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Can balloons be used as an input device? Even though currently they cannot serve as functionally as keyboards or touchscreens, the system invented by a research group from Osaka University indicates that a balloon is really able to input and send your messages. With a pressure sensor and a microphone built inside the balloon, it can detect the distinctive sounds of stroking, striking the balloon or feel the change the pressure when it is squeezes, so as to recognize your actions.

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Ever imagined to use your hand as a touchscreen? Turn your idea come true with Kei Nakatsuma’s wrist sensor then. Based on infrared detection, the device can figure out where the user’s finger is and detects the finger’s “tap” or “click” motions to accomplish certain tasks. As it turns users’ back of hand into a trackpad, you no longer need to bring touchscreens around next time you prepare for a talking show. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Researchers from the University of Illinois have exhibited their latest achievement – the Electronic Skin via the Internet. It is hair-thin, constructed with sensors, antenna, LED and other parts and powered by built-in solar batteries to monitor a person’s heartbeat, brain activity, muscle contractions and so on. If you put it besides your throat, the device can even “hear” your words so as to accomplish certain tasks. It can be easily applied to anything, without need for glue. When such amazing things used in the medical field, we bet we humans can benefit more from the advanced technology.

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A clinic test is no longer needed, as Nyx Devices’s Somnus Sleep Shirt is an easy-to-operate T-shirt that allows users to do some diagnostics when wearing it in sleep. It is embedded with two sensors, based on which the T-shirt tracks a person’s overnight breathing and transmits relevant information to a small data recorder for people to check out. The shirt is promised comfortable to wear, avoiding contact with people’s skins. Nyx is now planning to launch the shirt to market soon, with a price less than 100 dollars. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Paintbrushes help you to draw beautiful pictures and instruments assist you to create celestial music. But the pencil we’re to argue today, however, also creates sound as you paint with it. How? Well, the secret is the sensor built inside the tip, which could detect the movements and therefore produce various sounds.

Video after the jump. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Announced during Samsung’s CES press conference, the TicToc is believed a perfect alternative to Apple’s iPod Shuffle. Based on a built-in motion sensor, TicToc allows the users to change tunes by shaking the player slowly or quickly. The more slowly you shake the player, a much gentler music will be chosen, and vice versa. There’s a big button on one end to control the volume and a headphone port on the other. Turn the button to face the ground when you want to decrease the volume and make sure the button faces up if you’d like to increase the volume. The Samsung TicToc could support MP3, WMA, OGG, and FLAC audio formats with 12 hours of battery life. It will soon be available in two versions (2GB and 4GB capacities) but still no price has been announced. [Read the rest of this entry...]

The ‘Safeguard’ concept is mainly about preventing possible accidents that may happen during the process of moving or shifting heavy loads using a crane. Coming with an infrared sensor on its bottom, the device beams a laser graphic onto the ground as alarm signals to warn people of the danger. And on the other hand, with the help of infrared technology, ‘Safeguard’ also ensures the crane to unload cargoes accurately to the floor so as to improve working efficiency. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Controlling the cursor with a ball? That’s really an interesting idea. But the ball is not an ordinary ball, but a ball-shaped mouse that has 14 built-in pressure sensors, including a three-way acceleration sensor. As a result, the mouse would always control the cursor whenever you roll, squeeze or throw it. Yes, the ‘Puyocon’ mouse has completely changed the traditional way we use a mouse and make it more interesting. I love the idea!

It is connected to the computer via Bluetooth devices. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Based on the Holographic Laser Projection technology, Light Touch is an interactive projector that can create bright images on flat surfaces like the wall, the table and therefore allow the users to enjoy movies or play the game all the time. And the device takes the very name from that act. But why could the user interact with the machine? That largely attributes to the built-in infrared sensors, which can detect the users’ motion and change the projected image into a virtual touch screen. [Read the rest of this entry...]

We’ve seen pretty high-tech clothes in our day, like the ‘Protective Coat’ if you remember, but few are as utilitarian as this. Using a new clothing technology called as e-Press, the shirt is built with bio sensors to check out the wearer’s stress levels in different parts including the chest, the back and both shoulders. If stress levels are high, the bio sensors will send signals to corresponding LEDs, which will then indicate that by blinking fast. On the contrary, if those parts are given a massage, the LEDs will blink slowly as the stress levels go down.

The lovely dog doll is not merely an ordinary toy for babies. Named as Sniff, the bionic dog, with a sensor built inside, can identify and react to anything labeled with a RFID tag. Accompanied by such a cute doll, even your only child will no longer feel lonely. And that’s just the main concept of the stuffed animal.

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Yea billiards is of great fun but you may have expected it to be more exciting, right? So why not have a look at the Obscura Cue-light? Based on sensors and an overhead projector, the pool table has come to astonish you with brilliant images when the balls bang around. Check for more with the video if you’re interested.

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If you’re someone who likes novelty, you’re sure to love the Mint-pass Rubbish Can by Jongchul Kim. Base on a built-in ultrasonic sensor, the new product could detect the size of trash and open its mouse correspondingly. Still using an infrared sensor, the trash can also allows you to observe its residual capacity simply through the change in color, which turns redder as the bin goes fuller.

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Measuring 1.96 feet long and weighing 8.2 pounds, the remote control chum-dumping boat is not a toy but a new creation designed to dump about 4.5 pounds chum into narrow places through a remote control of 984 feet or so. Equipped with a sonar sensor, the boat can be used to search for fish under water and transmit the information back through the LCD display. But those are not enough, because the boat also allows you to get more fish in the night with a LED light.

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In this high-tech era, every thing can have some intelligence. Blocks is not an exception. This so-called Siftable is actually a block shaped tiny computer with a singular display and motion sensor. Thanks to its intelligent natural, you can get many amazing functions.

Video after the break

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