Technabob » eyes

Vstone RPC-S1 Robot Has its Big Googly Eyes on You

Shane McGlaun — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 16:00:13 +0000

Real robots are far from cheap, and usually they are big and bulky so that they can be used for research and manufacturing. Not all research bots are massive things though, some are small like the new RPC-S1 (JP).

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]

Eye Slack Haruka Wants to Vibrate Your Eye Bags Away

Hazel Chua — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:00:58 +0000

My mother can always tell how many hours I slept the previous night based on the size of the bags under my eyes. When deadlines are running tight and things are getting crazy hectic I work, I sometimes pull all-nights, and the second thing to suffer (since the first one would have to be my health) are my looks.

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!]

Dry Eyes Are a Thing of the Past With the J!NS Moisture Glasses

Hazel Chua — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:04:32 +0000

I carry a small bottle of Eye-Mo in my handbag wherever I go, just in case my eyes begin to feel dry while I’m out at work or doing errands. I once ran out of Eye Mo and literally pinched myself so hard, just so I could cry some tears and bring back some moisture into them. (Sounds pathetic, I know.)

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]

Blinking Googly Eyeballs: Why? Why Not?

Technabob — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 22:22:37 +0000

Ah, another day, another strange Japanese product. This time, we’ve got a pair of googly eyes you can stick anywhere you’d like, and they blink. Yep, that’s it.

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.

Dr. Manhattan’S Eyes Can Now be Yours

Technabob — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:42:41 +0000

While you guys were probably staring at some other part of Dr. Manhattan’s glowing blue body in Watchmen, you can’t deny that his weird white eyeballs were a little disturbing too. Now you can freak out your friends with the same eyes, courtesy of these custom Dr. Manhattan contact lenses.

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.

Look Ma, No Eyes: Google Working on “Eyes-Free” Phone Interface

Lambert Varias — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:30:00 +0000

There must be a lot of Google employees who like to use their phones while they’re driving. The company is currently working on an “eyes-free” interface for their Android software that utilizes tactile and aural feedback together with a new way of navigating phone menus that will allow users to operate their phones using just one hand, and without even having to look at their phone’s screen. Adding aural feedback may be enough for phones with conventional keypads, but the recent obsession with touchscreens necessitates tactile feedback and a new interface.

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]