Wednesday 4 November 2009

Happiness Hat


The Happiness Hat from designer Lauren McCarthy is a wearable conditioning device that detects if you're smiling and provides pain feedback if you're not. Frowning creates intense pain but a full smile leaves you pain free.

An enclosed bend sensor attaches to the cheek and measures smile size, a servo motor moves a metal spike into the head inversely proportional to the degree of smile. Through repeated use of the Happiness Hat you can train your brain to smile all the time.

3 comment(s):

Dr. Cheryl Carvajal said...

Creepy.

I think I'd likely end up electrocuted within an hour, and I tend to be pretty smiley.

Then again, who wants to smile all the time? What would we do at a funeral, or when we're watching a tear-jerker?

Yup. Creepy. I was right the first time.

Anonymous said...

"Happy thoughts, happy thoughts...boy, I'm gettin' mighty sick o' this..."

Bzzzzt....yow!

Anonymous said...

It looked like a wintertime Bluetooth to me at first glance.

Frightening forced future smiles FTW!