We previously mentioned that wearables were huge at the 2015 International CES a couple weeks ago, but with so many companies coming out with their own versions of fitness bands, we got excited when we would come across a wearable that was located on the body someplace other than your wrist.
JINS, a popular Japanese eyewear designer, has developed a smart pair of spectacles called the JINS MEME, that unlike Google’s attempt at intelligent eyewear, is something we wouldn’t feel ashamed to wear on a date.
JINS MEME has a few interesting sensors built into their stylish frames: a gyroscope and accelerometer can sense movement and body position. Most interesting are three-point electrooculography (EOG) sensors which measure voltage potentials between the front and back of the eye and are used to record eye movement and aid in the diagnosis of various ophthalmological diseases.
At the moment, JINS MEME is a research and development platform with a number of possible applications. The motion sensors could naturally work as a more accurate fitness tracker that isn’t affected by arm movements, and the gyroscope could help monitor and correct body posture. The EOG sensors can be used to help detect if drivers are getting fatigued by analyzing blinking rate and eye movement. It could also be used to help monitor the onset of vision problems and eye diseases and even neurological diseases that can affect the eyes.
Take a look at the video below highlighting a few areas of interest in academia where JINS MEME might be of use:
If you’re a developer, JINS is holding a competition to create mobile apps that will make JINS MEME useful. If you’re an academic researcher interested in using JINS MEME to study head and eye movements, you can go here to reserve an academic pack that will be shipping in late-April.
And for the rest of us, JINS MEME won’t be something we’ll be able to buy just yet, but the JINS rep we spoke to on the show floor mentioned to us that their first U.S. store will be opening in San Francisco later this year. We have a feeling a hipster city like SF would be the perfect place to showcase a pair of intelligent, hipster glasses.
More information: JINS MEME website…