Katie Vega, a computer scientist at Pontifical Catholic University in Rio de Janeiro, has created metallized eyeshadow and conducting eyelashes which can be used to turn on drones and screens with a wink.
The product uses voluntarily movements to turn intentions into actions- so for example, LED lights or a computer screen could be controlled with a wink, or a computer or piano by making typing motions without a keyboard.
The student is reportedly in talks with cosmetics companies to develop the technology into a working product.
Vega told CosmeticsDesign.com: "These devices can be keyed to different movements, so that if you blink a different number of times a different operation will be performed."
"At the demonstration at St Andrews University, we used them to turn on screen, to activate LED lights and, with our 'superhero' version, to 'levitate' objects off the table."
“People said they didn’t want to look like Robocop”
Vega was inspired to create the product when observing tech-savvy people in Hong Kong. She said: “I noticed that when you saw people on the streets they would look like cyborgs- they would have so much technology in their glasses and LED lights and Hello Kitty decorations.”
““People told me that they didn’t want to look like Robocop; they wanted to be able to wear things which expressed their individual personality.”
“I thought, why don’t we have this high technology incorporated into everyday beauty products?”
A high-tech solution
The student has created several different variations on the same theme- fake nails which contain computer chips, eyelashes which when touched together form a complete circuit, and metallicized eye makeup.
All of these items use voluntary movements to activate devices by remote control, which is provided by a variety of technologies including infra-red tracking.
She is currently in the process of working out technical issues with cosmetics companies and is “hopeful” for the technology’s success.
Vega says that this technology could also be used to create products which could allow a paralyzed individual to control electronic devices in his environment.