Don't read too much into someone winking at you in Japan - a researcher says he has developed a system that will soon let people run their iPods with the flick of an eye.
The system, comprising a single-chip computer and a couple of infrared sensors, monitors movements of the temple and is so tiny that it can be built into the side of a pair of eyeglasses.
Closing both eyes for one second starts an iPod, while blinking again stops the machine. A wink with the right eye makes the machine skip to the next tune while with a wink of the left eye it goes back.
PHOTO: AFP
As a person does not have to move either hand, the system can serve as a "third hand" for caregivers, rock-climbers, motorbike drivers and astronauts, as well as people with disabilities.
"You don't have to worry about the system moving incorrectly as it picks up signals when you close your eyes firmly. You can use this when you're eating or chatting with someone," said the device's developer, Kazuhiro Taniguchi.
The system - dubbed "Kome Kami Switch," or "Temple Switch" - can easily differentiate a deliberate one-second wink from natural blinking, said Taniguchi, a researcher at state-run Osaka University's Graduate School of Engineering Science.
"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 system can be programmed to accept a rapid double blink for those who can't wink.
The Kome Kami Switch is also capable of operating television sets, air conditioners, room lighting and other household electronics.
Taniguchi hopes the system can eventually be adapted to run cellphones, wheelchairs and robots as "an ultimate remote control" used in everyday life.(AFP)
在日本如果有人向你眨眼，你可別會錯意了，因為一位研究人員表示，他已研發出一套系統，不久後就能讓人靠著眨眼操作iPod。
該系統由一個單晶片電腦和數個紅外線感應器組成，由於體積極小，它能裝在眼鏡腳架內，以監測太陽穴的運動。
只要雙眼合閉一秒鐘就可以啟動iPod，再眨眼一次即可關機；右眼眨一下可以跳至下一曲，左眼眨一下則可以回到上一曲。
讓人無需動手即可操作，該系統形同是看護、攀岩者、機車騎士、太空人和其他身障人士的「第三隻手」。
這套儀器的發明人谷口和弘說：「你不用擔心系統會誤下指令，因為系統在你緊閉雙眼時才會感應訊號。無論是吃飯或與他人交談時，皆可以使用。」
國立大阪大學工程科學所研究員谷口表示，名為「太陽穴開關」的這套系統，能夠輕易分辨自然眨眼和刻意眨眼一秒的差別。
他說：「人們眨眼通常是非常輕快不費力的，但你若要啟動裝置，則需用力閉上雙眼。」
這套系統還特別為了那些無法正常眨眼的人，設計了可接受快速眨眼兩次的程式指令。
「太陽穴開關」也能控制電視、冷氣、室內燈光和其他家用電器。
谷口希望該系統最終能適用於手機、輪椅和機器人，作為人類日常生活中的「終極遙控器」。
（法新社／翻譯：袁星塵）
A: Wow, singer Bruno Mars will be visiting Kaohsiung for the first time. B: Really? Where will he be performing? A: He’s going to hold a concert at the National Stadium on Sunday. B: Why do the Taiwanese like to call him the “Martian” in Chinese? A: Because his last name “Mars” is the same word as the planet Mars. A: 哇！火星人布魯諾將首度唱進高雄。 B: 真的嗎？在哪裡？ A: 他將於本週日，在國家體育場開唱唷。 B: 但是為什麼台灣人喜歡叫他火星人呢？ A: 因為他的姓氏「Mars」這個字剛好是「火星」的意思啊。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
A: Bruno Mars is definitely one of today’s most popular singers. B: He has even won 14 Grammy Awards. A: I love all his megahits, like “Just the Way You Are.” B: And his new song with Lady Gaga “Die with a Smile” has a caused worldwide sensation. A: I wonder if we’ll hear the new song at his Kaohsiung concert? A: 火星人布魯諾是近年來最受歡迎的流行歌手。 B: 對啊他還曾榮獲14座葛萊美獎。 A: 他所有的金曲我都愛，像《Just the Way You Are》。 B: 最近他和女神卡卡合唱《Die with a Smile》更造成大轟動！ A: 不知道在高雄有沒有機會聽他演唱這首新歌呢？ (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
The Lord returned home after a long day of hunting, a deer on his horse and a bow on his back. His apprentice had stayed behind, feeling unwell. He rode slowly through the forest, closed his eyes, and felt the warm sunlight on his face. He opened his eyes to a full moon rising. Time to make offerings and pray for peace, good weather, a bountiful harvest. And a child with his beloved wife. He smiled. As he approached, the house was quiet. Too quiet. He dismounted in the empty courtyard. “Feng Meng?” he called. Silence. He went to his apprentice’s
You can’t help but notice the woman’s blonde hair, blue eyes, and bizarre outfit. She’s in a white dress that reaches below the knee and a Prussian blue jacket highlighted by a brooch on a ribbon at the collar. Together with her leather boots and the brown suitcase in hand, her overall look gives her an air of mystery. This distinctive appearance isn’t merely for style; it’s her way of embracing cosplay. Combining the words “costume” and “play,” cosplay is an art form in which participants dress up as specific characters, usually at anime conventions. It not only involves
RSS