

Now enter blink-control, via the Kome Kami Switch, or "Temple Switch."

The technology is the brainchild of researchers at Japan's Osaka University, and it works by monitoring temple movement that result from deliberate blink patterns. The Kome Kami switch is made up of a single-chip computer and two infrared sensors, and is small enough to be worn via a pair of eyeglasses. While the hype is that you can control your iPod (or is that EyePod) by blinks, the device can control television sets, air conditioners, room lighting and other household electronics. One truly promising application of the switch is to expand capabilities for people with disabilities, researchers hope eventually enabling them to operate cell phones, wheelchairs, and many other necessary devices.

Researchers claim that the device is able to distinguish between regular blinks and the deliberate winks, eye closings, and patterned blinks that control it. "It (mistaking normal blinks for patterned blinking) doesn't happen at all. This system doesn't malfunction even if the user eats, talks, walks and runs," said Kazuhiro Taniguchi of Osaka University's Graduate School of Engineering Science, who developed the device.

A device destined, no doubt, to give new meaning to the phrase, "blinking back."