I cannot count the times that I have wished for the nine lives that cats have, but I have never included cats’ ears in the equation. I like my ears well enough, thank you very much.

Some Japanese inventors have come up with something which is a combination of brilliance and silliness, in my opinion. Then again, I think I might just have summed up many people’s idea of what the Japanese are. No doubt that they are brilliant, and their propensity for cute and silly things make things just even more interesting.

What am I talking about? A gadget that looks – and probably feels – like the ears of a cat. And one can wear them as well! Don’t be fooled by this inane looking device, though, as it is backed by science that might just make science fiction come to life.

Dubbed Necomimi,¹ this device makes use of brain waves (human brain waves, that is) that are created when one feels emotions. Using the brain waves, the ears can be controlled and wiggled. Think about your cat – if you have one. What happens to its ears when it is feeling relaxed and purring to its heart’s content? The ears go down, right? And when the cat is agitated or alert, the ears go up.

The same thing can be done by this gadget. When the person wearing it is at peace, the ears go down. When the person is alert, the ears go up. That’s only the beginning, though. These ears have a lot of potential, especially for people who are mentally challenged or unable to speak.

Think about it, depending on the degree and nature of their condition, people who have physical and/or mental disabilities are still able to feel emotions just like everyone else. With these cat ears, they may have a way of conveying what they are thinking.

Silly? Maybe a little. Then again, if this product is further developed, it may very well prove to be useful to countless people around the world. Oh, and even if you can communicate your thoughts via speech rather well, these cat ears can still be a brilliant part of your costume for Halloween.

Here’s Necomimi in action.

1. Tech News Daily [↩]

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