I think the eye-tracking control technology that a company called Tobii showed off about this time last year could have even more potential than other motion control systems, since it could be used while simply sitting at your desk, instead of having to flail your arms and legs about.

Last week, Tobii was demonstrating the latest version of its optical tracking technology at CeBIT called the IS-2 Eye Tracker module. The new module promises to be more responsive and fit a wider range of hardware including gaming machines than the technology unveiled last year could handle. The promise of this technology is the ability to control a videogame or mouse cursor using nothing but your eyes.

The technology uses a pair of infrared projectors that shine on the user’s pupils and a pair of small cameras that record the position of the pupils as the user looks around. The position of the eyes is then sent to a processor on board that turns that into the movement on the screen. The system is said to be very easy use and accurate. In addition to being much smaller, the new version is said to be significantly cheaper than the first-gen model. At this point Tobii, hasn’t announced any consumer products based on the tech, but is offering the IS-2 on an OEM basis to computer and display manufacturers.

[via ZDNet]

This 12-inch-tall robot is similar to another offering that Vstone, called the M3-Synchy. There are key differences though. For instance, the new S1 is said to have a less complex and smoother head. Another key difference is that the S1 has eyes that can move independently of the head. That means it can track you creepily with just its googly eyes.

The RPC-S1 is a small robot with no legs and the arms have 17-degrees of freedom. Inside its flexible foam-encased body is an embedded PICO 829 computer (based on the Intel Atom Z530), and ARM7 chip, and a single 1.3MP camera for image recognition. It also has dual microphones for voice recognition and a speaker. Pricing for the RPC-S1 robot is unknown.

[via PlasticPals]

And since there is no gadget that the Japanese want to leave uninvented to treat everyday problems such as humongous eye bags, we now have the option of treating these unsightly undereye circles and bulges with the Eye Slack Haruka.

The Eye Slack Haruka is actually a pair of pink-colored, crescent moon-shaped devices with two modes of operation: soft and hard. Going for “hard” will provide some mild, electric simulation to your eye bags, while “soft” gives them a gentle heating and vibrating treatment.

No clinical studies have been done to show the effectiveness of the Eye Slack Haruka, but the manufacturers claim that just three minutes a day with these under-eyepieces on will reduce the sagging skin under your peepers with continued use. It’s available from Japan Trend Shop for $131 if you’d like to give it a shot.

[via Ubergizmo via Oh Gizmo!]

That’s why I think these J!INS Moisture Glasses are a godsend.

They’re especially useful to people (like you and me, probably) who spend loads of hours in front of the computer. These J!NS glasses will not only give you a brighter appearance because of their shocking pink color, but it will freshen up your eyes and keep them moisturized because of the special moisture reservoir attachment near the left lens.

Just fill up the reservoir with your eye drops or with purified water, snap it back into the slot, and forget about having dry eyes for the next two hours or so.

The J!NS Moisture Glasses should be available in Japan by the end of October for ¥3,990 (~$50.)

[via Oh Gizmo! via Akihabara News]

Through the miracle of modern suction cup technology, the Niko Dama blinky eyeballs will stick on just about any surface. Want proof?

Here’s a video of the googly eyeballs in action, just in case you can’t figure out how they work:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The whole thing reminds me of that weird Christopher Walken SNL skit with the googly eyes. Or maybe that I just do eyes scene from Blade Runner – I can’t decide. Now you can recreate either scene for yourself. Just head on over to Strapya World, where you can buy them for $38.90 (USD) a pair.

I’m gonna bet you’ll have a hard time seeing out of these milky white lenses, but that’s just me.  But if you’re a serious cosplayer, you can head over to King of Swords and grab a pair for $59.95 (USD), where they remind you these are NON-prescription contacts, and that they are not recommended for sleeping. Duh.

Now all you have to do to complete the look is go to the gym every day for the next 5 years, paint yourself blue, and take plenty of human growth hormones. Oh yeah… and grow an enormous blue penis.

The demo video shows how the new interface allows for eyes-free browsing of contacts. The most important part of the setup is the square of 8 letters/symbols that appears as soon as you touch the screen. The square is centered on your finger, so any of the 8 surrounding alphabets is just a swipe away. Swiping to a letter causes the phone to vibrate, indicating that you have reached a letter.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

As soon as you swipe to a letter, a new set of 7 letters/symbols fills the rest of the square. According to Google, this ensures that all letters/symbols are at most only 3 swipes away. You then raise your finger off the screen upon reaching the desired letter/symbol to select it. A voice prompt announces the letter/symbol you have selected, after which the phone searches your contacts and goes to the first name that starts with the selected letter/symbol.

It doesn’t sound extremely complicated, but if ever it’s implemented into future phones, it will surely take users quite a while to learn and adjust to the interface. Read the full article for Google’s other planned eyes-free features, such as gesture-based commands. I’m curious to know how much impact such an interface would have on the battery life of phones.

[via Technology Review]