Japanese company Neurowear has invented an innovative and wacky set of furry cat ears that help you express a state of mind without having to say a word. It’s called Necomimi and it’s bound to become one of the world’s coolest gadgets/fashion accessories.
Just in case you were wondering what Japan will come up with next after a seemingly endless number of wacky and funny inventions (Botaoshi, Reptile Cafe, Yokai Monster Train, etc.), I’m here to provide an answer – Necomimi, a revolutionary headband that uses sensors to read your brainwaves. That’s doesn’t sound weird at all, on the contrary, it sounds groundbreaking, but the offbeat-loving Japanese designed the gadget to look like a wearable set of cat ears, probably hoping to capitalize on people’s fascination with cuteness and cutting-edge technology.
The main function of Necomimi is to detect concentration and relaxation brainwaves, using biosensor technology, and moving the furry cat ears accordingly. When you express deep concentration in a certain situation the cat ears will point up, whereas when entering a state of relaxation, they will drop into a folding position. According to the Neurowear official website, “If concentration and relaxing time comes at the same time, your new ears rise and move actively.” “We were exploring new ways of communicating and we thought it would be interesting to use brainwaves,” said Neurowear’s Kana Nakano. According to another member of the development team, brainwave sensors used for medical purposes cost a fortune, but thanks to falling costs they were able to look for interesting ways to use them. “Interesting” is a mild term when talking about a set of brainwave sensors shaped like cat ears…
The Neurowear website describes Necomimi as a little hard “In the beginning, people may feel strange, however people are getting accustomed to control their new ears by brain waves if they keep using. At this moment, Necomimi can be part of your body.” The Japanese company released their first marketing video back in May, and announced it hopes to release their innovative product by the end of the year. The price hasn’t been made public yet, but I doubt die-hard Otakus will let something as petty as money stand between them and this awesome piece of Japanese ingenuity. Watch the funny Necomimi introductory video, head over to Neurowear for more videos and updates on the gadget, and until it comes out try to make your own following this Instructables tutorial.
