JAPAN: Brainwave technology brought to a head with "Necomimi" - or cat ears in Japanese - that doubles as a communication device. Necomimi can be controlled by the wearer's thoughts and emotions

Record ID: 462562

  • Title: JAPAN: Brainwave technology brought to a head with "Necomimi" - or cat ears in Japanese - that doubles as a communication device. Necomimi can be controlled by the wearer's thoughts and emotions
  • Date: 25th May 2011
  • Summary: CHILD WEARING NECOMIMI MORE OF CHILD WEARING NECOMIMI
  • Embargoed: 9th June 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan, Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Science / Technology
  • Reuters ID: LVA1ZO1EO0E3LJGWEL954N28WNMW
  • Story Text: In Tokyo, they're all ears for the latest in hi-tech fashion.
    The headware is called "Necomimi" - or cat ears in Japanese - that doubles as a communication device. Necomimi can be controlled by the wearer's thoughts and emotions.
    Necomimi was created by a company called Neurowave, who are harnessing basic, non-invasive neuroimaging technologies and adapting them for the fashion world. Apart from the ears, Necomimi comprises two brain-wave sensors that can detect and interpret the emotional state of the wearer. One sensor touches the forehead, while the other touches the ear robe.
    Thoughts and emotions manifest themselves in the movement of the ears. The wearer can monitor the movement and the brain activity that's causing it via an electronic tablet device. The colors of the brainwaves show the emotional state of the wearer. Red brain waves show nervousness or concentration, while green waves indicate a relaxed state of mind.
    The Necomimi boasts four kinds of movements. The ears shoot up when the wearer is nervous or focused. They flatten when the wearer is relaxed and when a person is relaxed but also focussed on a specific activity like a game or reading a book, the ears swirl around in a circular motion. When brain activity is low, the ears just flap gently back and forth.
    One of the creators of Nekomimi, Kana Nakano says she wanted to create a communication device that could be enjoyed by everyone. And in Japan, cats are popular.
    "When you make ear movements the same with real animals, it's not cute. For example, when cats are frightened or want to scare away an enemy, they flatten their ears. But with Necomimi, flat ears mean a relaxed state of mind. So we have changed the meaning to suit human perceptions. To humans, when cat ears flatten, its kind of cute. So the most difficult bit was to fine tune cat ear movements," Nakano said.
    The science of neuro-control is being developed in labs all over the world as a way to help the disabled or victims of "locked-in" syndrome. In Germany a more sophisticated version of the Neurowave technology is being tested as a means for operating a car. In Lausanne, Switzerland, scientists are adapting it for wheelchair users.
    And while Necomimi may seem like a trivial application for the technology, Nakano says it makes serious science accessible to ordinary people and may even have application elsewhere. She says Necomimi could be adapted as an effective communication tool for children or the elderly who may be reclusive or shy around strangers.
    For now however, Necomimi is aimed at the curious and the fashion conscious, people like 20-year-old Hiroki Moriguchi.
    "It was my first time having cat ears.That experience itself was very amusing, but it also swirls around on your head, so it was riveting. It was such a fresh experience." she said.
    Dentist, Misa Tokuizumi was also intrigued.
    "I find it funny that cat ears were moving in conjunction with my feelings." she said.
    But for Hanako Miyake, a university student in Tokyo, there are certain situations where the cat-ears should be left at home.
    "If I wear this during job interviews, and if they know that I'm nervous, it maybe a sensitive issue," Miyake said.
    Neurowave says it plans to launch the Necomimi internationally later this year at a price of several hundred dollars per unit.
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