We’re now reaching a point where technology is almost advanced enough to be able to detect what consumers are thinking better than they can themselves. That’s one of the things that spurred Tokyo-based Tomonori Kagaya to found Neurowear, a startup that’s preparing for a future where emotion-reading is accurate enough to deliver the right content to consumers at exactly the right time.

Kagaya worked on a number of projects ranging from an interactive augmented reality game that encouraged residents of Japan to travel around to find and catch digital butterflies, to music based on local wind data before creating Neurowear in 2010. The startup’s first product was Necomimi, novelty cat’s ears that wiggle based on wearer’s emotions, which was picked as one of Time’s 50 Best Inventions of 2011. Kagaya recently expanded on the idea to create Mico, a pair of headphones that play music that matches the mood of the person wearing them. We asked Tomonori to explain what drives him and his ideas.

1.Where did the idea for Mico come from?

We can listen to over 16 million songs if we use music subscription services like Spotify, Pandora or Rdio, etc. but there is a big problem. How do we “encounter” new music? Search is practical only when you can describe what you want verbally.
It’s often like this when someone describes music they like: “Its speedy, dark, heavy, its a little bit different from rock, its like… like… uh… wolves are running, and sometimes gorillas run… you know…” You cannot search for something that you can’t put into words. If we don’t know the title, artist name, genre, then how can we find the song? We need another approach. Don’t go searching for music, let music find you – that must be a new experience. So we made Mico.

2. Can you describe a typical working day?

Come to the office, think about the future, communications, technology. Meet people, creators, entrepreneurs, writers. Write down some of the new ideas that appear from those discussions. Then, talk about ideas with team members and start building the concept.

3. How do you unwind or relax when you’re not working on Mico?

Visit new cities, walk around. Find a new restaurant, drink with friends.

4. What’s the secret ingredient to success as an entrepreneur?

Create a new concept.

5. What drove you crazy when building your business?

Having to keep on schedule makes me irritated.

6. What motivates you to keep going?

Encounters with new experiences. I’m always looking for a new experience – that makes me excited.

7. If you were to start again, what would you do differently?

Collect more user data, at least 1000 times larger than we have done.

8. Where do you see your business in five years, and how will you get there?

We’ll continue developing our listening experience and we want to see more than a million people using our service. To make it, we’ll continue to create new headphones and build our neuro-music database.

9. If you weren’t working on Mico, what would you be doing?

I would make another new prototype that enables people to have novel encounters with media.

10. Tell Springwise a secret…

All new ideas comes from dreams.

11. Any final words for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Good luck!

We’ve already seen products such as the GravityLight introduce novel ways to generate electricity for devices in regular use. Aimed at consumers looking to reduce their carbon footprint, the SUN&CLOUD digital camera is the first which can be wholly powered by the sun or a built-in dynamo.

Developed by Japan-based Superheadz, the handheld camera can be powered in three ways. Firstly, the battery can be charged simply by placing the device in direct sunlight, requiring 12 hours of sun for a full charge. On days when the weather isn’t as good, users can alternatively use the built-in hand crank to power the camera through a winding motion. Lastly, the camera can be connected to a computer via USB if a quick energy charge is needed. An LED on the side acts as an indicator to show when the device is charging, not charging and fully charged. The camera has an array of functions, including built-in filters, three focus modes and an LED flash.

The SUN&CLOUD could be an environmentally-friendly alternative to typical consumer electronics without forgoing the features usually included on mains-reliant cameras. How else can devices be redesigned with eco-conscious customers in mind?

Website: www.superheadz.com
Contact: www.facebook.com/pages/SuperHeadz

Spotted by: Murtaza Patel

New ways of interacting with digital displays can bring about important new possibilities for working – as the Kinect-based Intera system for surgeons has proved. Now Japanese researchers have unveiled the AquaTop, which consists of a display projected onto the surface of water, controlled by interacting with the liquid.

Demonstrated at the Laval Virtual conference in France earlier this year – where it won the Interface and Materials Award, as well as the Grand Prix – the interface was developed by researchers at the University of Electro-Communications in Tokyo. The AquaTop uses cloudy water to act as a projection surface and – similar to the Intera – detects gestures with a Kinect. The creators engineered the system to use the water surface as an integral part of its control – for example, one action is carried out when users dip their fingertips to interact with a screen object, and another when they approach the item from underneath the water. On-screen items also react to the movement of the water, meaning that they can be moved or changed by simply disrupting the surface with a splash, or scooping up the water and placing it elsewhere.

The system has currently been rigged up primarily as a platform for games – with an underwater speaker included to create ripples when a goal is achieved – although the researchers have also demonstrated how it could be used to interact with computer files such as images and video. The following video shows the AquaTop in action:

AquaTop shows the possibilities of widely-available consumer products in the creation of engaging and intuitive new ways to interact with digital objects. Considering how many of us take our devices with us wherever we go, this could be used practically – bringing electronics safely into the bathroom, for example – or for creating unique public displays. If water can become a medium for digital interaction, surely the possibilities are endless?

Website: www.uec.ac.jp
Contact: www.uec.ac.jp/inquiry

Spotted by: Alexia M

Regular readers of Springwise may remember Digipill, the audio ‘drug’ that uses psychoacoustic therapy to alter the mood of users. Turning that concept on its head, Mico headphones monitor user’s brain waves and select songs that match their mood.

Developed by Japan-based Neurowear, the Mico headset looks like a regular pair of headphones, with the addition of an EEG reader that rests on the forehead and senses neural activity. Analyzing the signals enables the device to detect the mood of the wearer, which it exhibits using an LED display on the earpieces. When connected to the Mico app, this information is used to select a song from its database that matches the emotion. Currently, the tracks in the library are tagged with one of three moods – focused, sleepy and stressed. As well as getting rid of the step of scrolling through thousands of songs to find one that suits your mood, Mico headphones also provide a Pandora-like service, helping users discover new music. The following video explains more about how it works:

Whether this kind of technology will be a hit with music lovers may depend on the accuracy of the brainwave sensors as well as the quality of the music library. However, there’s plenty of inspiration here: how else could similar ‘mood-reading’ devices be used to deliver the right content to consumers at the right time?

Website: www.micobyneurowear.com
Contact: hellomico@neurowear.com

Spotted by: Smith Alan

One of the most important aspects of running a venue – and one that can have a large effect on customer experience – is atmosphere. While Meyer Sound have already covered the noise side of things with its tablet-controlled acoustics, the Lighty system is now enabling users to quickly and easily adjust lighting in a room by ‘painting’ in the areas they want illuminating on a touchscreen.

Created by the Japan Science and Technology Agency’s IGARASHI Design Interface Project, Lighty consists of a rig of bulbs installed on the ceiling of a space, whose brightness and orientation can be controlled through a computer. A camera on the ceiling offers a bird’s eye view of the room, which is used as a plan in the interactive control panel. Using a stylus, one of five lightness settings can be applied to any area by drawing onto the room plan. The live feed of the room provides a real-time view of how the light is dispersed. The system offers a more intuitive way to instantly create customizable and complex lighting patterns, with most of the work being done by calculation and robotics. The following video shows Lighty in action:

The application for locations such as restaurants and concert halls is obvious, although the designers predict that such technology could soon be adapted for home use as well. Still in the prototype phase, perhaps one for investors to get in on early?

Website: www.designinterface.jp/projects/lighty
Contact: www.designinterface.jp/contact

Spotted by: Murtaza Patel

It’s one thing for augmented reality (AR) to display content superimposed on still objects or images, but Japanese NTT is working on technology that enables similar capabilities for video watched on TV. Specifically, using digital watermarking, Visual SyncAR lets TV viewers see companion content through a mobile device that’s synchronized with the video being viewed.

Digital watermarking allows information such as a logo or ID number to be embedded into original video media. Once that’s done, Visual SyncAR lets users view TV content through a tablet or smartphone to see additional scenes. Technology on the mobile device quickly detects the watermark in the video being viewed; in response, it overlays computer graphics or text in synchronization with the video timing and position. If a video is rewound, for instance, Visual SyncAR will automatically display the right content for the new position. The DiginfoTV video below demonstrates the technology in action:

Potential applications for Visual SyncAR include not just entertainment but also companion content for digital signage, such as for the hearing-impaired or speakers of other languages, NTT notes. Tech-minded entrepreneurs: be inspired!

Website: www.ntt.co.jp/index_e.html
Contact: sv-forum@lab.ntt.co.jp

Spotted by: Murray Orange

Regular readers of Springwise may remember FabCafe, the Tokyo-based diner that enables designers to 3D print while they wait. Demonstrating its enthusiasm for marrying food and 3D printing, the company has now hosted an event to enable visitors to create gummy men – jelly sweets that are in the likeness of the customers who made them.

In Japan, Valentine’s Day is usually observed by women who offer gifts to their husbands or boyfriends. However, a month later on 14 March is White Day when men are expected to return the favor. FabCafe invited a group of customers to attend a workshop at the beginning of March to have their body scanned to create a 3D file of their likeness. Upon returning at the next session, the café had the files turned into plastic moulds ready to pour in the jelly. After they had set, the customers were left with a unique gift to give to their partners in time for White Day. The workshops were open to the first nine men signing up and cost JPY 6,000 per person.

The project reflects a similar scheme carried out by Maynards Canada a couple of years back, while also engaging customers with the café’s 3D printing facilities. We’ll definitely be keeping our eyes peeled for further unusual offerings from this innovative company!

Website: www.fabcafe.com
Contact: www.fabcafe.com/contact-us

Spotted by: Murtaza Patel

Women who are looking for beauty treatment and with little time to spare in their work schedule have already been offered convenient 15-minute in-office manicures courtesy of Manicube. Now the Qusca Sleeping Café aims to provide a space for women to rest and refresh, as well as get lunch and keep up with work.

Located in the Akasaka district of Tokyo, the café was set up specifically to offer working women a private and relaxing area where they can relieve some of the day’s stress. Visitors pay JPY 150 per ten minutes to take advantage of the café’s facilities. The cost covers use of a sleeping room perfumed with a ‘healing’ aroma, a make-up space that includes free cosmetics and hair styling supplies, and mobile device-charging stations. The café also provides wifi and has a menu of free snacks and drinks available each day. Those wanting a more substantial meal can also pay JPY 600 for Qusca’s ‘healthy deli lunch’, designed to recharge workers’ batteries.

Although services offering spaces for short naps – such as the UK’s Podtime – have been seen before on Springwise, Qusca provides an entirely new kind of space dedicated to female professionals, with the aim of boosting their productivity. Could this work in your part of the world?

Website: www.qusca-zzz.com
Contact: info@qusca-zzz.com

Spotted by: Murtaza Patel

Soon after the Any Battery Light was drawn to our attention — the Japanese emergency torch that works with multiple battery sizes — we came across a similar innovation from the country that has suffered from particularly violent natural disasters over the past few years. The Gura-pika flashlight from Force Media detects earthquakes when they hit and automatically turns itself on in case of a blackout.

The flashlight features a radio tuner that is constantly on standby to detect alerts from the country’s Earthquake Early Warning system. If an earthquake hits, its LED lights turn on and an alarm sounds. The Gura-pika is designed to be plugged into the mains and located on a wall in the home, so that if an earthquake does hit it can be found easily. The lights and radio last for around 14 hours on full charge, while a hand crank attached to the handle offers manual battery top-up. As with the Any Battery Light, the torch can also take a variety of battery sizes. The following video shows that product in action:

Considering the natural disasters that have beset Japan in recent years, it’s no surprise that innovations aiming to help in emergency situations continue to spring up from Japanese designers. Are there other ways those in high-risk areas can be more prepared?

Website: www.forcemedia.co.jp
Contact: info@forcemedia.co.jp

Spotted by: Murray Orange

There’s no doubt Valentine’s Day can place extra social pressure on anyone giving or receiving cards and gifts in honor of the occasion, but in Japan that pressure is particularly acute for men. That’s because Valentine gifts are typically a sign of a woman’s affection over there, causing no small stress for the single men who don’t receive one. Enter Japanese Zipng, whose new Valentine-hoken service aims to provide a sort of “insurance” against the possibility of being overlooked on the day of love.

Japanese men feeling anxious about the impending occasion need only visit the Valentine-hoken site and pay JPY 500, which is the equivalent of just a little more than USD 5. In exchange, Zipng will send the subscriber a Valentine’s Day package including chocolates and a personal message from a fictional “beautiful lady” according to a DesignTaxi report. Then, even if no real lady has expressed her admiration, the customer can keep that fact to himself and save himself humiliation.

Of course, in Japan it may be men who are the primary sufferers from neglect on Valentine’s Day, but in much of the world that pain is distributed more evenly. One to emulate in your neck of the lonely heart woods?

Website: www.valentine-hoken.com
Contact: info@zipng.com

Spotted by: Smith Alan